Soccer Made in Vancouver

 

 

When I found out Vancouver was going to host an actuarial conference and at the same time, there was a home match of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, I had to be there.

 

Vancouver also happens to be the home of my good friend Karl, an avid Whitecaps fan. He got me a good seat to a match against one of the 'local' rivalries, Portland Timbers.

 

I was familiar with the Whitecaps from the North American Soccer League days. Growing up, I often watched them on TV. They had well known British players (Phil Parkes, Alan Ball, Peter Lorimer , Willy Johnston, Peter Beardsley, etc.) as well as the legendary Liverpool goalie from Africa, Bruce Grobbelaar.

 

When the Whitecaps was admitted to Major League Soccer in 2011, they bought 3 players from the Swiss League. So for a while, the Swiss media was very interested in this team more than 8000 km away.

 

Of these 3 players, only one is still with the team: Alain Rochat, formerly a defender with FC Zurich. His face was in the local newspapers advertising for the match at BC Place.

 

 

 

When I saw BC place, I had to say it is one of my favorite stadiums in the world. It is located in downtown Vancouver, it is near the water, and from the outside, it reminds me of the stadium in Zurich with these 'candle look alike' features at the top. 

 

 

BC Place, Vancouver

Letzigrund, Zurich

 

I also like this sign inside BC Place, something I have not seen in any soccer match in Europe.

 

 







Vancouver is very civilized!!!!

 

While the stadium in Zurich may be beautiful to look at, it is a terrible place to watch soccer as there is a running track between the stands and the field.

 

In BC Place, the seats are very close to the field.

 

 

I felt like I was sitting in my living room and there was the huge screen hanging over the middle of the field. The match was shown in this screen simultaneously and it was in high definition. As good as the view from my seat was, I spent a lot of time looking at the screen.

 

Before the game, I read in the local newspapers and learned that the games between the 3 Northwest teams, Vancouver, Portland and Seattle are called Cascadia games. At the end of the season, the team with the best Cascadia record wins the Cascadia Cup.

Since joining the MLS in 2011, Vancouver had played 10 Cascadia games and won ZERO.

for their 11th MLS Cascadia game, the Whitecaps started the game with their star defender, Alain Rochat on the bench and with their star striker, Scotland international Kenny Miller injured.

Still the Whitecaps scored 2 fabulous goals and was winning 2-1 late in the game when Rochat came on.  Portland already had defender Futty sent off.



With 5 minutes left, a desperate lob from the middle of the field put the ball near the Whitecaps box. There was only one Timbers player near the ball and there were about 5 Whitecaps players and the goalie around him.

I could not believe it. Portland scored, game ended 2-2 and the Whitecaps remained MLS Cascadia winless.

It was an entertaining match.

The day started with an autograph from and a photo with Kenny Miller outside the stadium. Then I met the Whitecaps mascot at the game. When I got back to my hotel, I found out the Timbers were sleeping at the same place and I met number 5,  the defender Harrington in the hotel Starbucks.

I think he looks like Robbie Savage.

check out the photos!