Bryce Alderson and Omar Salgado: We hardly knew thee

Call us unsurprised.

Sportsnet's John Molinaro wrote today that the Vancouver Whitecaps have parted ways with Canadian International Bryce Alderson and their first ever draft pick Omar Salgado.

While it was clear that Omar Salgado's days were numbered in Vancouver, the move to not pick up Bryce Alderson's option may come as a bit more of a surprise. Previous captain of the Canadian U-17 team, and two time Canadian U-17 player of the year, Alderson was expected to be a part of the Whitecaps future and a key component of Canadian MLS teams dedication to improving Canadian soccer. However, with Matías Laba, Gershon Koffie, and Russell Teibert, it was clear that Alderson was not going to get any playing time in the near future. Coupled with Alderson's $115,000 guaranteed compensation, it was clear that his time with the Whitecaps was coming to an end. This move could be seen as the Whitecaps parting with a piece that was never going to make significant contributions to the team while taking up valuable salary cap space and giving Alderson the opportunity to explore other avenues to get the necessary playing time. At 20 years of age, Alderson's potential may not yet be realized and I am sure we will see him playing for a new club team shortly. Until then, you can see him play for Canada in a friendly against Panama later this month.

Despite being the 1st ever draft pick for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and a coveted youngster at the time, Salgado never seemed to fit in to the Whitecaps future. Plagued by injuries to begin his career and attitude issues at the end of his time with Vancouver, Salgado never really had an opportunity to show his skill-set. However, like Alderson, Salgado is young -turned 21 on September 10th- and if he ever learns humility, his combination of size and speed could be a valuable asset to whatever team takes a risk on him in the future. Salgado concluded his tenure with the Vancouver Whitecaps through his instagram account, stating

"Vancouver, its been unreal. Thank you to the club, the fans, and the city for making this my home for the past 4 years. Coming in at 17 wasn't going to be easy, but you guys made it feel like home right from the beginning. Im happy to say I grew up here, and I enjoyed every single second of my time in this beautiful city. Thank you to all the fans that always had my back and supported me throughout the good and tough times. You guys were amazing. To my teammates, all I can say is thank you. You guys always helped me and supported me, and im happy to say I made many friendships here that will last forever. I wish every single one of you nothing but the best. Its been one hell of a ride."

Best of luck to both Alderson and Salgado in their future endeavours. I am sure we have not heard the last of these two names.

What are your thoughts? Surprised to see them released rather than sold?