Young Whitecaps side embracing Concacaf W Champions Cup challenge: "They are ready to play"
They always knew it was going to be a challenge.
Yet, as a side that loves to rise to those sorts of obstacles, they knew that they were in a good position to surprise even if it might seem impossible.
In the end, the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite side certainly did that this week, as they hosted NWSL side San Diego Wave at BC Place in group stage play of the 2024-2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup.
Despite facing off against a side playing in one of the top leagues in the world, loaded with some of the top players, that didn’t bother the Whitecaps, even though they’re a side filled with several teenagers who have never even played professionally.
A side that has spent most of the last three years playing semi-professionally in League 1 BC and League 1 Canada, they’ve earned this opportunity to go up against some of the top teams in North America after their success in Canada over the last three years, where they’ve won three League 1 BC playoff titles, two regular season crowns and have won two League 1 Canada inter-provincial championships.
Having established themselves as arguably the top women’s side in Canada, they wanted to prove they could build on that and surprise some names outside of their borders in this competition, even if it would be tough as they faced sides like San Diego.
And to their credit, they’ve done well to pass that test, starting with their qualification to the group stages via a playoff win over El Salvador side Alianza. It was a rough start to the group stage of this competition, as they fell 7-0 to Liga MX side Club América, but they followed that up with a 2-1 win over Panamanian side Santa Fe and then put up a solid performance in a 2-0 loss to San Diego.
Full time: #VWFC 0-2 San Diego Wave
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) October 2, 2024
San Diego were eventually able to turn their pressure into 2 goals, but after looking like the floodgates might open, the Whitecaps kept things close by the end even as some big names came in
Solid game by the young Whitecaps vs an NWSL side
Even though they were up against a rotated San Diego side, they still had to deal with Olympic gold medallist Jaedyn Shaw from the start and stars such as Delphine Cascarino and María Sánchez off the bench and held the Wave to just two goals, which is a sign of the growth they’ve had in this competition already.
“I feel like that was the best I've seen our team play defensively, that we were really organized, held our shape well, people were blocking shots left, right and centre in front of me,” Whitecaps goalkeeper, Morgan McAslan, said after the San Diego match. “I thought we were super gritty and got into tackles and they weren’t taking things lightly shutting down, so it was awesome, I’m super proud of them, and hopefully we can carry that over to the Portland game.”
“I think this being our fourth game now, we're kind of used to (the speed). I think that also helped with our (defensive) organization, now that we’ve seen this for a few games. We're used to the level, the speed, the physicality these teams play with, so we're prepared for it, I think, but definitely always a little bit of a shock at the start.”
“We've been working really hard,” Whitecaps winger, Jamie Perrault, added. “We might be young, but we did really well against these pro players, so I'm really proud of everybody.”
“I would’ve never believed that this would be happening right now, it's such a great experience to have, so I’m grateful.”
Kaitlyn Torpey makes it 1-0 for the San Diego Wave! 🌊#WChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Xv8wuEGwKn
— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) October 2, 2024
Even if the Whitecaps spent a lot of time defending, as San Diego kept 71% of possession, outshot the Whitecaps 27-1, and generated 3.58 xG to the Whitecaps 0.07, the Whitecaps defenders and McAslan were able to keep things from getting away from them in the end.
That ended up catching the Wave by surprise, as they were expecting to pick up a comfortable victory, but were instead made to work for their 59th and 67th-minute goals.
Given the gulf of experience between the two sides, it’s a testament to the work the Whitecaps have put in, and that didn’t go unnoticed by their visitors, either.
“For this team to get this experience to play a real professional team, I think it’s good for them,” Wave defender, Hanna Lundkvist, said of the Whitecaps. “They can learn from it, they did a great game and they fought till the end, so they can take a lot of positives from this game.”
“It’s incredible,” Wave interim head coach and US Men’s National Team legend, Landon Donovan, said after the game. “To see what's already possible is awesome for them, as you need to see it happen live to believe, right?.”
“And I'm just really impressed that from their first game in this competition until now, they have grown so much, so the future is really bright - I’m half-Canadian, so that’s a source of pride for me.”
Amirah Ali sends it to the back of the net! 💥#WChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/b5si4E1Wqz
— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) October 2, 2024
Yet, for those who have followed this Whitecaps group, it’s not that surprising to see. Despite being the youngest side in League 1 BC, they’ve found a way to establish themselves as a dynasty, as they’re a group that enjoys a challenge.
Perhaps, that lack of experience plays in their favour sometimes - they play with a lot of freedom on the pitch, combining their youthful joy with the professionalism required to win matches, which can prove to be a dangerous combination.
No matter the occasion, they want to stay true to the ethos they’ve established as a club, and try not to stray far from that.
So even if this game wasn’t the typical Whitecaps match, as they saw far less of the ball than usual and were forced to defend heavily against a strong opponent, they showed the sort of spirit they usually have, and that manifested itself in their performance.
“It’s about belief and allowing players to believe in themselves, allowing them to be brave.” Whitecaps head coach, Katie Collar, said after the San Diego match. “We believe in them, we want them to be brave, and we encourage them to stand up for themselves, even outside of the field and outside of these games. I think the importance of what we're building from a personal perspective for these players, is not just about them as athletes, but it’s about them as people and who they can become.”
“A lot of these kids are going to play pro I can tell you that right now, but the ones that don't are going to be CEOs, owners of companies, doctors, lawyers and people that are leading organizations, because they're learning to be brave and believe in themselves.”
And that’s why several Whitecaps alumni are doing well to push to high levels in the game, as they’ve taken that mentality and kept that with them as they climbed through the ranks.
Fittingly, one of those alumni was in action for this game on the Wave, and that was Mya Jones, as the 23-year-old Whitecaps academy graduate started against her old team in this match.
A first-year professional who was drafted out of the University of Memphis in the most recent NWSL draft, she’s done well to accumulate 699 NWSL minutes and a further 121 in the Concacaf W Champions Cup (including her start in this game), making 11 starts and scoring two goals in her rookie professional season.
Quickly, she’s become a key piece for the Wave as the year has gone on, even scoring a massive goal last week, nabbing the winner in a 2-0 victory over the Portland Thorns to keep them within six points of the playoff line with four games to go.
Mya Jones has played a key role off the bench tonight for the San Diego Wave, scoring against the Portland Thorns to give the Wave the lead
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) September 29, 2024
Her 2nd goal of 2024, she did well to out-jump the Thorns defenders to nod home from close range#CanWNT/#CanXNTpic.twitter.com/M6kBqsCE01
“Yeah, it took me a bit (of time) to get my feet underneath me,” Jones said. “The league is very fast, very physical, and the players on my team are just world-class players. I think just with time, I've gotten better and I've developed, and I'm just happy that I'm getting more minutes now, and I just have to keep making an impact in the field.”
Yet, as great as it’s been to see players like Jones shine in the NWSL, as several players on this Whitecaps team would be more than happy to follow in their footsteps, it’s worth noting that it’s not an easy journey to endure.
Without a professional Canadian league, it’s pushed many top Canadian youngsters to head to the NCAA like Jones did, where they will aim to make the most of their four years in college and then try to get a pro look at the end of it.
Great to have you back in Vancouver, Mya 💙🤩#VWFC | #WChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/QSPN53KHUW
— Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy (@WFCElite) October 2, 2024
For every Jones, however, there are several who never make it past the NCAA level and end up falling through the cracks, which is tough to see.
Starting next year, however, the creation of the Northern Super League is hoped to change that. Instead of needing to go to the NCAA to keep pro dreams alive, Canadians will be able to play professionally in their backyard, a pathway that several of these Whitecaps players are looking to follow with the Vancouver Rise, which is the name of the outfit the Whitecaps own and will operate in the NSL.
And that’s exciting to see, because as Jones notes, that’s going to open a lot of doors for them, some of which that she certainly would’ve loved to have at her disposal when she was in their shoes at the Whitecaps.
“It’s great, I feel like they did a great job tonight. They're a very organized team,” Jones continued. “Katie's done a really good job with them, and I think that they're going to do really well in the NSL next year. I know that a few of these players are probably going to be signed to that team, so it's exciting things ahead of us in Canadian Soccer, and I think what they've done at the Vancouver Whitecaps is pretty special, and they have a good chance to do well next year.”
But that’s why the Whitecaps run in this competition is so exciting, as it won’t be the last time a Canadian side will be able to take on the best professional sides in the region - in fact, they’ll be able to do as professional sides very soon.
Because of that, it feels like this run is the beginning of something special, instead of a flash in the pan, which is key.
Now, that’ll open the door for a whole new generation of Canadians to jumpstart their professional careers without having to leave home, and that’s massive.
San Diego’s Landon Donovan with some
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) October 2, 2024
praise for the Whitecaps Girls Elite.
“I think [the Whitecaps] were better than our girls thought and they realized that pretty quickly, they were like: ‘Oh, this is a real game.’ I gave them a lot of credit for that.” pic.twitter.com/gGoxfILRqA
As seen across the world, the creation of professional leagues can be huge for the development of a player pool, and Canada is hoping to feel a similar boost in the near future once the NSL launches.
Because of that, as the Whitecaps now get set for their last group stage match of this competition, a clash against the Portland Thorns at BC Place on October 15th, it’s exciting to know that this is just the start of what’s to come in the women’s domestic club game in the country.
And based on what we’ve seen over the past few years, the core of this Whitecaps team, from Collar on the bench and to the players on the field, will be expected to be a key part of it.
Based on what they’ve shown so far, however, they’re ready for that challenge, and can’t wait to get going.
“I think it's incredibly important,” Collar explained. “I think when we talked a couple of years ago in the very first year of League One, one of my biggest messages was that we trust the young players, and I think that seeing them compete at this level and learn from everything that they've done is so important, and it proves that they are ready to play.”
“We have put in a lot of work over the last three years, we haven't had that next step to go to but they've had a lot of success winning championships and they were ready to be challenged. They're ready to take the next step now.”
