Latest news with #RyanGauld
Calgary Herald
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Whitecaps' hammering in CONCACAF final is, sadly, fitting for Vancouver sports
Cheering for Vancouver sports teams that aren't of the baseball variety has been pure misery for a decade now. Article content Article content The misery was generally only limited to this city's winter sports — and, yes, we mean the Canucks but there was also that brief NBA sojourn that we all know was, yes, grizzly. But the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to be stuck on this list, too. (The B.C. Lions as well, but let's just deal with one football at a time, shall we?) Article content Article content How else to explain Sunday's total embarrassment in Mexico City, a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Cruz Azul, other than to chalk it up to the reality that cheering for a sports team in Vancouver is mostly guaranteed to inflict pain in the end? Article content Article content For all the brilliance this Whitecaps season has carried with it — the drubbing of Inter Miami, knocking off other strong Mexican teams like Pumas and Monterrey, the 15-game unbeaten run, the sitting atop the MLS league table, the super-entertaining brand of play (even without talisman Ryan Gauld — the loss Sunday at the hands of one of Mexico's Los Cuatro Grandes will stand out in stark and brutal contrast. Article content Sure, MLS teams have struggled in the grand final for North American football. Just three times in the 63 years there's been a CONCACAF club championship has a team from north of the Mexican border won the title. That the Whitecaps were likely going to lose, given the history, given the venue, was understandable. Article content Article content But to lose like this? Outrageous. Article content Article content We are left to consider a few things: Article content • Did Jesper Sorensen get it wrong by starting a defensive back four who hadn't started together before? Did he get it wrong by starting a midfield trio who also hadn't started a game together? Sure feels like it. The number of gaffes, especially the shocking ones from the normally steady Andres Cubas, suggest as much. So was the total lack of service for Brian White, worst embodied in the Caps getting exactly zero shots on the night. Article content • Was it the fact they played mid-week? Even if this is how Sorensen wanted, as he claimed, surely some rest, some time to acclimatize to the altitude would have been the better approach. Why didn't Major League Soccer simply make the call themselves and move that Wednesday game?
Vancouver Sun
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Whitecaps' hammering in CONCACAF final is, sadly, fitting for Vancouver sports
Cheering for Vancouver sports teams that aren't of the baseball variety has been pure misery for a decade now. The misery was generally only limited to this city's winter sports — and, yes, we mean the Canucks but there was also that brief NBA sojourn that we all know was, yes, grizzly. But the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to be stuck on this list, too. (The B.C. Lions as well, but let's just deal with one football at a time, shall we?) How else to explain Sunday's total embarrassment in Mexico City, a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Cruz Azul , other than to chalk it up to the reality that cheering for a sports team in Vancouver is mostly guaranteed to inflict pain in the end? Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. For all the brilliance this Whitecaps season has carried with it — the drubbing of Inter Miami, knocking off other strong Mexican teams like Pumas and Monterrey, the 15-game unbeaten run, the sitting atop the MLS league table, the super-entertaining brand of play (even without talisman Ryan Gauld — the loss Sunday at the hands of one of Mexico's Los Cuatro Grandes will stand out in stark and brutal contrast. Sure, MLS teams have struggled in the grand final for North American football. Just three times in the 63 years there's been a CONCACAF club championship has a team from north of the Mexican border won the title. That the Whitecaps were likely going to lose, given the history, given the venue, was understandable. But to lose like this? Outrageous. We are left to consider a few things: • Did Jesper Sorensen get it wrong by starting a defensive back four who hadn't started together before? Did he get it wrong by starting a midfield trio who also hadn't started a game together? Sure feels like it. The number of gaffes, especially the shocking ones from the normally steady Andres Cubas, suggest as much. So was the total lack of service for Brian White, worst embodied in the Caps getting exactly zero shots on the night. • Was it the fact they played mid-week? Even if this is how Sorensen wanted, as he claimed, surely some rest, some time to acclimatize to the altitude would have been the better approach. Why didn't Major League Soccer simply make the call themselves and move that Wednesday game? • Or is it simply a team that plays in a tougher league than MLS knowing what it takes? • With all the strengths this team has displayed this year, especially in overcoming previous Mexican opposition, why were they so unprepared from the very beginning? Both captain Ranko Vesilinovic and Sorensen lamented how bad their team looked right from the start. For a team that has played so well this season in every other circumstance, who has passed the ball about with precision and confidence, it was a truly baffling experience. When you watch Mexican clubs, you are reminded of the remarkable depth of football in the country. There are many reasons for this, of course, but it's a reminder of what Canadian soccer still must work on: Getting all these kids playing the game the best coaching they can find and to give them all the chances in the world to play with energy, passion and personality. It's about being more than just technically sound, it's about having wave after wave of young players coming into the professional game in Canada ready to make the game not just good, but great. To that end, the Whitecaps must look at next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup with purpose: Not just to get back to the final but to far outclass this dismal, horrible performance. And to get there, they must press on this summer and show that this devastatingly poor performance was a shocking aberration on the season, that the team we've seen every other game this season is the real Whitecaps, a team on the rise, a team that will be the kind of team that can win a CONCACAF title, not just be there to make up the numbers. No one wants to see a juiceless effort, one that would be embarrassing to see on the training ground, one like Sunday's game, again. pjohnston@
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Rolling Vancouver Whitecaps set for emotional rematch vs Minnesota United
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Emmanuel Sabbi, centre right, scissor kicks the ball against Minnesota United during the second half of an MLS soccer match Sunday, April 27, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Bettcher) VANCOUVER — Ryan Gauld didn't expect to be the Vancouver Whitecaps' biggest cheerleader this season. The Scottish attacking midfielder has been the team's top playmaker since he arrived in Vancouver in 2021, and put up 10 goals and 15 assists in Major League Soccer play last season. He's been limited to just three league games this year, though, after going down with a knee injury on March 8 — and when he'll rejoin the team remains unclear. His absence hasn't slowed the 'Caps. Vancouver (9-1-4) heads into Wednesday's matchup with Minnesota United (7-3-5) riding a 14-game unbeaten streak (7-0-7) across all competitions. The game will be a tune-up for a Whitecaps side that's set to play one of the biggest games of the club's history on Sunday when Vancouver meets LIGA MX club Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City. Missing big games — including a pair of Champions Cup clashes against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami — hasn't been easy, Gauld admitted. 'I think at any point it's tough to be injured, but even more so when we're winning a lot of games,' he said. 'It does make it hard for myself, because you want to be involved. But it also makes it easier with everyone in good spirits … Hopefully I'm back soon, but until I am, I hope the winning continues.' Gauld likes what he's seen from his teammates so far this year. The 'Caps sit atop the MLS standings and hold a four-point cushion for No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. Even in recent games where the team hasn't had the best performance, the group has shown a lot of resilience, Gauld said. 'Yeah, people can say it's not been our best performances. But the boys have dug in and got results out of them,' he said. The Whitecaps have already downed Minnesota once this year, taking a 3-1 road victory back on April 27. The Loons have been in good form since, and head to Vancouver undefeated in their last three games (2-0-1) after drawing Austin FC 1-1 on Saturday. 'It's a very solid team,' Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen said of Minnesota. 'They have a distinct style of play, and they have very strong set pieces. They're very strong in the counter attacking moments. We know that it's a team that doesn't beat themselves up.' Last month's game between the two clubs saw several players separated by officials after Minnesota's Joseph Rosales allegedly hurled racially insensitive remarks at Vancouver's Emmanuel Sabbi, who is Black. Rosales was later suspended three games for violating the league's non-discrimination policy. Emotions will be high heading into Wednesday's rematch, Sabbi said. 'It's unacceptable the comments that he made. And we just look to get past it as humans,' he said. 'We've talked about keeping a cool head. And that's what we need to do for this game, myself included.' Sorensen said he may also issue a reminder to his players ahead of kickoff, but that it 'shouldn't be a thing that fills the room too much.' Sabbi added that Rosales has not reached out or apologized for the incident. It's surprising that Black athletes still have to deal with these situations, he said. 'It's tough, of course,' Sabbi said. 'And we all hope that one day it won't be a thing that we have to keep going through.' MINNESOTA UNITED (7-3-5) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (9-14) B.C. Place, Wednesday HISTORY BOOKS: The regular-season record between the two sides is even at 6-6-4. Vancouver holds a 4-3-0 edge when hosting the Loons at B.C. Place. HELLO AGAIN: Minnesota's lineup features a pair of former 'Caps. Defender Michael Boxall played for Vancouver in 2011 after being selected first overall by the club in the supplemental draft that year, and midfielder Julian Gressel spent part of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Whitecaps. WHITE GOLD?: Striker Brian White scored twice in Vancouver's 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday and now has 10 goals in league play this season. He sits second in the MLS golden boot race, three shy of Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Vancouver Sun
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Rolling Vancouver Whitecaps set for emotional rematch vs. Minnesota United
Ryan Gauld didn't expect to be the Vancouver Whitecaps' biggest cheerleader this season. The Scottish attacking midfielder has been the team's top playmaker since he arrived in Vancouver in 2021, and put up 10 goals and 15 assists in Major League Soccer play last season. He's been limited to just three league games this year, though, after going down with a knee injury on March 8 — and when he'll rejoin the team remains unclear. His absence hasn't slowed the 'Caps. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Vancouver (9-1-4) heads into Wednesday's matchup with Minnesota United (7-3-5) riding a 14-game unbeaten streak (7-0-7) across all competitions. The game will be a tune-up for a Whitecaps side that's set to play one of the biggest games of the club's history on Sunday when Vancouver meets LIGA MX club Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City. Missing big games — including a pair of Champions Cup clashes against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami — hasn't been easy, Gauld admitted. 'I think at any point it's tough to be injured, but even more so when we're winning a lot of games,' he said. 'It does make it hard for myself, because you want to be involved. But it also makes it easier with everyone in good spirits … Hopefully I'm back soon, but until I am, I hope the winning continues.' Gauld likes what he's seen from his teammates so far this year. The 'Caps sit atop the MLS standings and hold a four-point cushion for No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. Even in recent games where the team hasn't had the best performance, the group has shown a lot of resilience, Gauld said. 'Yeah, people can say it's not been our best performances. But the boys have dug in and got results out of them,' he said. The Whitecaps have already downed Minnesota once this year, taking a 3-1 road victory back on April 27. The Loons have been in good form since, and head to Vancouver undefeated in their last three games (2-0-1) after drawing Austin FC 1-1 on Saturday. 'It's a very solid team,' Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen said of Minnesota. 'They have a distinct style of play, and they have very strong set pieces. They're very strong in the counter attacking moments. We know that it's a team that doesn't beat themselves up.' Last month's game between the two clubs saw several players separated by officials after Minnesota's Joseph Rosales allegedly hurled racially insensitive remarks at Vancouver's Emmanuel Sabbi, who is Black. Rosales was later suspended three games for violating the league's non-discrimination policy. Emotions will be high heading into Wednesday's rematch, Sabbi said. 'It's unacceptable the comments that he made. And we just look to get past it as humans,' he said. 'We've talked about keeping a cool head. And that's what we need to do for this game, myself included.' Sorensen said he may also issue a reminder to his players before kickoff, but that it 'shouldn't be a thing that fills the room too much.' Sabbi added that Rosales has not reached out or apologized for the incident. It's surprising that Black athletes still have to deal with these situations, he said. 'It's tough, of course,' Sabbi said. 'And we all hope that one day it won't be a thing that we have to keep going through.' When and where: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at B.C. Place History books: The regular-season record between the two sides is even at 6-6-4. Vancouver holds a 4-3-0 edge when hosting the Loons at B.C. Place . Hello again: Minnesota's lineup features a pair of former 'Caps. Defender Michael Boxall played for Vancouver in 2011 after being selected first overall by the club in the supplemental draft that year, and midfielder Julian Gressel spent part of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Whitecaps. White gold?: Striker Brian White scored twice in Vancouver's 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday and now has 10 goals in league play this season. He sits second in the MLS golden boot race, three shy of Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Gauld injury sweat for Scotland games
Ryan Gauld's recovery from an injury picked up in March threatens to prevent the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder from taking part in Scotland's June fixtures. (Football Scotland), externalRead Tuesday's Scottish gossip
