Kevin Bieksa and the Vancouver Canucks have re-launched the website Mindcheck.ca in his former teammate and good friend's memory. For those who don't know, Rick Rypien suffered from Depression for most of his life and the only person on the Canucks team that he confided in was Kevin Bieksa. They played together in Manitoba Moose and then up here for the Canucks.
Their friendship took off once Rypien was able to confide in Bieksa. Kevin was a great friend to Rick and helped support him in any way he could and tried to get him help when it got bad. He even asked Rick to live with him and his wife for a couple years in Vancouver when he was on leave from the Canucks so he wouldn't be alone. It looked like things were turning around for Rick as he signed with the new Winnipeg Jets team last year in the summer. In an interview with Rypien, he expressed his desire to play again for Winnipeg as that is where he played for the Moose. He was looking forward to the new season. Shortly after that interview, Rypien was found dead in his home. He had committed suicide. Kevin flew in for his funeral. He was Rick's pallbearer.
The Canucks organization with Kevin Bieksa have started this initiative for youth that are suffering or think they may be suffering from this illness. Mindcheck.ca is a website where you can do quizzes on your mood and anxiety levels to help ascertain if you are indeed at risk and need help. It has information to assist you in getting that help if needed. I checked it out myself and did the quizzes. They are quite accuate. If you think you may be suffering from depression, please go to Mindcheck.ca and get the help you need. Mental Health is such an important thing, especially among youth.
Take the Pledge and help raise the awareness of Mental Health.
Here is Kevin Bieksa's touching interview about his friend, Rick Rypien.
You can also purchase the "37 Ryp" T-shirt from any Canucks Team Store. The proceeds go towards the education of mental health awareness. We are lucky to live in a city where a great organization like the Vancouver Canucks have stepped up to raise awareness that affects so many. Thank you Kevin Bieksa for being the spokesperson for the PSA and sharing your experiences with the illness and your loss. Bieksa is not only a great player but also a great friend and human being for doing this. This is why we love our Canucks.
Alex Edler is the Eagle. His twitter handle is also _Eagle23. Although he doesn't seem to use his twitter at all. Wonder why the name Eagle??? He's a defenceman. His job is to protect his territory at whatever costs. He's big and he's mean. You don't want to mess with him. He's also got a great shot from the point. Watch this video to see the comparisons. Enjoy!
Guatelmala vs Dominican Republic 3-0
USA vs Mexico 4-0
It was another fun day at BC Place. Everyone was excited for the "big game" later in the evening, but first we had the Guatemala and Dominican Republic game to get through. I had my team back but this time it was just myself and fellow volunteer, Christine. We headed up to the Hospitality suites and did our thing. We met some new ushers up in the area. It seems as though the security and ushers get rotated alot up there. Some actually remember seeing me before around the stadium, which is nice. Especially since I also work BC Lions and Whitecaps games in that building as well and have been for the last 4 years. Others were brand spanking new to the building and I knew the area more than they did. Strange. However, together we worked as a team to welcome the guests and get them seated in their suites as smoothly as possible.
The game with Guatemala and Dominican Republic had a few hundred fans show up which was great. There were alot of Guatemalan supporters out in the crowds holding their flags and proudly wearing the jerseys, cheering on their team. Guatemala did not disappoint their fans. They were able to score 4 unanswered goals. It was also great to see the Guatemalans score as they were the only team in the tournament so far that hadn't scored against any team. They were very very happy.
Wendy Penida celebrating her goal with a teammate.
Once the first match was over, the Hospitality suite areas picked up a bit and became very busy. People were coming in fast to get to their suites and their seats. I had a little bit of excitement when I saw some people from Whitecaps. I ran into the Women's Team Manager, Diane, for Whitecaps from a couple years ago. She used to come sit in my section at Swangard when I was the Usher there and she would seat her girls in my section as well. We got to know each other well. Unfortunately, when we all moved to Empire Stadium for the MLS year, we were no longer in touch so it was nice to see her again. We were able to catch up and she told me that she is now the Whitecaps Prospect Team (16-under) Manager and that she had the Whitecaps suite that night for the girls so they could watch the match. It was really great seeing an old friend again. Whitecaps really do feel like a family to me.
The other thing that happened was interesting as well. The FIFA non-match referees and the Commissioner came to me and let me know that they were missing the Team Roster lists for the match that had all the substitutions and such on it. Apparently they needed it to do their job and those sheets were usually in their suites when they arrived but they weren't there that day. So I radioed back to the Volunteer Lounge to Stephanie and she got that all sorted out. The media runner came up 5 mins later with the sheets they needed. Thank god. Those are the two people (referees and Commissioner) in this tournament you don't want to rile up.
As I looked out into the stadium stands, all I could see were Mexican sombreros and American supporters. It was going to be a great game. I thought at least the Mexicans have a chance of either winning this game or at least keeping the score close. They kept the score close. USA won the match with a 4-0 win. With this lose, the Mexicans now face off with the Canadian Team on Friday night to qualify for one of the spots to play in the London 2012 Summer Games.
Last I heard, the tickets were selling fast and furious and more than likely the lower bowl will be completely opened up for the public. I'm sure the Mexicans will be coming out in full force to support their team as will the Canadians. Its gonna be a great game, so get your tickets early if you haven't already. I expect a full house and it to be a very very busy hospitality area. There will be FREE BEER flowing in Suite 49 that night so I will have one of my CAT Team member volunteers with me that night. Stephanie has given me Anne. Anne is a "presence" that will be needed if there will be free beer flowing that night. Her help is appreciated.
So, there are two days of training coming up, the 25th and 26th. Then is the semi final with Canada vs Mexico. I'm taking these days to relax, get some sleep and catch up on blogging and other things that I've managed to procrastinate on for the last couple of weeks. Can't wait for Friday. See you all there!
As I waited for my shift to start sitting in the Volunteer Lounge, it became obvious that we were short-staffed for this game. There were some no-shows on top a lot of volunteers being cut for the game that day so they wouldn't be sitting around with nothing to do. Although Canada was playing that night, it wasn't considered to be a very busy double header in the Hospitality area so it was pulled for the night and my team was disbanded and sent to other areas where they were short-staffed, such as Marketing and Media. I was put on a team called the "back of house". It was mainly just my friend and fellow volunteer, Carmen and a guy named Peter and myself.
This job entailed Carmen and I going into the dressing rooms of the teams, introducing ourselves to them and letting them know that if they needed anything, to let us know. Peter could only go into the rooms once they were out....he is a guy afterall. So he would wait patiently while Carmen and I would go check it things out first. Also, we were to take care of their dressing rooms before and after the game. This meant making sure they had enough towels, product and ice in their rooms. If not, we were to replenish those items. We also went into the rooms after their matches to "tidy up" a bit. Which meant picking up dirty towels (using gloves of course), throwing out the used drink bottles and banana peels and whatever else they left behind. The BC Place cleaning crew would come later and do a more thorough cleaning.
I realized two things during this shift. One, the Spanish I learned from watching Dora the Explorer with my neices really wasn't cutting it and two, that I shouldn't be wearing boots with heels when I have to run around so much on an 6 hr shift.
During the first match with Cuba vs Haiti, Carmen and I had walked into the Canadian Team's dressing room to introduce ourselves and just at that moment, Haiti scored their 2nd goal on the tv screen and all the girls on the team jumped up with excitement that they had scored. It was genuine happiness for Haiti and it was wonderful to see that kind of sportsmanship shown by our Canadian team. Trust me, you can be proud of them, Canada. Its alot more than I can say for another powerhouse team at the tournament. But I digress. I wished them luck that night and left the room with Carmen to find team Costa Rica to make sure they were ok.
The crowd picked up during the Canada game. I was going thru my twitter updates on my downtime and saw that four Canucks had come down to the game. David Booth had received tickets from Team Canada's Kaylyn Kyle and he brought Manny Malhotra, Dale Weise and Chris Higgins (Chiggy) with them. They were in the Hospitality area that night. Looks like its right in front of the Canadian Team's suite. Figures the one night I don't work the suites and they show up!! Oh well, it sounded like they had a great time.
Here is a pic of some lucky fans who got to meet the boys after the game.
Other than that it was another great night as Canada won the match 5-1. It was the first time in the tournament that the opposing team was able to score a goal. Good on Costa Rica. The Canadian goals came from Christine Sinclair (2), Sophie Schmidt, Kaylyn Kyle and a goal from Costa Rica when their defender sent and innocent looking pass towards her own goalkeeper who missed the ball and wasn't able to stop it from going into her own net.
The Canadian "SouthSiders" were also out in full effect. They kept the spirit up with songs like "We all dream of a world of Kaylyn Kyle, A world of Kaylyn Kyle, A World of Kaylyn Kyle." and the every popular "Holy Schmidt! Holy Schmidt!"
There was a crowd of 8,105 that night, down from the 12,417 on Saturday but tickets have been selling rapidly since the win for the semi-final game on Friday. It seems as though the entire lower bowl will be open if tickets keep selling at this pace. This would be great for the Women's Team. I'm expecting it to be busy and have a full crew of hospitality up in the suites to help out. Who knows?? Maybe we'll see David Booth and gang back for the big game on Friday!
I've been looking forward to this day since they released the pre-sale tickets back in December. I was able to get seats behind the benches about mid way back so I had a great view of everything that went on. It was my first time at a Canucks SuperSkills Competition so I was excited. It had a bit of everything in it. Fun, jokes, kids, mascots turning "bruins" on each other (a lot of fighting) and of course all of our beloved Canucks. It was a a sold out event for the second year in a row and all the Canucks were there. Especially this guy who got the hugest and warmest welcome back from the fans when he was announced.
Sami Salo won the hardest shot with 102.7 mph.
It started with Fin and his mascot friends playing musical chairs using his dining set chairs. His guests included Salty the Seagull from the Port of Vancouver, the Seattle Mariner Moose, Sabretooth from the Buffalo Sabres, Leo of BC Lions, Sunny the BC Childrens Hospital Bear, Winger the Surrey Eagle mascot Bernie the St. Bernard from the Coloardo Avalanche and the Vancouver Canadians mascot, Bob Brown Bear.
It started off great. It was especially fun watching Salty walk around the chairs as he had a hard time walking as it was in that outfit. He wasn't able to bend to sit down on the chairs either so he would just fall head first on them...lol.
It came down to three, Sabretooth who got tackled by Bernie when it looked like Fin and him were fighting over one of the last two chairs and then the last round had Fin and the Mariner Moose. The two of them basically just waited out the music in the same spot and ran for the chair at the end. Of course, Fin won. He always wins.
Sabretooth gets tackled by Bernie the St. Bernard while Fin and the Mariner Moose fight over the last chair.
After this, the Canucks came onto the ice. They had the bantam A1 Seafair Islanders joining them as well. There was the Blue team and the White team. The Blue team played for the Upper Half of the Bowl for fan prizes and the White Team played for the Lower Bowl for fan prizes. There were several competitions that included puck control relay, fastest skater, accuracy shooting, hardest shot, a breakaway relay and a power play event.
Here is the video of the players entrance.
Hammer brought out a yellow crate for his daughter to stand on so she could see over the boards. Sweet.
Kevin Bieksa walking out with his daughter Reese.
This is Kevin Bieksa's daughter Reese. She was tapping on and playing with her dad's head while he sat down on the ice to watch the relay portion.
This is Kevin now being ganged up on by McKayla Kesler, Reece Bieksa and Hammer's daughter, Anna.
Found the Video of Kevin being harassed by little girls.
Burrows won the Target Accuracy Competition with 4 out of 4 shots. Kesler had gone before him for the White Team and got 4 out of 5 shots and celebrated with the fans with open arms thinking he won it. This is Burrows talking about Kesler's pre-mature celebration.
Father and Son, Ryan and Ryker Kesler. Ryker gave the cameraman a big smile and then high-fived him. He's definitely got his father's charm.
Bieksa scored on a Break-a-way shot with LU in net!
Ballard won the fastest skater competition beating out Mason Raymond who held that title last year. Ballard made it around in 13 seconds.
Burr and Bieksa chatting it up
Sami Salo's hardest shot interview.
Didn't notice the big head in the way until now. Sorry.
Dake Weise, Cody Hodgson and Chris Tanev were sling-shoting shirts into the crowd sections that made the most noise.
While Manny was being interviewed, Kesler snuck around the back and Kes-bombed Manny using young Ryker. Kes-bombing, the new era or Kes Bomb 2.0 Too Cute!!
Found the video of Kesler 2.0 at work!
In the end, the Blue Team won 14-10 and received their award. They then gathered on the ice and took a team photo with the minor leaguers.
Once most of the crowd cleared out, I headed down closer to the ice to find my friend, Leanne, who was also there. Hadn't seen her in awhile so took a quick pic with her in our Bieksa Jerseys together. He's definately a cutie and we both had fun.
Mexico vs Dominican Republic 7-0
USA vs Guatemala 13-0
I wasn't at the tournament today as I opted to attend the Canucks SuperSkills Competition in the building across the street from BC Place, Rogers Arena. However, I did pop in after the competition to see if the staff needed me for anything before I went back home to Surrey. When I got to the Volunteer Lounge, I noticed the Mexico vs Dominican Republic were playing already. Mexico was up 3-0 in the first half. This really wasn't the Dominican Republic's tournament. They got shut out again with a 7-0 score at the end. Three goals were scored by Anisa Guajardo, the others came from Rosario Saucedo, Marylin Diaz scored on a penalty kick and Jennifer Ruiz rounded out the rest. Mexico is a good, solid team as I've mentioned before in my blog. They will be a tough test for Canada in the semi-finals.
Team Mexico
USA played Guatemala later that evening. I'm sure after seeing how the Americans were playing, they really just wanted to pack it in and not bother playing today. Especially since USA thumped them 13-0!! That's just insane. I feel bad that Guatemala and the Domincan Republic were in the same group as the Americans. It can't be good for soccer being beaten down hard like that. After seeing and meeting these ladies over the last four days, you really start to feel for them. I guess for most of them, just being able to play in Canada is a treat. A lot of them are just sight seeing and having a good time according to the Team Liaisons I've been talking to.
Now that the Americans have thoroughly defeated the Guatemalans and the Dominican Republic with great humiliation, lets see how they do when they play the second strongest team in the tournament on Tuesday against Mexico. Mexico is the only team that has been able to defeat the US team in the past. Should be interesting.
Day 3 was interesting. As I waited in the volunteer lounge, we were all talking about what happened the night before with the USA team beating the Guatemalan team 14-0 and the fallouts from that night. We were also very concerned for Ednie Limage, injured goaltender, from the Haitan team. On my way up thru the "ring road" of BC Place, my crew and I passed Ednie Limage in the road. She was walking without any assistance, however she was limping. Although she won't be playing in the tournament from here on in, it was great to see her out of the hospital and walking around.
This match was actually the best match of the tournament to watch so far as it wasn't an all out blowout or slaughter. It was a pretty tight game and had the crowd into it throughout. These teams were a bit more evenly matched and so it could of been anyone's game. We all just watched the play go back and forth on the pitch. The scoring didn't start til the first few minutes of the second half. Wendy Acosta scored twice in the second for a 2-0 victory over Haiti that night. Haiti has now been virtually eliminated from the tournament without scoring a goal.
The Haitian team have overcome alot in this tournament. The Haitian team suffered a devastating loss a year ago when 30 members of their soccer federation were killed in the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake. They decided they would carry on in their names. They arrived here in Vancouver for the first time in their lives, with the exception of 2 players who have been here before. The sponsor, Soccer City was able to provide the goalkeeper with actual soccer cleats as she had arrived to the tourney with only her runners in which she had always played in. She was also provided with actual "goalkeeper gloves" as opposed to the regular gloves she wore in games. Then to have their goalie, Ednie Limage go out with an injury was also traumatic. So, for them to make it this far is amazing. Kudos to Haiti for hanging in there.
Canada was up next. They played against Cuba. We knew the Canadians would do well in this game. Cuba proved to be a very effective team against Canada. It wasn't the greatest game Canada has displayed so far. There was sloppy plays and a bit or disorganization. However, they were able to pull this one out of their hats with a 2-0 score. They didn't run up the score and they didn't have to. They just had to get the win and they did. Christine Sinclair provided one of the goals on a penalty kick and the other came from Melissa Tancredi. This win most likely helps Canada avoid playing the powerhouse USA team in the semi-finals. If all goes to plan, they will end up playing Mexico instead. Either way, Canada will need to play sharp and score lots of goals.
Mexico vs Guatemala 5-0
USA vs Dominican Republic 14-0
This was another busy day. As I walked into the Hospitality area with my crew, a couple new people on shift with me, I showed them the area and explained what I needed from them. I told them it will be a bit slow in the beginning for the fist match but will pick up with more people coming into the suites to watch the USA match which is exactly what happened.
A funny thing kept happening though. As the teams and their staff were trickling into their suites, I kept being mistaken for being Spanish by the Dominican Republicans. They would come up to me speaking in Spanish and then I'd tell them that I don't speak Spanish other than what I've learned on Dora the Explorer thanks to my nieces. The only word that stuck though was "Ola!". I might try Google translating a few phrases into Spanish to try on Tuesday when they play again. Dora the Explorer obviously wasn't cutting it for me.
Mexico and Guatemala played first. I was actually shocked to see so many Mexican supporters show up. It was great. Everyone was in great spirits and dressed up for their team in the nations colors and wore sombreros. It was very festive in the lower bowls.
The Mexican team showed why they are one of the stronger teams in this tournament. The team impressed alot of the volunteers with their type of play. It was all clean, crisp passes and they played dominant. It was obviously they are going to be one of the dominant teams in the end. Quite possibly coming down to Canada or Mexico in the Finals. The USA is obviously in as I'll later recap. Goals on the Mexico side came from Marilyn Diaz, Dinora Garza and Maribel Dominguez scored 3 times - twice in the first and another in the second half to make it 5-0.
USA and the Dominican Republic played the second match. We all knew the USA was a strong contender coming into the tournament but here is where we actually see it for ourselves. Within the first 6 mins of playm the USA team were up on the board 3-0. And it kept getting worse for the Dominican Republic. By the end of the night, USA had routed them 14-0! While watching the game from the stands, I could hear the Canadian fans supporting the Dominican Rep whenever they were able to defend or move the ball up the pitch. On the flip-side, even after USA scored the 14th goal, the American fans were shouting "One more goal! One more goal!".
As if that wasn't bad enough, the American team and Head Coach were celebrating each goal and showing much disrespect to the opposing team. After the game, the Head Coach and the team were criticized for not downplaying each goal scored after they had gone up 5 or 6 goals. At that point, they should have just walked away instead of air pumping their fist and jumping into their teammates every single goal. I'm not sure if this score reflects the USA team and how strong they are or if it reflects on the Guatemala team for playing poorly. In any case, everyone was glad when it was over. You never want to see a team get slaughtered like that.
JANUARY 19, 2011
Costa Rica vs Cuba 2-0
Canada vs. Haiti 6-0
So, the first day of the tournament kicked off on Thursday evening with a double header. It was Costa Rica vs Cuba. I got the stadium at 2pm as I was scheduled to work til the end at 10pm. There wasn't much to do at 2pm so we sat around and waited for a bit and chatted with other volunteers until it was time to get my team organized and head on up to the area we were working that day. My area is Hospitality and I am a Team Leader. My crew and myself meet and greet the VIP's of the tournament in the Hospitality area and help them find their way to their suites, bathrooms and concession areas. We also try to answer any questions they may have. Its a fairly easy and simple job compared to the other volunteers at the event. Smile and be Friendly. That's it.
So, at 3:50pm, 10 mins before doors opened to the public, I took my crew of three and headed on up to the other side of the stadium where the Hospitality suites are located. I showed them how to get there from the bowels of the stadium and thru the 2nd floor concourse where the concessions were and up the ramp to our suites. The doors opened at 4pm and we waited for the VIPs to come streaming in. This, however, was not the case. We waited and waited and then waited some more. A few people showed up eventually towards the start of the match and we were more than happy to show them to their seats and to their suites. Then more started to trickle in. So once the match started, we all sat and watched it unfold on the tv screens provided outside the suites. We were also able to take sneak peeks at the match from the tunnels standing next to the Ushers.
First up was Costa Rica vs Cuba. We didn't know much about these two teams other than they have the same colors in their flags and they like to play soccer. So this was interesting to watch. Costa Rica won the match 2-0. It wasn't a blowout but they were able to play and defend with great skill. They both had a decent showing of fans. Not a whole lot, but the diehards did come out. Which was really nice to see. Goals in this match came from Saudy Rosales and Wendy Acosta.
The VIPs were starting to come in a little faster throughout the last half of the first match. These were the people who were there to see the Canada vs. Haiti match up. The suites were filling up fast after the first match ended. There was a 30 min break between the two matches. I ran into a few Whitecaps Managers I know quite well who also came to see the Canada match. It was great seeing my current and former team leads again. I'll be working with them again come March. After some catching up, they headed off to their Whitecaps Suite.
Then the match started. It was obvious early on that Canada was the stronger team. They had ball possesion almost throughout. Canada won this match with a blowout score of 6-0. Christine Sinclair was the star of the show. She had the Canadian team up 3-0 going into the second half of the match. She got her fourth goal at the 55 minute mark. The other two goals came from Christina Julien and Kelly Parker. The dejected Haitian team didn't put up much of a fight in the second half as they knew they were being outplayed by Canada. I'm sure they were just hoping the match would end soon for them.
If things weren't bad enough for Haiti, it just got worse. There was a collision with their goaltender, Ednie Limage and teammate Samantha Brand in the second half. Limage was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and later taken to Vancouver General Hospital where she stayed overnight. Reports seem to indicate that she has suffered a spinal cord injury. She was unable to move her legs last night but has since regained some of the feeling back this morning. She is still recovering at VGH and is speculated not to return to the tournament. Wishing Limage a speedy and healthy recovery. You never want to see a player go down this way.
In the pictures above by the Vancouver Sun, you can see Limage colliding with her teammate Brand.
So that was how the first day ended. There were 7,600 in attendance to watch Canada and Haiti play. The Whitecaps SouthSiders were also there to support the Women's team. They were all placed in their regular seating area and they came armed with re-worded song sheets to cheer on Team Canada. Instead of Blue and White, they all donned their Red and White. They even sang O'Canada TWICE!! The crowd was energetic and fun. It was a great match and it was even nicer to see so many people come out and support the Women's team. Hopefully, the numbers will grow as the team makes their push towards their goal on the 29th!
With the Whitecaps MLS season almost upon us in another two months, I thought it would be great to review all the new signing to this team since the end of last season. We all know that the Whitecaps didn't have the greatest debut year in MLS and have decided to go with another direction. Whitecaps Rachel Lewis, COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Whitecaps, will be taking over when Paul Barber steps down. Former Head Coach of the Carolina Railhawks, Martin Rennie will be taking over as the Whitecaps Head Coach for the mens team. He's already looked at the Whitecaps team and decided what changes he's like to make. Signing players that he thinks will help win games for this team in areas where we showed weakness. There has been so many new faces added to this team that I thought it would be great to introduce some of them to you. As I will also be working for the Whitecaps again come March, this will also help me to get to know the new faces myself and learn something about them cause I know as fans you will be asking me when you see me there.
So let's start with the SuperDraft held today, January 12, 2012. It was held in Kansas City, Missouri. A contingent of Bob Lenarduzzi and Head Coach Martin Rennie and et al were there. Montreal had the 1st overall pick and the Whitecaps had the 2nd overall pick. Montreal Impact picked Andrew Wenger which led Whitecaps to pick Darren Mattocks, who they had wanted all along.
Darren Mattocks is a 21 year old Jamaican born soccer player who went on to play for the University of Akron. Akron is in Ohio for those who are wondering. He specifically chose to play in Akron so he could get climatized to playing in America's cooler weather which worked out for him as he's now coming to Vancouver, Canada. He's used to playing in 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-33 degrees Celsius) in Jamaica. Smart kid. He's a speedy Striker who can get behind the opposition and score goals. He scored 21 goals in 22 games for Akron last season. He's what you call a natural goal-scorer. Something the Whitecaps need badly. He seems very happy to be drafted to Vancouver and score goals for the great fan base he heard we had.
“This will be my first time coming to Canada, so I’m very excited,” said Mattocks. “It’s always going to be a challenge coming to a new environment, but hopefully, I can adjust quickly and show my stuff.” - Mattocks
Sounds like a good kid. I hope to get to know him better and I wish him well here.
Here's more on Mattocks.
Position: Striker Height: 6-00 Weight: 155 Born: September 2, 1990, in Portmore, Jamaica Hometown: Portmore, Jamaica Citizenship: Jamaica Last Club: University of Akron (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I) How Acquired: Selected second overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by Whitecaps FC on January 12, 2012
The second player to get drafted by the Whitecaps is Chris Estridge. He played as a Defender (centre-back) for Indiana University. He was drafted 21st overall. Obviously one area the Whitecaps needed some depth in was the defensive core. He was chosen because he can play well on both feet on either sides and Rennie believes this versatility will help in the future.
Get to know Chris a little better.
He likes Entourage and True Blood...I'm a fan of True Blood. I like him already. He's also excited about his move to Vancouver. He's also heard of our fanbase here and is impressed for the passion that Vancouverites have for soccer.
“Everything that I’ve heard about Vancouver makes me extremely excited,” said Estridge. “I can’t wait to be coming to a team that has the whole city behind it. I’m really looking forward to a great year.”
He's never been to Vancouver but he has ventured into Toronto. Boy, is he gonna be in for a shock. I'm sure he'll love his time here and the fans will love him too.
Chris Estridge
Position: Defender
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
Born: September 21, 1989, in Brownsburg, Indiana
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Citizenship: United States
Twitter: @Chris_Estridge
Last Club: Indiana University (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I)
How Acquired: Selected 21st overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by Whitecaps FC on January 12, 2012
On January 4, 2012, Whitecaps signed on Defender Martin Bonjour, an Argentinian who according to the Whitecaps is a "powerful, aggressive central defender who is good in the air and comfortable on the ball" also "He adds additional quality to our defensive side and brings plenty of South American top-flight experience.”
With this kind of description, I'm very eager to find out how he fits into this team. I'm very excited. Sounds like a great choice. However, his signing is also pending on receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and Visa. Lets cross our fingers and hope it goes thru. Also he's very excited to come to Vancouver.
"I am delighted to join Vancouver Whitecaps FC and embark on this new and exciting stage of my career in North America,” said Bonjour. “I have heard many good things about Whitecaps FC and Major League Soccer, and plan to make an important contribution to my new club this season. I’m also looking forward to my new life in Canada and the beautiful city of Vancouver.”
Looking forward to your arrival in Vancouver, Martin Bonjour.
More info on Martin Bonjour.
Martín Bonjour
Position: Defender Height: 6-03 Weight: 190 Born: April 9, 1985, in Carhué, Argentina Hometown: Carhué, Argentina Citizenship: Argentina Last Club: Rampla Juniors FC (Uruguayan Primera División) How Acquired: Free agent signing by Whitecaps FC on January 4, 2012
Meet Matt Watson. He is a former Carolina Railhawks midfielder. He was signed to Whitecaps on December 16, 2011. His contract is also pending on his International Transfer Certificate. Lets hope it goes thru as well.
He's coming to a team where the only person he knows with any familiarity is the Head Coach. Usually when a coach comes to a new team, he'll try to bring someone from his former team because he believes they can bring something new to his current team. Obviously, Coach Rennie has faith is Watson to improve our team. Apparently he had several different offers in the MLS and chose to come to Vancouver to play for his former Head Coach. This is what he had to say.
"I’m thrilled to be playing for Martin again, and now at the highest level of professional soccer in North America,” said Watson. “Vancouver have a great fan base and an excellent organization. I can’t wait to get the season underway.”
He's not a big goal scorer, with only 3 goals and 2 assists in his last season with the Railhawks, but if Rennie believes in him, so will we. Lets be sure to welcome Matt warmly to our team and show him how much we love our Whitecaps.
More info on Matt Watson.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-00
Weight: 180
Born: January 1, 1985 in Bromsgrove, England
Hometown: Redditch, England
Last Club: Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
Citizenship: England
How Acquired: Signed on December 16, 2011
Lee Nguyen was acquired thru the MLS weighted lottery on December 15, 2011. Nguyen has a dual American/Vietnamese Citizenship and became the first American to play in the Vietnamese V-league for the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC in the 2009 season and then for Becamex Binh Duong FC for the 2010 season. He scored 14 goals in 29 appearances for the league. Here's what he had to say about coming to Vancouver.
“I’m really excited to be joining Whitecaps FC and to help this club push forward,” said Nguyen. “I can’t wait to get the season started.” and “I’m excited,” Nguyen said. “I don’t know anyone that has played for Vancouver, but I’ve heard it’s a great city, a great atmosphere and a great club. They didn’t perform too well in the league this year, but they’re bringing in new players and have a new coach, so hopefully we can turn things around next season.”
Here is a sample of his play. Enjoy.
More info on Lee Nguyen.
Position: Midfielder/striker
Height: 5-08
Weight: 150
Born: October 7, 1986, in McKinney, Texas
Hometown: Richardson, Texas
Last Club: Becamex Binh Duong FC (V-League)
Citizenship: United States/Vietnam
How Acquired: via weighted Lottery on December 15, 2011
On December 7, 2011, the Whitecaps signed on legendary South Korean "football" player, Young-Pyo Lee. If you haven't heard of him, then you've apparently been living under a rock, like I have. I had to Google and YouTube him to find out why the South Korean population in Vancouver were going nuts over his signing. After I watched a video of his play, I totally understood. He is amazing to watch. He's a strong, quick and creative player. I'm most excited about seeing Mr. Lee play. He's also got an amazing resume with his former clubs.
According to Whitecaps, "Lee is a quality individual and leader - both on and off the pitch - that has excelled at all levels of the game and we are thrilled he will be joining our club," said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. "He has played midfield, as well as fullback during his distinguished career and the addition of Lee as a right back to our side will help strengthen our defensive backline."
I won't go thru all his past clubs or experiences because there is just too many. However, I am going to post this video from youtube for you to watch of Mr.Lee's skills. You will be amazed. Trust me. But first his Press Conference.
YP Lee's Press Conference.
The Vancouver South Korean Community reaction to Lee.
Watch Lee in action.
Here is additional info on Y.P. Lee.
Position: Defender
Height: 5-09
Weight: 150
Born: April 23, 1977, in Hongcheon-gun, Korea Republic
Hometown: Hongcheon-gun, Korea Republic
Last Club: Al-Hilal (Saudi Professional League)
Citizenship: Korea Republic
How Acquired: Free agent signing by Whitecaps FC on December 1, 2011
Bryce recently signed an MLS deal with the Whitecaps after having a very successful year in 2010 and 2011 on the U-18 Residency team. He has been signed on as the Adidas Home Grown Generation player. Here is what the Whitecaps have to say about him.
"Bryce is an intelligent, gifted player that has already played at a very high level in his young career," said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. "He captained Canada at last summer's U-17 World Cup, and has continued his development in our Residency program and by training with our first team. We're excited to add another young Canadian talent to our MLS squad."
Look forward to seeing Bryce on the squad.
For more info on Bryce Alderson
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: 160
Born: February 5, 1994, in Kitchener, Ontario
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario
Citizenship: Canada
Last Team: Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
How Acquired: Signed to a MLS Generation adidas contract by Whitecaps FC on November 17, 2011
So, those are your new boys on the roster in a nutshell. For more information on them, click on their names and it will take you to the Whitecaps page or for more information on how the team is looking, go to the Whitecaps FC Mens Roster.
