Vancouver Whitecaps Development Report (March 2019)

We’re back! What exciting things did the Whitecaps prospects get up to in march? Let’s find out.

Anthony Blondell:

After scoring on his debut, Anthony Blondell did not dress for any games until a 20 minute cameo against Coquimbo. This confirms, at the very least, that he is still alive.

U23s

U23s 0-1 Victoria Highlanders U19s

First half lineup: Thomas Hasal*; Brendan McDonough*, Connor Guilherme, Jalen Watson+; Georges Mukumbilwa, Nicholas Fussell, Patrick Metcalfe, Chance Carter, Brandon Cambridge; Thomas Raimbault+, Theo Bair*

Second half lineup: Thomas Hasal*; Ali Zohar+, Keenan Foley+, Connor Guilherme, Jalen Watson+; Emiliano Brienza, David Norman Jr.*, Vasco Fry+; Brandon Cambridge (Christopher Lee+ 75’), Theo Bair*, Thomas Raimbault+

*MLS roster

+Academy call-up

This result is pretty Embarrassing. A team featuring several players in their 20s, including 4 players on first team contracts, failing to beat a team of high schoolers from Victoria is pretty bad. The Whitecaps say they’re taking the U23 team seriously and the knock on of that is results like this are unacceptable. But the ‘Caps did claim in their match report that they carried most of the play (more on that later) so I suppose they may have just been supremely unlucky.

U23s 0-2 Cavalry F.C

Lineup: Thomas Hasal*; Georges Mukumbilwa, Brendan McDonough*, Connor Guilherme, Gabriel Escobar+; Damiano Pecile, David Norman Jr.*, Chance Carter; Nicholas Fussell, Theo Bair*, Kamron Habibullah

Substitutes: Chituru Odunze, Jalen Watson+, Keenan Foley+, Thomas Raimbault+, Vasco Fry+, Emiliano Brienza

The Whitecaps claimed in their match report that this was an even game but Cavalry are disputing this narrative, describing the win as “dominant.” The game was not streamed so there is no way to say who’s telling the truth, and what really is truth in any case?

U23s 2-4 Bournemouth U23s

Lineup: Thomas Hasal*; T-boy Fayia+, Brendan McDonough* (Emiliano Brienza 62’), Connor Guilherme, Jalen Watson+; Simon Colyn* (Damiano Pecile HT), Patrick Metcalfe, David Norman* (Chance Carter 65’); Georges Mukumbilwa, Theo Bair* (Brandon Cambridge 87’), Kamron Habibullah (Brandon Cambridge HT, Nicholas Fussell 76’)

Goals: Theo Bair, Georges Mukumbilwa

Penalty stopped: Thomas Hasal.

Once again, the match report claims the U23s were hanging tough but they conceded four goals and gave up two penalties so who knows. In fairness the score was 3-2 at one point so they at least gave Bournemouth a challenge for periods of the game.

U23s 1-2 Brighton U23s

Goal: Brendan McDonough

There’s actually some footage from this one! The main takeaway of that footage is Thomas Hasal: He’s pretty good, folks.

U23s Top Scorers:

6 games

Brienza: 2

Bair/Alade/Guilherme/Mcdonough/Mukumbwilwa: 1

U23s Top Assists:

Watson/Pecile/K.Habibullah/Campagna/Brienza/Bair

U19s Top Scorers:

16 games:

Alade: 7

Fry: 6

Raimbault: 5

U17s Top Scorers:

16 games:

M. Habibullah: 11

de Brienne: 5

Cambride/Brienza: 4

U15s Top Scorers:

Afework: 11

Pereira: 4

Budisa/Herdman/Ogbuke: 2

Looking forward to April, there is a game tomorrow Merstham F.C of the Bostik league premier division (7th tier). There are also two games against F.C Edmonton and one against the University of Washington.