Keeping Tabs on Former Caps

In no particular order, and with no promise of it being an exhaustive examination, here's what I've found:

Shea Salinas
This former Whitecap midfielder is now in his 5th season of MLS play. He came to Vancouver in 2010, when the Caps plucked him away from the Philadelphia Union in the Expansion Draft. At the end of November last year, Salinas was moved back to San Jose for allocation money. He'd previously played with the 'Quakes in 2008-2009.

Last year, with Vancouver, Salinas made 26 appearances, 18 of which were starts (both career highs). He notched one goal and had three assists on 22 shots. In 2012, he's been in and out of the San Jose lineup, but has been more effective than he was in Vancouver. This year, he's played in 16 matches -- having started in 10. He's also on one goal (with only five SOG), but has also racked up 7 assists.

Jeb Brovsky
Fellow former Whitecap midfielder Jeb Brovsky was originally picked by the Caps in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. The defender played one season for the blue-and-white, but would later be lost to the Montreal Impact when they selected Brovsky in the 2011 Expansion Draft.

Brovsky has been getting lots of pitch time this season with Montreal -- certainly far more than he would have dreamed of in Vancouver. His numbers thus far in 2012 include 25 games played, 22 of them in the starting XI, with one assist and nine SOGs.

Davide Chiumiento
First, the good news. This former fan-favourite playmaking midfielder has two goals in nine matches (all starts) with FC Zurich in the Swiss Super League. The bad news: Chiumiento suffered a muscle tear in his thigh during training a week ago, and is expected to be out for at least a month. At times mercurial, but oft enigmatic, he was a relatively unknown commodity in North America when he joined the Caps in the fall of 2010 from Lucerne.

Chiumiento scored just twice in 42 MLS appearances with the Caps, bagging 14 assists. Dede was moved by the Caps to FC Zurich in July 2012 in a transfer deal that also freed up cap space. Back in Switzerland, in interview with Blick media services shortly thereafter, the former Whitecap did little to warm the hearts of his former fans in Vancouver when revealed that "Real soccer's played in Europe." (interview in Swiss German only). If there's enough interest, I'll translate the interview later.

Michael Boxall
Boxall's now to be found in the A-League, the highest Australasian professional soccer league, featuring nine Australian sides, and one based in New Zealand. Boxall, a centerback, signed a two-year deal with the Wellington Phoenix back in July of this year. Down under, they're two days away from kicking off the 2012 season.

Boxall was the number one overall pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft. He made 16 appearances for Vancouver in 2011, but was waived by the Whitecaps the next year after only three appearances.

Eric Hassli
The Whitecaps' first-ever Designated Player, and former fan favourite Eric Hassli came to Vancouver from the Swiss Super League, via the aforementioned FC Zurich in March 2011. Hassli had played 6 seasons in the SSL, mostly with Zurich. The 6'4" CF played in 26 matches for the Caps in his "rookie" MLS season, scoring 10 goals, including a pair in the Whitecaps' first match in the MLS, a 4-2 win over Toronto.

He suffered through an extended drought that ran across seasons into 2012, and after 18 matches with the Caps this year he was traded to TFC in exchange for the 1st pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, and an international spot through 2013. Thus far through 2012, Hassli has played six matches (all starts) for TFC, with three goals to his name. He's been sidelined since mid-September with a right ankle sprain, but is listed as Questionable for tomorrow's match vs DC United.

Sebastien Le Toux
Fellow Frenchman and forward Sebastien Le Toux came to the Whitecaps in January of this year in a trade with Philadelphia in exchange for allocation money. The move was meant to bolster the Whitecaps' strike force, and the move worked as he scored just four minutes into the season opener versus Montreal. Le Toux scored 4 times in 19 matches before being traded to the New York Red Bulls for speedy FWD Dane Richards, and of course, the ubiquitous allocation money.

Le Toux scored in his first match for the Red Bulls, but has gone from sizzle to fizzle ever since. He's played in a total of 12 matches to date, with the one goal, and a lone assist. His playing time has dwindled over time, as he's regressed from regular starter to late sub, and most recently to unused sub. Le Toux's followers can probably look forward to finding him on a new team after this season.

I'll post more later, when I take a look at what's been going on with Long Tan, Lee Nguyen, Jonathan Leathers, and Jay Nolly.