Whitecaps mark Sartini's return with 'beautiful' win as Bombito celebrates birthday goal | MLS IN REVIEW, Matchday 7
Matchday 7 of the 2024 Major League Soccer season saw Canadians clash in Cascadia as the Vancouver Whitecaps took on the Portland Timbers, while Toronto FC and CF Montreal felt the bitter sting of defeat once again.
Here are a few Canadian takeaways from this past week of action:
Vanni Sartini is back in 'beautiful' form
After missing the first month and change of the 2024 MLS season due to a suspension he picked up at the end of last year for some questionable post-game comments, the Vancouver Whitecaps' lovable head coach Vanni Sartini returned to the touchline – and, more importantly, to the media room – for the first time this season, and didn't skip a beat on either front.
But before we dive into Vanni, a shout-out to Ryan Raposo for his 87th-minute goal vs. Portland to secure a 3-2 result. Secondly, to the Whitecaps' faithful for continuing to give their former 'keeper Maxime Crepeau **** for leaving. Classic, high-quality banter in MLS will always be appreciated.
#RCTID’s Max Crepeau on #VWFC fans potentially booing him for the rest of his career.
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) March 31, 2024
“Yeah they can do it. I don’t mind. They love their club. Some people accept that it’s football and sometimes you move on. Long story short, I went to LA for football reasons.” #Timbers#MLS pic.twitter.com/kYugT6t3ui
And finally, to Mr. Sartini, who praised his team's performance with his usual unusual style, likening the first half to being as beautiful as the city of Florence, the idea of socialism, and, poetically, as his wife.
What an absolute champion. I don't think there's anything neutral MLS fans might desire to see more than Vanni celebrating an MLS Cup (tarps off, of course). The Whitecaps currently sit second in the Western Conference – can we make it happen in 2024, please?
Moise Bombito, welcome to the score sheet
In keeping with the trend of Canadian internationals showing well in American MLS sides, the Colorado Rapids will be full of praise for CanMNT defender Moise Bombito this week, as the 23-year-old notched their opening goal in an eventual 3-2 win over Los Angeles FC – his first goal in Major League Soccer.
Or, wait... the 24-year-old – that goal was a bit of a birthday gift, eh!
Moise Bombito scores his first career MLS goal on his birthday! 🥳
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 30, 2024
It's all level in Colorado. pic.twitter.com/0Xhr9D1ijx
Bombito has enjoyed quite an interesting, if quiet rise through the ranks for both club and country; Canadian fans were first introduced to him as a central midfielder, while Colorado fans got used to seeing him at both left-back and, most recently, at centre-back. Regardless of where you put him on the field, though, Bombito has gone about his work with the same vigour and work-rate that we always expect from our Canadian internationals. (See: Jacob Shaffelburg recording another pair of assists this week for Nashville, too!)
More CBs playing consistent minutes will always be a benefit, especially considering that this was once a position of great need for Les Rouges, so it's great to see Bombito earning his keep in Colorado. Now... anyone got a Canadian no. 10 in their ranks you wanna try out?
Praise and criticism, after the 90...
If you're not following me on Twitter or X or whatever it's called, that's probably smart. But if you do find yourself in that unfortunate position, you may have noticed, amid the staunch advocacy for Canadian footballers, the OS YouTube video retweets and the so-bad-they-have-to-be-on-purpose hot takes, that I maybe gave Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Gavran some praise just a bit too early.
— No Context CanMNT ⚽️ 🇨🇦 (@NoContextCanMNT) March 31, 2024
That was shared before Gavran would concede three times in an eventual 3-1 loss for the Reds, BUT I will stand on the fact that before conceding three times to Sporting Kansas City, Gavran was having an incredible performance, putting up a handful of spectacular saves to keep his team alive and kicking, and that technically, if he had continued making said spectacular saves that kept his team alive and kicking, that maybe this take doesn't age like milk.
Context, no context, it doesn't matter: It's a reminder that football can be a fickle friend or foe and that fate may weave a tale that only reveals itself at its natural end... but I still believe in you, Luka. Toronto FC has had a history of second-string goalkeepers taking first-team roles and holding on tight enough to earn it permanently, and, just like every position on the field, the CanMNT benefit with healthy competition for spots. And so we move.
