Kent State Football Preview 2025: Another Reboot for the Golden Flashes
Three years ago, Kent State was coming off a disappointing 5-7 season.Four years ago, it went to a bowl game, won 22 games, and took home the 2019 Frisco Bowl under Sean Lewis. And then it all fell apart.Lewis - now the head coach at San Diego State - left to be Coach Prime's offensive coordinator at Colorado, Kenni Burs took over the Golden Flashes in an all-time do-over after losing just about everyone of note through the transfer portal, and it's been a struggle - to be nice.
Kent State went 1-23 under Burns, with the lone victory coming over Central Connecticut State from the FCS ranks. Out of the 22 losses to FBS teams - there was a loss last year to Saint Francis from the FCS - 21 of them were by double digits.Burns was let go after reports of alleged contract violations, offensive coordinator Mark Carney stepped in as the interim head man, and now Kent State is starting from scratch once again.It's been hard stretch to find the right transfers to fill in the gaps, there's no real depth, and it all means Carney can let it rip.Kent State went 1-21 in 1982 and 1983, and bounced back with a four-win 1984 season. Anything close to being competitive will be good enough.
Kent State Golden Flashes Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- Mark Carney will serve as the offensive coordinator, for now, along with the head coaching duties. He'll have to find something, anything that works, after finishing dead last in the nation in total offense, scoring offense, and third down conversions.Step One is to try piecing together a line that returns one starter, Dustyn Morell, a versatile blocker who can work at right tackle but might settle in at guard. The transfer portal will take care of the rest, desperately needing 6-6, 310-pound Junior Diallo (Emory and Henry) and Jamarcus Hill (SE Missouri) to be decent at tackle.
- The running game was the second-worst in college football - yay, Colorado - but it was dead last in yards per carry. Ky Thomas is done after being the only Golden Flash to run for more than 145 yards, and now it'll be up to Minnesota transfer Jordan Nubin to handle the work. He ran for 559 yards as a sophomore, but only managed 11 carries last year.- The quarterback situation will be a work in progress. CJ Montes from Fordham should be the best option, but Devin Kargman is a big option with a little experience. Neither one has top target Crishon McCray to throw to - he left for Michigan State - and with Luke Floriea also gone, just one touchdown catch from last year returns.Jay Jay Etheridge will work on the outside after making 14 grabs with that one score, and Dashawn Martin was fourth on the team with eight grabs. JUCO transfer Da'Realyst Clark and tight end Christian Berry from Davidson have to be factors right away.
Kent State Golden Flashes Preview 2025: Defense
- As bad as the offense was, the defense was even worse. Dead last in the nation in total defense, scoring defense, run defense - it was rough. For good and bad, there's more returning production to build around. It starts with the linebacking corps, where Mason Woods is back in the middle after finishing second on the team with 68 tackles, and with Canaan Williams adding 46 stops with a few plays behind the line.
- The secondary also has plenty of parts back. Top tackling safety Josh Baka is gone, but CJ Young is a promising option along with third-leading tackler Tevin Tucker, who made 65 tackles with two broken up passes. No corner picked off a pass, and now it'll be a mix of transfers to go along with sophomores Joel Boaham and Jaire Rawlison to come up with anyone who can produce. But they need help from …- The pass rush. There wasn't much last year, and the ones who generated any production are gone. Backups have to turn into key starters, especially on the outside, where seniors Antoine Campbell and Mattheus Campbell have to get behind the line. Southern Illinois transfer Jamond Mathis should help.There's little size inside, but 280-pound Pitt transfer Thomas Aden will be in the mix at one tackle next to 275-pound Mason Maddux.
Kent State Golden Flashes Key to the Season
Find SOMETHING that worksNo one's expecting Kent State to do much of anything, but there has to be a positive identity in some way. Opposing teams have to find something to worry about. It starts with being able to run the ball a little bit. Last year's team averaged over three yards per carry in just two games; there has to be a push. So …
Kent State Golden Flashes Key Player
Garrett Masterson, OG Jr.This isn't a big offensive line, but the interior should have a little bit of size. The ground game needs someone to reliably run behind, and the 6-6, 315-pound Materson has just enough experience to potentially be that guy.
Kent State Golden Flashes Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: CJ Montes, QB Sr.A terrific passer for Fordham in 2023, he threw for 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns with just one pick. He only played in three games last year, and now he'll push for the Kent State starting gig.Top Transfer Out: Kameron Olds, EDGE Sr.One of the few big producers last season, Olds led the team with six sacks to go along with 42 tackles. Now. He'll be a key part of the Kentucky defensive front.
Kent State Golden Flashes Key Game
Buffalo, Sept. 13The 21-game losing streak should come to an end in the opener against Merrimack, but the last win over an FBS team came at the end of 2022 against Buffalo. It would be a massive shot in the arm to start the season 2-1 for the first time since 2020 and the second time since 2012.- 2025 Kent State Schedule Breakdown
Kent State Golden Flashes Top 10 Players
1. Tevin Tucker, S Soph.2. Mason Woods, LB Sr.3. Jordan Nubin, RB Sr.4. Canaan Williams, LB Jr.5. Jay Jay Etheridge, WR Soph.6. Dustyn Morell, OG Jr.7. Dashawn Martin, WR/KR, Soph.8. Antoine Campbell, DE Sr.9. Semaj Cross, LB Sr.10. Devin Kargman, QB Jr.
Kent State Golden Flashes 2024 Fun Stats
- 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 142, Kent State 31
- Rushing Touchdowns: Opponents 35, Kent State 3
- 3rd Down Conversions: Opponents 72-of-146 (49%), Kent State 27-of-142 (19%)
Kent State Golden Flashes 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
Kent State might have one of the roughest situations in all of college football coming into the season. It can't take anything for granted, but Merrimack has to be a win to start the campaign, and UMass is a must-get MAC home date in mid-October.There might be a stunner somewhere in the mix if the planets all align correctly on the right day, in this holding pattern season, getting to three wins would be a win.Set The Kent State Golden Flashes Win Total At … 2
Likely Wins: Merrimack50/50 Games: UMassLikely Losses: at Akron, at Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, at Florida State, at Northern Illinois, at Oklahoma, at Texas Tech, at Toledo
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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
FCS football likely moving to 12 game schedule
FCS football programs, including many HBCU schools, are one step closer to expanding their regular-season schedule to 12 games starting in 2026. The NCAA FCS Oversight Committee recently approved a key recommendation that would make the 12-game schedule standard every year. What's Changing for FCS Football? Currently, FCS football teams play either 11 or 12 games depending on the calendar. When there are 13 weeks between Labor Day weekend and the FCS playoff selection show - typically aired the Sunday before Thanksgiving - teams are allowed to play 12 games. In years with only 12 weeks, teams play 11. Under the new proposal, FCS programs would shift to a consistent 13-week schedule. The season would begin annually on the final Thursday in August, giving teams the opportunity to play 12 regular-season games every year. Why the Change Matters for HBCU football The committee cited the importance of aligning FCS football with FBS standards. FBS teams have played a consistent 12-game schedule since 2006, regardless of calendar shifts. "Standardizing the start date and number of contests in FCS football enhances the overall experience and provides FCS football student-athletes with the opportunity to participate in the same number of regular-season contests as FBS football student-athletes, regardless of the calendar year," the committee stated in its report. Impact on HBCU Football Programs This change will have a significant impact on HBCU football programs, many of which compete at the FCS level in conferences such as the SWAC and MEAC. These programs often build their schedules around major classics, rivalry games, and revenue-generating matchups against FBS opponents. A guaranteed 12-game schedule every year could offer more flexibility for: Scheduling marquee events like the Bayou Classic, Florida Classic, and Magic City ClassicIncreasing revenue opportunities through additional home games or high-profile matchupsEnhancing exposure and recruiting by ensuring more consistent national and regional visibility This change could also help level the playing field, allowing HBCUs more chances to match the scheduling advantages already enjoyed by FBS and some FCS peers. What Happens Next? The final decision will be made at the upcoming NCAA Division I Council meeting next month. Approval is expected, which would make the 12-game FCS football schedule official starting with the 2026 season. The post FCS football likely moving to 12 game schedule appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
New York Times
6 days ago
- New York Times
How a college football coach sees the game: Inside the film room with Marcus Freeman
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — If it's a road game, Marcus Freeman flips open his laptop on the charter bus, then continues the ritual on the team plane. If it's a home game, Notre Dame's head coach heads straight to his office after his news conference. He pulls down the blinds around his second-story office, then turns on the monitor mounted to the wall, left of his desk. Advertisement For these two-plus hours, Freeman isn't much different than the Kent State linebackers coach who broke into the business 14 years ago. Football tape is football tape, whether it's a national championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State or a midweek matchup in the Mid-American Conference. Film gets Freeman closer to those roots, before the celebrity of Notre Dame, before he became one of the faces of college football. Watching the game back is also the only way Freeman can sleep after games. 'It's a way to decompress, win or lose,' the 39-year-old Freeman said. 'I've been that way as a head coach, a coordinator, a position coach. I like to see it. I like to know the answers to why things happened right away.' Freeman spoke to The Athletic in his office last week to explain how he grinds through game film and why he does it. He talked through eight plays — seven from last season, one from the spring game — and opened up his football brain for further examination. Freeman's first viewing of a game is to make sure he understands the questions. He watches it straight through postgame, clicking back when something catches his eye. He'll make notes or cross-reference ones he already made from the sideline. After a night game, the process stretches past 2 a.m. Then Freeman will return to his office Sunday morning to watch again, with the film broken up by offense, defense and special teams. Sunday is for understanding the answers. Nothing is too small, a point Freeman makes by pulling up a made extra point at Texas A&M. You see Mitch Jeter's kick. He sees left guard Pat Coogan getting too high at the line of scrimmage. Freeman saw it later in the game too on a made field goal. And he saw it on the opening extra point at Northern Illinois. Did anyone else? Probably not, at least not until Northern Illinois blocked Jeter's 48-yard field goal just before halftime. Advertisement The penetration came over the left guard, who got too high against the Northern Illinois rush. Notre Dame went on to lose 16-14. 'Everyone else is just looking at it like, 'Oh, just an extra point. No big deal.'' Freeman said. 'We should have caught that against A&M. 'You can't just watch the outcome. It's all 11. It's the challenge of perfection versus the outcome. It's that pressure of not being a game late or a play late. It's the ultimate challenge.' This is how Freeman sees the game. Three plays earlier, Notre Dame ran the same inside zone on fourth-and-1, which Leonard converted for a first down. The Irish did it with different personnel, tight end Cooper Flanagan and running back Devyn Ford instead of tight end Eli Raridon and running back Jeremiyah Love. But how well the Irish blocked it and how the Aggies defended it were slightly different too, enough to leave Leonard just a few inches short, one of the only times Notre Dame's quarterback was stopped on fourth-and-short all season. This play works if right guard Billy Schrauth, right tackle Aamil Wagner and Raridon win at the point of attack against the Aggie's two defensive lineman and the linebacker, Taurean York (21), who blitzes inside. York coming inside to engage Wagner puts Raridon in a tough spot, blocking first-round pick Shemar Stewart. 'They ran a different blitz and (Stewart) gets across Eli's face,' Freeman said. Stewart winning at the point of attack muddies the picture for Love, who's supposed to block 'most dangerous,' meaning whoever shows up in his picture first, either middle linebacker Scooby Williams (0) or defensive back Bryce Anderson (1). Anderson shows up first off the edge, leaving no one to block Williams. Because Stewart has messed up the running lane Leonard wanted, Texas A&M wins the situation. Advertisement Was it the call? The execution? Or just Texas A&M tweaking the run blitz, adjusting to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock before Denbrock could adjust back? Considering how well Notre Dame executed the quarterback run game in short yardage the rest of the season, credit the Aggies and their defensive line. 'I see why Denbrock called it again because it just worked,' Freeman said. 'The difference is how they blitzed it. It is what it is.' The 28-yard run by the NIU running back late in the first quarter didn't feel pivotal in the moment, but Freeman easily picked out ways this play (and others like it) were ominous in Notre Dame's only regular-season loss, a stunning upset in a game in which the Irish were favored by four touchdowns. It's a basic run misfit where Jaylen Sneed gets caught inside, failing to fill the gap that Jack Kiser and Jaiden Ausberry set. Brown bolts down the field before Xavier Watts pushes him out. It was the longest run by an opposing back the Irish allowed until Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins went for 70 yards to start the second half of the national title game. 'You're always looking for blue, white, blue, white, blue. That's gap sound,' Freeman said. 'You would watch this play at home and say is it Kiser? Is it Ausberry? The problem is 3 doesn't get over top.' Freeman doesn't want to live with the result of this play, but he sees its residue all over the game. Could Ausberry have been more physical setting the edge? Maybe. Then Freeman pulls up a 10-yard Brown run from the third quarter when Ausberry does shoot upfield with Sneed in pursuit. Brown gets outside Sneed for a first down. Adon Shuler taps Brown along the sideline, which basically lets the running back pick up a couple of extra yards. Advertisement The drive ends in a missed field goal. That's not what sticks with Freeman. 'It's little (stuff) like this. That's not typical for 3. Watch 8. That's the stuff I watch this game and go, hmmm …' Freeman said. 'Why aren't we playing as hard as we usually play? If this was Ohio State, Adon would knock the crap out of him.' Notre Dame had been setting up Louisville for a throwback screen all game by sprinting out Leonard. Now Denbrock wanted to get paid for that work, calling a screen that sucks in five Cardinals defenders and gives the entire Irish offensive line a free release to the second level. Sam Pendleton and Rocco Spindler make their blocks first. Anthonie Knapp delivers next, with Coogan looking for work. At least four defenders converge on Love at the 3-yard line, and the running back somehow gets through them all to score while barreling into Coogan. The touchdown gives Notre Dame control in a game that becomes a springboard to the College Football Playoff. All good, right? 'This is what I don't love,' Freeman said. 'This is what I'll watch and go, 'What is he doing?'' Freeman is looking at receiver Kris Mitchell, aligned to Leonard's left. He's running a route to clear space for the throwback screen. Check. But when the boundary cornerback, Tahveon Nicholson (23), comes screaming across the field, Mitchell doesn't pick him up. Nicholson is the first defender to drill Love. If Mitchell blocks him, the touchdown comes much easier. 'Go find work. Turn around and block this guy because this dude almost stops it,' Freeman said. 'This is the guy you gotta get blocked because you never know! Those are the things that I'm watching. Not is it a good play, is it a bad play. Who is finishing the play? That's how we evaluate every play. All 11.' Advertisement Two days after Notre Dame's win over Louisville, Freeman watched Monday Night Football as the Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks. Midway through the third quarter, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a throwback pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Jared Goff that went for a 7-yard touchdown. Freeman made a note. Two months later, he'd revisit it, combined with his memory of a fake punt from about eight years earlier. As the linebackers coach at Purdue (2013-16), Freeman ran the punt team and rarely saw a fake he didn't like, even if head coach Darrell Hazell didn't always agree. One fake aligned Purdue's backup quarterback behind a tight end on the left side of the formation. That quarterback hit the tight end for a first down. 'This is when I went to (special teams coordinator Marty Biagi) and said I got an idea for a punt fake,' Freeman said. 'Then it's about how do you enhance it? How do you incorporate Buchner and get all eyes on Love?' Notre Dame had already taken care of the Love part with its fake punt at Georgia Tech, when Jayden Harrison did a reverse pitch with Love, who went 22 yards for a first down. If USC needed a reminder to be on alert with Love in punt formation, that film study was it. The Irish just needed to make that prior knowledge work against the Trojans. Buchner lines up behind Love, basically hiding the former starting quarterback in plain sight. USC still calls out Evans as a danger man, but linebacker Anthony Beavers gets sucked into the Love motion. Buchner lofts the pass for an easy completion. A fake that originated in West Lafayette and got repackaged in Detroit hits in Los Angeles. The former renditions helped the Irish special teams understand how to hit this play because they'd already seen it work. 'You gotta show guys,' Freeman said. 'When you show the players, you show them the vision that we have for this type of play. And then it just evolved.' Here's the thing about the pick that set the stage for Love's 98-yard touchdown. Advertisement It started with a mistake against Virginia. And it didn't have anything to do with Watts. Just before halftime against the Cavaliers, Kiser set up in the middle of the defense, watching quarterback Anthony Colandrea. On the backside of the play, Virginia receiver Malachi Fields — now an incoming Notre Dame transfer — lined up against Leonard Moore. At the snap, Kiser got sucked into the Virginia run game, which Drayk Bowen had covered. And that meant Kiser abandoned the backside hash, his post with Notre Dame in Cover-1. Colandrea hit Fields for a 12-yard gain. Freeman had the play queued up to watch. 'Kiser got his ass ripped for this,' Freeman said. 'He doesn't have the back. That's Drayk's guy. He should be packing it back right to the weakside hash. He doesn't. Look what happens.' Fast forward to the College Football Playoff. Kiser is in the middle of the defense. This time Sneed takes the back and Kiser doesn't false step. Instead, he takes a peek at Indiana slot receiver Myles Price (4), who's breaking behind him with Jordan Clark in coverage. Kiser hauls to the weakside hash. And where does the ball go? To the weakside hash. 'Kiser does an unbelievable job and (Watts) is just making a play. This is all Kiser. He causes this ball to be thrown off-target,' Freeman said. 'Hopefully we beat it enough into their heads: backside hash, backside hash. That's the hardest part of the field to cover.' 'Other than J-Love is a freak,' Freeman said, 'there's a couple things I'm gonna show you.' Before getting into Love's touchdown that will show up on Notre Dame highlight reels for a generation, Freeman wanted to watch Leonard's touchdown run at the start of the third quarter. It's the same play call with different personnel. Love is the lead blocker for Leonard on that play. On Love's touchdown run, it's Mitchell Evans. On the Leonard touchdown run, Jayden Thomas is the edge blocker. On Love's touchdown run, it's Jaden Greathouse. Advertisement But those differences don't matter as much as how Penn State defends it with a defensive back in the box. On Leonard's touchdown, that's Jaylen Reed (1). He stays outside the tackle box. Thomas bluffs a block on defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) to slow him down, then works to Reed as Charles Jagusah pulls across the formation to block Dennis-Sutton. Because Reed stays outside, Thomas can get to him. Love takes linebacker Tony Rojas (13), just enough for Leonard to follow him into the end zone. On Love's touchdown, the defensive back in question is Zion Tracy (7). Film study indicated he'd stay outside the tackle box like Reed did. Except he fills inside. Greathouse bluffs Dennis-Sutton, then Jagusah wipes out the defensive end. But Greathouse can't get to Tracy, putting Evans in a bind. He has to block two defenders: Tracy and linebacker Kobe King (41). He takes out King, giving Tracy a free shot on Love. 'That's where it gets (screwed) up. Mitch doesn't know what to do,' Freeman said. 'He's gotta block most dangerous, but No. 7 didn't stay outside like we thought he would. Then J-Love is just a football player.' What else sticks with Freeman? After Greathouse can't get his block, he doesn't pick up defensive back Cam Miller (5), who stands Love up at the 2-yard line. 'What are you doing? Go block this dude,' Freeman said. 'You're just in the way.' And that's what it took to produce an iconic moment. Penn State adjusting a defender's position, a missed block and a lot of Love. Notre Dame knows Smith is going to run a reverse. His feet tell the story. Advertisement In preparation for the national title game, Notre Dame noticed every time Smith aligned in a tight formation and adjusted his stance at the line of scrimmage, shifting his outside foot forward, the all-world receiver came back across the formation. A reverse, a jet sweep — it didn't matter. Smith gave away where he was heading. Freeman popped on a couple of plays to prove it, showing Smith adjusting his stance and coming back across the formation against Oregon in the Rose Bowl and during a regular-season win over Nebraska. When Smith adjusts his stance on this play early in the second quarter, Christian Gray calls it out, just like he was coached to do. '(Ohio State offensive coordinator) Chip Kelly did a good job and they do self-scout, too,' Freeman said. 'The film study hurt us a little bit there.' Gray comes screaming across the formation to defend the reverse but Smith plants and cuts back into the open field. Walk-in touchdown. The play hurts as Ohio State begins a 31-0 run that leaves Notre Dame gasping for air. Freeman also knows that if Gray had cut back to mirror Smith, he might not have made the play. It might have just looked like Love's touchdown against Penn State. 'That's a hard tackle 1-on-1,' Freeman said. Sure, Smith makes the play against Gray. But just as impactful is Kelly, who is now with the Las Vegas Raiders, making the call against Al Golden, now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Sometimes one NFL coordinator beats another NFL coordinator on the headset. 'There ain't a whole bunch to say here,' Freeman says, before picking apart a half-dozen individual performances on the play. It's an inside zone and Freeman likes what he sees from the offensive line's protection of Carr. But he notices Joe Otting getting too far upfield, so he takes a note to talk to offensive line coach Joe Rudolph about the line not getting lost in the gray area of RPOs. 'Who cares about the catch. Why is (Otting) past the line of scrimmage three yards?' Freeman said. 'I'm looking at all that stuff.' It's easier to pick apart the defense. Moore gets caught moving inside and could have been wiped out by Bauman. Shuler's eyes are wrong, failing to move from Raridon in coverage to Bauman, who gets behind him. Tae Johnson gets sucked into a play-action fake to Kedren Young. Cole Mullins gets caught in between playing contain and rushing Carr, ultimately doing neither. Sneed might be too aggressive crashing the line, not waiting to see if it's a run play. Advertisement 'Adon has to be as deep as the deepest,' Freeman said. 'He's disrespecting Kevin a little bit — 'This dude isn't gonna beat me deep.' Well, it wasn't the catch as much as the throw.' Everyone in Notre Dame Stadium will remember Carr's feathery throw along the sideline, especially as the young quarterback heads into the 2025 season as the favorite to replace Leonard as the starter. And live, that's what Freeman noticed too. Mic'd up for the game, Freeman's initial reaction on the broadcast was, 'Oh, nice throw and catch.' But that's what film study is for. Seeing everything else.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Yahoo
Vancouver Whitecaps play for country, city and league in Concacaf Champions Cup final
In his post-election victory speech late on the night of 28 April, Canada's prime minister Mark Carney celebrated a momentous political comeback by reinforcing what he felt were the country's three core values: humility, ambition and unity. But in the face of constant threats, gleeful taunts and mounting tension, there was also a warning to the United States. Advertisement 'President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never ever happen.' Related: LAFC stuns Club América in extra time to qualify for Club World Cup Two nights later at Chase Stadium, about 40 minutes south of Trump's Xanadu at Mar-a-Lago, an unfancied but spirited and confident Vancouver Whitecaps outfit embarrassed the garish glitz of Inter Miami – rather deliciously, with the help of a couple of Americans – and easily booked their place in the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup for the very first time, becoming only the third Canadian side ever to qualify for the decider. They play Cruz Azul on Sunday night, and could end the night as the first Canadian side to win the competition – any version of it, dating back to 1962. The team's domestic form sees them currently leading Major League Soccer's Western Conference, while they're one point from the summit of the overall standings. They've been on an unbeaten run of fifteen games and have just two defeats in 24 across all competitions this season, but it somehow gets better. They've accomplished this with a novice MLS boss, Jesper Sørensen, only in the job since the start of the year and having replaced the beloved Vanni Sartini who'd led the club to back-to-back MLS playoff appearances and three successive Canadian Championship titles. Advertisement Oh, and one more thing. Last December, the Whitecaps ownership group of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Nash dropped a bombshell and announced they were selling. Should new investors be found there's a distinct chance the club will be relocated to an American city. Maybe it's the Canadian way: to do good things but not speak about them very much - Axel Schuster And yet, the timing of such a doomsday scenario could hardly be any better. With a remarkable surge in nationalistic sentiment since Trump's ramblings about annexing Canada, the country has never been more solidified and compelled to protect what's theirs. The Whitecaps, a club that proudly boasts over half a century of impactful soccer history and local cultural resonance, have felt the benefit of the swell and a rescue mission is already well under way. 'You wouldn't be able to do my job if you weren't optimistic because you always have to believe that a positive development is ahead of you,' says Axel Schuster, CEO and sporting director of the Vancouver Whitecaps. 'Sometimes, if there's a risk that you'll lose something it's only then you realise how important it is to you.' Leaning into the patriotism and community seen in recent months, Schuster is pushing hard for a new, privately funded downtown venue for the Whitecaps at the city's landmark PNE fairgrounds site, a stone's throw from Empire Stadium, the original home of the Whitecaps. The team's current base at BC Place is owned by the province and greatly restricts the club's revenue streams and commercial opportunities. A shiny asset is one distinct way of enticing new ownership to keep the team where it is and the City of Vancouver has confirmed that 'high level discussions' have already happened. Advertisement 'Maybe it's the Canadian way: to do good things but not speak about them very much and we haven't always told our stories,' Schuster says. 'There are enough people who believe in this club being a major asset to our community and to the soccer landscape in Canada and believe that it's worthwhile to fight for it, to keep it alive and keep it in Vancouver.' After a long stint in the Bundesliga and influential roles at Mainz and Schalke, Schuster took the Vancouver job just as a global pandemic brought everything to a halt. Since then, he's overseen an impressive rise. Three visits to the playoffs, a mammoth increase in attendance, a litany of domestic cup success and all achieved on an always-conservative budget. In 2024, the club paid $17.4m in salaries to leave them comfortably mid-range in MLS. In contrast, Inter Miami splashed out $41.7m, while cross-country rivals Toronto FC racked up an outlay of $31.8m. Look closely, though, and Vancouver boasts a perfectly proportioned roster between small, medium and big earners. But perhaps Schuster's most impressive achievement has been ensuring off-field distractions and all of the worry, concerns and anxiety that come with an uncertain future, have not seeped on to the field or into the front office. 'It hasn't always been easy to be a Whitecaps employee and wear our badge,' he admits. 'When the news broke that the club was for sale, it was easy to say 'Look, nothing will change. We'll have the best ever season, we'll be the most attractive club in MLS that everyone wants to own.' But it's something else to fill those words with real life.' Advertisement Winning has, at least for now, seemed to ease that instability. Related: Pochettino turns to an unlikely savior for USMNT's struggles: MLS 'There were a lot of questions,' Schuster said. ''Will this club still be here?' 'Why should we sign this sponsorship deal with you?' And we told those people: 'Come with us because everything will be great'. After the second leg in Miami, I was so happy because I could feel how much it meant to everyone. To give them these special moments made me super happy. It was like we all got rewarded for everything.' Schuster felt the 2024 season had been a 'missed opportunity' of sorts and that a fresh approach could unlock something new in the group. In Sørensen, he found a coach that has managed to get career-best performances out of players up and down the roster – a big reason why the team has excelled as much in continental competition as it has in MLS, where most teams involved in both tend to struggle in one or the other. We'll make it very clear that we are not just one of 30 MLS teams. We are one team from British Columbia in Canada. - Axel Schuster Advertisement 'There were two main criteria that our new coach needed to have: firstly, that he was a developer with a track record of improving players and not just young players,' Schuster says. 'Secondly, we didn't want a coach who would say, 'Some of these players won't fit my plans and I'll need one or two transfer windows to build a team'. We wanted someone who looked at the existing group and knew what to do with them to make it successful from the first day.' Under Sørensen's watch, certain players have stepped up and the group has adapted impressively to the loss of talisman Ryan Gauld, sidelined since early March with a knee injury. While the likes of Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter have garnered much of the focus given their call-ups to the US national team, Schuster pinpoints the developments of Ali Ahmed and Tristan Blackmon as examples of Sorensen's coaching nous. 'Ali doesn't have that many years of being in a professional environment and Jesper has simplified his game, focusing on key areas rather than on his overall profile,' Schuster says. 'Tristan Blackmon has made big progress. In all of our stats, he's the best defender in MLS. You always felt he had the skills to be a top defender but maybe wasn't using them in the right way. But his consistency this year has been unbelievable.' Despite the positivity this season, Schuster admits that he hardly ever enjoys watching games. Advertisement Related: What MLS can learn from the J League's growth in Japan 'Even the second leg win over Inter Miami took a long time before I really believed it was done,' he says with a laugh. 'During the game there is nothing to enjoy. I can't watch with a lot of people around me, at least people I don't know, because I get pretty active about what we could do better and should do better.' Schuster will certainly take some enjoyment from Sunday's Concacaf Champions Cup final against Mexican heavyweights Cruz Azul. Because on this particular international stage at this particular time, the Vancouver Whitecaps will not represent Major League Soccer. They'll represent the humility, ambition and unity of an entire nation. 'For us, we are proud to be Canadians,' Schuster says. 'Our players can appreciate living in this country and this province. I have a player who told me that at some point he might be ready to play in a more challenging league. But then he said, 'My family feels so good and so safe here and that's even more important than where I play'. So we also represent that. This is what we think is right. This is how a country, a city, a province should be. It's what we stand for. We will go there as proud Canadians and we will have the Maple Leaf everywhere. And we'll make it very clear that we are not just one of 30 MLS teams. We are one team from British Columbia in Canada.'
