2022 Schedule
Armchair Analyst's Breakdown
- Strength: They were brilliant in transition after Vanni Sartini took over midseason in 2021, plus bring back all the same pieces and a few potential upgrades.
- Weakness: Too often you could play through midfield or just annihilate them over the top when they took insane risks pushing forward.
Key Departures
- Maxime Crepeau: Just as preseason was getting underway, Maxime Crepeau was on his way out of Vancouver. The goalkeeper, entering the final year of his contract, conveyed that he wanted to leave for personal reasons and was traded to LAFC for $1 million GAM. Among the best shot-stoppers in the league, he’ll be difficult to replace, but Vancouver have an internal replacement in MLS is Back Tournament breakout talent Thomas Hasal.
- Janio Bikel: Janio Bikel was loaned from Vancouver to LR Vicenza in the Italian second tier with a purchase option. The midfielder was facing a packed depth chart, with Caio Alexandre returning from injury and Pedro Vite pushing into the team, leaving Bikel free to depart. Sebastian Berhalter was added in a trade from Columbus to join the depth chart as well.
Key Acquisitions
- Tristan Blackmon: Tristan Blackmon was left unprotected in the Expansion Draft by LAFC, immediately considered among the names expected to be taken. Vancouver traded $475k GAM to Charlotte to select and trade him their way. Blackmon looks a strong fit in Vancouver’s back three as a right-sided center back.
- Other than that? It’s more about continuity for Vancouver. A full preseason under manager Vanni Sartini, more time for summer additions Ryan Gauld and Brian White to continue their ascendency, as well as highly-rated U22 Initiative signing Pedro Vite to make his debut and fellow U22 Initiative midfielder Caio Alexandre to return from injury.
- Full roster
Projected Starting XI
Predictions
- Charles Boehm: 5th in West
- Tom Bogert: 6th in West
- Matt Doyle: 8th in West
- David Gass: 5th in West
- Sam Jones: 7th in West
- Joe Lowery: 9th in West
- Greg Seltzer: 5th in West
- Andrew Wiebe: 7th in West
