'Caps Primetime is a nightly variety of entertaining programs featuring current and former players, coaches, and your favourite ‘Caps personalities. On Thursdays, 'Caps take a trip down memory lane with a weekly rebroadcast of all-time classic matches.
Tonight's Throwback Thursday takes us back to Decision Day in 2016, when the 'Caps hosted Portland Timbers with the Cascadia Cup hanging in the balance.
We caught up with Giles Barnes, who arrived in Vancouver via trade during the summer of 2016, and would rise to the occasion when it mattered most against Portland.
What’s new with Giles Barnes?
Giles Barnes: I just finished in India. I just finished my contract actually last month. So I will be taking the next steps carefully and safely as I am sure everyone is, and figuring out what my next move is for sure.
How was the experience in India?
GB: It was different. You experience with different things that happen obviously in foreign countries. The people were great. My teammates were great. The fans were really passionate which surprised me. I wasn’t too sure how it was going to be, obviously with cricket being the national sport. But to see how passionate the fans were and how much they really wanted to be involved in the football community was really flattering for me. I recommend anybody to go over to the Indian Super League and give it a go.
How did you end up there?
GB: I had actually been on trial at West Brom after the MLS season had finished. Unfortunately, I picked up an injury whilst on trial. It was in the last few days of my trial, I picked up an injury and that actually kept me out for a few months. So then, the season was finishing in England and the MLS season had already started and everyone already spent their salary cap and all that kind of stuff, and I was kind of left with a decision. I thought to myself, “I will wait out until December when transfer window opens back up in England and give it another try.” And what happened was my old manager, Phil Brown actually who gave me my debut for Derby in 2005, he was the manager of a team over there and he got in touch with me. He was like, "How would you fancy coming to play for me again?" And I was like, “Yeah, sure let’s have a talk about it and let’s see what we can do.” And we met up, we had coffee, we reminisced over old times. Phil and I are actually quite good friends outside of football too. It was good to get that relationship back and we decided that we should do it.
You also played for Colorado Rapids and Orlando City SC, and had a stint in Mexico in between.
GB: I played in 34 games for Orlando that season after leaving Vancouver, and then I went over to León in Mexico. I went over there in January and I actually left in July to come back to MLS to play for Colorado. Unfortunately, that year for me wasn’t a great year. I picked up an injury. A knee injury in Mexico and the season was already starting. I don’t know if many people know but the seasons are pretty short over there. You know you play like 12 games per half a season if that makes sense. So by the time I got there, there was a few games that had already been played. I managed to get straight in, played a game like straight away. Literally came off the plane, got all my registration papers, got everything sorted and played in the cup game, did well. Obviously, I needed some more match fitness. I went up for a header and someone came in behind me and my knee kind of went the other way and it wasn’t very good after that.
What do you remember most from your short stay in Vancouver?
GB: Probably the game against Portland. I have come from Houston midseason, you know sometimes those midseason trades are a little bit tough, and that was the game I felt I really showed myself to the fans. I had a few good moments in Vancouver shirts leading up to that. I think I had only played maybe eight or 10 games with the season coming to the end. I managed to pick up a couple of 'Caps Man of the Match awards but for me, I was kind of coming into the team and integrating at a good pace. The season was coming to an end so that was the unfortunate thing for me. I wish I had been there from the start of the season. People were really starting to see what I was about towards the end.
Anything that sticks out from that final game?
GB: We managed to win and send the fans off to the offseason with a nice present, with a great victory. I was fortunate enough to play in that game in front of the fans and listen to them roar. Scoring two goals in that game was very special to me because I left the next season so it left me with a good taste in my mouth and hopefully it was for the fans too.
Do you still keep in touch with any of your former ‘Caps teammates?
GB: I speak to Kekuta (Manneh), Kekuta and I were friends before I came to Vancouver. Occasionally, I speak to Erik Hurtado, just the off on the fly, say “Hey, how is it going?” I speak to (Pa-Modou) Kah quite frequently too who is also a good guy. Marco Bustos, you know he didn’t play a lot of games but for me, he was a really talented young player. I think everyone knows the relationship that me and Phonzie (Davies) had when I was there. I got to play with Dek (Wynne). I didn’t actually realize Dek had been at Vancouver until he came up and told me. I didn’t know he was a young boy there, but he’s a great guy. Nice personality and he’s a good player too.
Would you like to share a message for VWFC fans?
GB: The 'Caps fans were always really gracious towards me. There were always very welcoming. I wish I had probably got there a little bit earlier so you could have seen fully what I was capable of. I think our season in general would have been great had we managed to pull something off, but the 'Caps fans were always great at getting behind the team and supporting the manager and that speaks a lot of volumes to how loyal they are. I wish Vancouver and Vancouver fans nothing but the greatest success in the future.
Catch the rebroadcast of the 'Caps vs. Timbers match from 2016 on whitecapsfc.com tonight at 7:05 p.m. PT.
