Curious to know what a day looks like for Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the MLS Preseason in Tucson? We thought you might be. With that in mind, we documented the team’s first full day in Tucson on Tuesday through the article and photos you see below.
7:45 a.m. – Breakfast time. We’re eating at the Flying V, a nice little restaurant right next to the resort’s golf course. I bump into Marco Bustos and Jackson Farmer in the elevator. We make our way down together.
Bustos notes that it’s a little cooler than he expected – you have to go outside for a minute or two to get to the restaurant. I agree. It’s about 7 degrees Celsius. We know that won’t last long though.
One thing that struck me at breakfast was the amount of players who go to every table and shake everyone’s hand. Several players did that, including Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert, Sam Adekugbe, Andre Lewis, and Jordan Harvey. And they weren't the only ones. That says a lot about the characters on this team.
As I’m about to leave, I spot David Ousted looking out towards the golf course. I ask him if he’s going to get out there at some point.
“Oh yeah,” he responds.
Ousted has the reputation of being the best golfer on the team – by a wide margin.
At around 8:30 a.m., pretty much everyone has gone back to their respective rooms. Here's what Bustos and Farmer did to kill some time before training.
9:15 a.m. – The bus arrives and it’s time to head to training.
Before we leave, however, the ‘Caps bump into a few old friends just outside the lobby area. Jordan Harvey has a lengthy conversation with former Whitecaps FC midfielder Shea Salinas, while Matias Laba, Diego Rodriguez, and Octavio Rivero catch up with Uruguayan Pablo Pintos, who comes from the same town as Rodriguez (Montevideo, Uruguay).
Salinas and Pintos are both members of San Jose Earthquakes, who are staying at the same hotel as the ‘Caps along with Portland Timbers.
10:25 a.m. – After a half-hour bus ride, the ‘Caps hit the pitch for the first time at the Kino Sports Complex. The first portion of the session is focused on midfield link-up play, movements, and overall attacking play. I overhear Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson urging his younger players to “watch Pedro’s movements.”
“We worked on a few attacking movements,” Robinson told me after the session. “Obviously we play a game tomorrow (Wednesday) so it’s important to give them some ideas in the attacking third.”
Robinson then has the group play some small-sided possession games before concluding the session with a spirited 11 v. 11 scrimmage. That’s when Kekuta Manneh scored this long-range beauty.
“I had to calm them down a little bit because they went at it a little bit too much with each other, but the competitive edge is already there,” Robinson said of the spirited session. “I saw a lot of pleasing things.”
The session ends around noon.
12:45 p.m. – Lunch time.
Conveniently, everything is set up for us inside the batting cage adjacent to the fields. Turkey and salmon are the main dishes, accompanied by some stuffing, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
I pour myself a glass of iced tea, only to realize we’re in the U.S. and it’s unsweetened.
Gets me every time.
2:45 p.m. – We’re now back at the hotel, but the players don’t have much downtime.
They’re split up into three groups for afternoon gym sessions with Whitecaps FC strength and conditioning coach Jon Poli. The first group is in at 2:45 p.m. Each session will last about 45 minutes.
“We’re just working on getting the guys to withstand loading through their bodies,” Poli said. “That will transfer eventually onto the field but we’re just adapting the body with slow, slow movements right now. It was a lighter day in general today just to set us up for the game tomorrow (Wednesday). Then on Thursday, it will be a more of a substantial, big volume day.”
Also spotted in the gym is Robinson.
This isn’t just preseason for the players.
5 p.m. – All the gym sessions are now complete and the players have some downtime before dinner. Some opt to relax in their rooms, while others hit up the pool.
6:30 p.m. – Time for dinner.
Like the night before, we’re eating in the hotel’s “Ventana Room.”
As you could imagine, dinner was pretty uneventful. Everyone was busy well … eating.
After everyone is done, however, Robinson gets up and says a few words. He urges the group to pay attention during the league’s media training session, which is about to begin, and then he informs them that it’s my birthday. The players respond by serenading me to the tune of “Happy Birthday.”
That’s definitely a story to tell the grandchildren.
7:15 p.m. – Media training is now underway.
MLS has brought in Gabe Gabor (senior international communications consultant), Amanda Vandervort (MLS director of social media), and Cobi Jones (former LA Galaxy and U.S. men’s national team midfielder – current sportscaster) to deliver the presentation.
It’s an engaging session that delves into a number of topics – Gabor focuses on the role of the media, Vandervort talks about some social media best practices, while Jones talks about his experiences with the media and how his view has changed over the years.
During the social media portion of the presentation, Vandervort shows this video as an example of a way to be “fun” on social media. The video draws all sorts of laughter and applause.
9 p.m. – Most players head back to their rooms after the media training session – though some have appointments scheduled with the club massage therapist, who is on hand in Tucson. It’s been a long day and they’re right back at it tomorrow morning.
If you wish to visit MLS Preseason in Tuscon, contact Uniglobe One Travel - Neal Chark at nealc@uniglobeone.com or call 604 677 1495 at any time for immediate, professional and expedited service.
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