This weekend the ‘Caps head to Portland to take on the Timbers, but this past weekend it was the younger Whitecaps FC Pre-Residency boys who travelled to Oregon for the annual Portland Timbers Friendship Cup.
“We had four really good challenges in this tournament,” noted Whitecaps FC Pre-Residency head coach Bart Choufour. “Many people came away impressed with the style of play and the creativity and intensity that we showed. The boys made the club proud.”
Overall, Whitecaps FC Pre-Residency finished with a record of 2W-2L-0D after playing four matches in three days.
The squad, featuring players born in 1999 and 2000, kicked things off on Friday with a big win over an older Timbers Alliance squad comprised of 1998-born players.
On Saturday they were back on the field against their counterparts from Seattle Sounders FC. After a great back and forth match, the ‘Caps ultimately fell 2-1, but the performance from the Blue and White was positive.
“It was similar to the first team game,” said Choufour. “It was a really good game.”
Later on Saturday, the ‘Caps faced off against their other Cascadia rivals, Portland Timbers. Despite the tired bodies from their second match of the day, the Canadian lads earned a hard-fought 3-1 victory.
Finally, on Sunday, the ‘Caps faced an older Washington Crossfire squad – “a fast team”. The ‘Caps controlled the match, but after red cards for both sides turned the game into 10 vs. 10, a weary Vancouver side were eventually beaten.
All in all, it was a strong weekend in the development of the boys as they continue to progress. Noah Verhoeven stood out during the weekend, with Choufour calling him “outstanding, a captain and leader who played a variety of positions.” The top scorers for the ‘Caps during the tournament were Connor Glennon and Carson Ho.
Whitecaps FC Residency is a full-time, fully funded, player development program unlike any other in North America. Residency is designed to maximize a player’s potential on and off the field through a “soccer lifestyle” philosophy linking technical and personal development. By integrating training, education and accommodation, Whitecaps FC Residency provides the perfect conditions to develop and prepare elite athletes for the mental and physical demands of professional environments.
