✍️ Baltej Bining

Hello Vancouver! Hope you are doing well on this nice Monday morning. With the FIFA World Cup beginning in less than 3 weeks, several people, including myself, are very excited for the world's tournament to come to Canada!

In the past week for Vancouver soccer, we saw a couple of wins, a heartbreaking draw, and an unfortunate loss.

This is Vancouver Weekly!

Vancouver Whitecaps

Jesper Sørensen's side is soaring high at the moment!

Saturday night marked the Whitecaps tenth win of this young Major League Soccer campaign, with their most recent exploit seeing them grab a 4-2 win over San Diego FC.

This was a particularly shocking win, as the Whitecaps were missing several key players, including Andrés Cubas and Yohei Takaoka, who were suspended, and six additional players due to injury.

On the field, Brian White's brace moves him up to 10 league goals this season, giving him the seventh-highest tally across Major League Soccer. Another positive was the return of defender/midfielder Ralph Priso, who would score on his return despite the header from White already going on target. Bruno Caicedo now has four goal contributions in eight matches, with only one start this season, while he has also embraced the role of a super substitute in his limited minutes.

Saturday evening was probably the final time viewers will see Aziel Jackson in a Whitecaps jersey, and while he did have a decent performance as a starter, his loan deal, which expires at the end of June, will likely not result in either an extension or a permanent purchase.

Off the field, Emmanuel Sabbi underwent a successful sports hernia surgery, with his recovery sidelining him until August at the earliest. The American winger has played the most minutes out of any winger at the club, while he has tallied two goals and two assists in the process.

While Jackson is likely to leave Vancouver at the end of June, defender Joedrick Pupe is set to return from his six-month loan spell at Belgian side Sint-Truidense, where the 28-year-old made eight appearances and even scored once, mainly being deployed as a left-back. The loan does include a purchase option, which may be triggered due to some good performances from the Belgian native.

The Whitecaps will not return to action until early July, where they will take on Cavalry at Swangard Stadium in the first leg of the Canadian Championship quarter-finals on Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30 pm PT.

Vancouver FC

So close, yet so far for Martin Nash's side.

Vancouver FC continued their home stand on Saturday, taking on CPL newcomers FC Supra at Willoughby Community Park.

It was a game where the Eagles were dangerous on the attacking end once again, creating four big chances in the second half, missing three of them.

Mohamed Amissi got the breakthrough strike in the 87th minute and what most thought was the game-winner, with the winger chipping over Joakim Milli after a beautiful long ball from Nicolás Mezquida.

Unfortunately, FC Supra didn't quit, and following a scramble in the box, young defender Matisse Chrétien scored the equalizer at the dying embers.

A win for Vancouver FC would've seen them jump up to fifth position, but the late goal conceded means that the Eagles remain at seventh position with a sizeable gap over provincial rivals Pacific, who are yet to win a match in seven games and only have a point to their name.

Next up for the Eagles is a trip East, where they will take on Halifax at the Wanderers Ground on Saturday, with kickoff set for 12:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm AT.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

The struggle continues for Rich Fagan's side.

WFC2 had a chance to bounce back at home on Sunday, taking on Real Monarchs SLC at Swangard Stadium.

After Izzy Amparo opened the scoring in the first half, Canadian youth international Van Parker doubled the lead for the visitors a minute after the second half began.

WFC2 would cut the lead in half following a bizarre own goal from Ruben Messalles, with a nasty deflection looping over Monarchs' shot stopper Trace Alphin.

However, the Monarchs would restore that two-goal buffer immediately following a strike from Kobi Henry.

The three goals conceded mean that Rich Fagan's side has the second-leakiest defence in the Western Conference, with 29 goals conceded in 12 matches, with SKCII being the only side to have a worse defence, conceding 37 times in 14 matches.

They'll hit the road before returning home for a three-match homestand, closing out their road trips against Ventura County SC on Saturday at William Rolland Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:00 pm PT.

Vancouver Rise

Are the defending champions back?

Following a 2-1 win at Halifax on Monday, the Vancouver Rise managed the same scoreline at home against AFC Toronto, with first-half goals from Latifah Abdu and Quinn enough to overpower a struggling Toronto side, who got a consolation goal from Cloey Uddenberg.

It was another good performance from Jessica Wulf, who continues to make her case for the starting goalkeeper role over last season's Golden Glove winner, Morgan McAslan.

Mia Pante's debut was another positive, as the versatile wide player on loan from AS Roma was electric, starting as a left wingback.

With the 33rd-minute goal, Quinn continues to have a perfect record from the spot, going an impressive six-for-six since the inaugural Northern Super League match in April last year.

The result puts Vancouver in a solid fourth place, ahead of AFC Toronto and Calgary Wild with an extra game played.

The Rise will look to extend its winning streak on Saturday, taking on the Montréal Roses at Stade Boréale, where they'll look to make amends after being dismantled earlier this season by a 4-0 scoreline in Laval, with kickoff set for 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET.

That's all for Vancouver Weekly, as the Vancouver sides take a 2-1-1 record, which could be seen as an improvement from past weeks.

While the Whitecaps will no longer be in action until July, the other three Vancouver sides will be playing during the World Cup, so stay alert to those three teams, and if possible, go to one of their games!

Thanks for reading Vancouver Weekly, and we will see you next week, Vancouverites!