Chivas USA at Vancouver Whitecaps, April 16th 2011

Live Event #3

Empire Field

Luckily for me, my first Vancouver Whitecaps would come on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I had watched the previous incarnation of the Whitecaps play in the NASL at Swangard Stadium a half dozen times but the match between the Whitecaps and Chivas USA would my first since the Whitecaps made their move to Major League Soccer. The leap to the MLS legitimized soccer in Vancouver and the move from Swangard to Empire Field created 15,000 more seats for Whitecaps home games. The Whitecaps home opener on March 19th against Toronto FC was a thrilling 4-2 victory and the raucous crowd established the Whitecaps as a hot ticket in Vancouver. It is extremely rare for me to attend a sporting event and not be competently informed but that would be the the circumstance Saturday. I was aware of the key Whitecaps players (and their propensity to receive red cards), their current record, and the expectations of the team heading into the season but I was otherwise in the dark regarding much of everything else.

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Chivas USA with the North Shore mountains in the background

Thanks to the match program I quickly got a feel for the Whitecaps players but I wasn't solely focused on the result on the pitch; I was keen to observe the fans and feel the atmosphere in the stands. I stood in the South Side with the most passionate Whitecaps fans. From the moment the players entered the field of play the chanting began. The chants weren't terribly original and whilst they didn't stretch much farther than the classic "clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap - Whitecaps!" and "We're Blue, We're White, We're F****** Dynamite!" the support was exceptional. The on field talent is nowhere near comparable to that of elite European football but the grit and toughness of the players helps make up for it. Whitecaps striker Eric Hassli was easily the most noticeable player on the pitch due largely to his gigantic stature and he nearly put the Whitecaps ahead thirty minutes in but unfortunately hit the far post on his shot attempt. The Whitecaps were the better team on Saturday but were frustrated as time winded down. Omar Salgado, the 17 year old striker who was the first overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, made a substitute appearance and missed an open header late that could have given Vancouver three crucial points.

Whitecaps fans await a late match corner kick from Nizar Khalfan

The experience was remarkably thrilling. I am definitely looking forward to returning to Empire Field, hopefully for Thierry Henry's visit on May 28th. Thursday my dad and I are leaving for Europe, where we will certainly be attending two football matches (Osasuna at Barcelona, April 23rd and Manchester United at Arsenal, May 1st) and hope to purchase tickets for another (Tottenham at Chelsea, April 30th). I will try between now and Saturday to post a piece I'm currently working on in regard to the NHL's issue with violent conduct as well as some of my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs, which have so far been unbelievable.