Vancouver’s first huge recreation is only a month away, and gamers have not even reported for pre-season but. It is going to be a whirlwind month for the Whitecaps of their Marbella, Spain, coaching camp.
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On the primary day of Christmas, Vanni Sartini gave his assistants the current all of them certainly needed for the vacations.
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“I despatched them a PowerPoint,” the Vancouver Whitecaps’ coach laughed. “ ‘Right here’s my present for you.’ I despatched them 120 slides, and that was solely the primary half, the primary (tactical) system that we’ll work.”
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He was joking — most likely — however Sartini has spent a lot of the low season wrangling with the issue that has bedevilled the group all through its whole MLS historical past: successful a playoff sequence.
Certain, they thumped the San Jose Earthquakes 5-0 within the 2017 knockout spherical, however that’s the lone outcome on the constructive aspect of the ledger in six journeys to the post-season. Sartini has taken the Caps there two out of his three years in cost, and got here shut on the opposite, however each forays into the playoffs have ended with a dose of actuality, in 2024’s case, a two-leg post-season loss to Los Angeles FC.
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He acknowledges it’s now not ‘playoffs or bust.’ It’s playoffs … and bust some butt.
To that finish, with coaching camp beginning with gamers reporting to the College of B.C. on the weekend, it’s taking all the low season evaluation he’s carried out and implementing the adjustments.
“Playoff are all about fantastic margins, and we have to enhance that one per cent,” he mentioned. “However with a view to enhance the one per cent, I feel we’ve a way more essential job to enhance the 9 per cent that’s the common season and be in a greater place (within the standings).”
First process: getting Batman and Robin some assist.
The Whitecaps had been one thing of a two-trick pony in 2023, with Ryan Gauld (11 targets, 12 assists) and Brian White (15 targets, 5 assists) representing almost 40 per cent of their offensive output. The remainder of the group mixed for 25 targets and 29 assists in league play.
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Of the remainder of the highest 5 in goal-scoring, ahead Simon Becher (4 targets, one help) appears bound for Danish first division side AC Horsens, and winger Julian Gressel (three targets, 5 assists) was traded midseason. Solely Pedro Vite (4 targets, three assists) stays with the membership.
“Brian and Ryan did fantastically, however as a paradox, they had been additionally a bit little bit of a limitation on the finish within the playoff recreation, as a result of they had been principally our solely offensive weapon,” mentioned Sartini. “After all everybody has an offensive position, however when it comes to naturally inclined gamers to be offensive, typically there was solely Brian and Ryan.
“Our problem now’s to search out one thing to diversify extra our assault and even to most likely be extra resolution. The thought is, that if it’s attainable subsequent yr, we’re gonna all the time play with at the least three offensive gamers like this.”
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Damir Kreilach has entered the chat.
The Actual Salt Lake stalwart got here to MLS from Bundesliga aspect Union Berlin in 2018, and put up 56 targets and 25 assists over the subsequent six seasons, together with an all-star 2021 marketing campaign the place he had 16 targets and 9 assists. His signing simply earlier than new yr’s makes it two straight years that the Caps have turned to their convention adversaries for assist, following the unsuccessful Sergio Cordova experiment in 2023 that ended with La Pantera being bought to Turkish membership Alanyaspor.
Kreilach, a 6-foot-1 midfielder/ahead, captained the Claret and Cobalt the previous two years, was named group MVP in 2018, 2020 and 2021, and led the membership in scoring thrice. The Whitecaps are banking that the 34-year-old nonetheless has the juice that made him an RSL legend, even when he solely had 4 targets and one help in 2023.
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“Damir has utterly completely different traits from Brian and Ryan. I feel he’s an ideal match for us,” mentioned Sartini. “He’s the profile we had been form of ‘quote-unquote’ lacking. Brian White is a participant that may play superb in linking up, defending the ball … Ryan is form of an all-around participant, likes to play on either side of the pitch, working loads each diagonally and vertically, and receiving that ball in when he runs into the area
“Damir is extra like a man that may discover that final move within the closing spot. He can discover the shot within the field when the field may be very crowded, and he’s superb within the air. He’s not as ‘cell’ overlaying the bottom like Brian and Ryan, however will be much more medical.”
Sartini had the playoff recreation towards LAFC on his thoughts with that closing level, when the Caps missed two huge possibilities within the second half that may have modified the complexion of the 1-0 loss. And Kreilach is simply step one; they want one other ahead to interchange the holes left by the departures of Cordova and Becher, and hope to have them crammed quickly.
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Their splendid ahead: a powerful one-v-one profile, a powerful transition participant, a participant who’s harmful with the ball at his toes. In brief, a game-changer.
“I wish to play with probably the most offensive group attainable,” mentioned Sartini, who made his bones as a defensive-minded supervisor. “The extra offensive guys that may I area on the pitch, (and) maintain the steadiness and the tactical (system) that’s all the time the lodestar of our group … the higher it’s.”
Time is working quick. Their first significant recreation is only a month away after they face Tigres UANL in CONCACAF play in Victoria — a group that may have had 5 Clausura (second-half-of-the-season) video games in Liga MX by the point they face Vancouver at Starlight Stadium.
Sartini doesn’t anticipate his group to be absolutely prepared for that date, however the gamers he’ll area towards Tigres would be the ones readiest for the sport.
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“Possibly it’s gonna be the lemon that everybody expects, however possibly there’s going to be lot of shock,” he mentioned.
IMPORTANT DATES
Jan. 6: Gamers report back to Vancouver.
Jan. 7-8: Medicals at group’s College of B.C. facility.
Jan. 9-10: Journey to Marbella, Spain.
Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Journey to Vancouver.
Feb. 6: Journey to Langford.
Feb. 7: CONCACAF Champions Cup Spherical 1 first leg versus Tigres UANL at Starlight Stadium.
Feb. 12: Journey to Monterrey, Mexico.
Feb. 14: CONCACAF Champions Cup Spherical 1 second leg at Tigres UANL at Estadio Universitario.
Feb. 14-15: Journey to California.
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