So I'm back in town after my jaunt to the west coast. I watched England on my laptop while "working", watched the Kings finish off the Devils on my iPhone as my ferry left Horseshoe Bay bound for Nanaimo, and, of course, saw the Whitecaps defeat Houston on Sunday at BC Place.
As my first MLS experience, and first live "professional" soccer experience in Canada since an international friendly between Canada and the US at Mewata years ago (I want to say it was U-23, but I can't remember), it definitely exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere in the stadium was lively but had a very Canadian feel to it, if that makes any sense. I have been to a few Norwich City games in the past (including some this year), I have seen rugby in New Zealand, etc. and it is interesting to see the culture in each country. But this was comfortably Canadian, and in a good way. I can't really explain it, but there were elements of soccer culture and elements of Canadian culture, and none of it felt contrived or unnatural.
The supporters' groups in the stadium really help liven things up. Constant singing, drums, chanting, the whole bit. The MLS has really gotten it right with the way they have encouraged, and even nurtured, supporters' groups. The casual fan seems to appreciate the addition to the atmosphere. We were sitting in section 243, row K, so not too far from the pitch and a few sections over from the supporters' groups, so we had a nice mix of a good sight line and some good atmosphere. Many thanks to VanFlamesFan for the recommendation, and I was just looking back on where your seats are, and we were closer than I had initially thought otherwise I would have tried to play "spot the Flames fan".
The game itself was entertaining, with an early goal for Vancouver dictating the early stages of the game. Houston had some chances, but it really was a good match for the Whitecaps and they deserved the win.
And BC Place sure is a beautiful stadium now. It looks nothing like it used to, inside or out. The seats are closer to the field, the open roof and the windows all the way around provide a lot of natural light and air. I knew that it would be different and I knew it would be better, but I had no idea how good of a job they had done on it. Thank you BC taxpayers.
So I'm hooked. I casually follow TFC and Montreal, and Vancouver became my favoured team when they joined the league. But now I am already thinking of the logistics for my next visit, which may even be later this summer. I would rank the experience as being pretty damn close to seeing Norwich play live this year, and that takes some doing. While it is unfortunate that Calgary lacks many of the pieces necessary for professional (even second-tier) soccer, it is reassuring to know that I can spend a relatively small amount of coin and time to hop on a plane and catch a game. Highly recommended for any soccer fans that find themselves in Vancouver, or even if you're looking for something to plan a weekend around.