The 2019 Vancouver Whitecaps season kicks off Saturday when they take on Minnesota United, and the club is sporting a lot of new faces and one face from the past.
Last season ended in dismay when the ‘caps axed disgruntled coach Carl Robinson, a move that took players off-guard, and fractured some relationships beyond repair.
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And now, superstar youngster Alphonso Davies is in Germany playing for Bayern Munich.
After demanding to be moved, former captain Kendall Waston was shipped to expansion Cincinnati.
And leading goal scorer Kei Kamara left Vancouver after his contract expired and now calls Colorado home.
The Whitecaps needed to overhaul most of the organization and it had to start at the top.
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Enter Marc Dos Santos, the former LA FC assistant coach, after garnering interest from the San Jose Earthquakes. Dos Santos instead, chose to return to his birth country and try to get the ‘Caps ship back on course. Dos Santos likes to run a 4-3-3 system and the club has molded the roster to fill those needs.
To make up for the loss of Kamara the club welcomed back 2017 leading goal scorer Fredy Montero.
Dos Santos called the move to bring back Montero a “no-brainer.”
After spending a year with Portugal’s Sporting CP, Montero signed a two-year deal through 2020 to return to Vancouver. The Colombian netted 13 goals in his one season with the Whitecaps, and will have to keep up that pace to make up for the loss of Kamara.
“This is the right time to be back and thank God I am here,” Montero said during a press conference
Davies was the team’s biggest star a year ago and set a record MLS transfer fee which gave him the opportunity to play for one of the world’s most well-
known clubs in Bayern Munich. In an attempt to replace the Canadian star the ‘Caps turned to the Korean youngster Hwang In-Beom.
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While watching Hwang play for Daejon Citizen it’s apparent that he is an unbelievably talented dribbler, often making opposing sides look like a kid’s team trying to play against a team of their parents. In-Beom signed a two-year deal with an additional two-year club option that could keep him in Vancouver through 2022.
Dos Santos is definitely excited to land Hwang, who he say fits “how I see the game being played.”
“As soon as I agreed with Vancouver one of the first players I spoke about was In-Boem just because of the quality as a player, the technical ability and the decision making he has on the field,” Dos Santos said.
Replacing centre back Waston is Argentinian transfer Erik Godoy from Club Atlético Colón. At only 25 years old, Godoy has played over 8,300 minutes in Argentina’s Primera División and is just now hitting his prime.
Goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic was cut at the end of 2018 and former Colorado Rapid Keeper Zac MacMath is expected to start in the box. The ‘Caps shipped Nicolas Mezquida and $100,000 to the Rapids in exchange for the 27-year-old who held a 12-12-7 record while playing in the Mile High city.
WATCH: Vancouver Whitecaps unveil new kits for 2019
The Whitecaps also brought back a familiar kit for the 2019 season. The “hoop jersey” has returned as a tribute to the 40-year anniversary of the team’s 1979 Soccer Bowl title. The team’s jersey features the wrap-around hoop for the first time since 1984 and patches for the ’79 Soccer Bowl as well as the ’79 crest.
With the complete overhaul of the roster it would be hard to imagine the whitecaps are a serious contender for the MLS Cup. However, 2019 will go a long way in determining the direction the ‘Caps will head going into the future.
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