Dear fans,
Following today’s announcement, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been a memorable year for all of us at Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It’s shaping up to be an exciting, challenging, and hopefully very successful 2015 season, and we can’t wait for First Kick at BC Place on March 7 against Toronto FC.
I’m proud to be the head coach of this team, and I know I speak for the rest of my coaching staff when I say how delighted we are to re-sign with Whitecaps FC on multi-year extensions.
When I sat down with the ownership and executive team at the beginning of last year, I told them I had a vision for this club – a philosophy of how I want us to play, how I want us to grow, and ultimately how I want us to win.
We want to do things the right way, both on and off of the pitch. We want to build something special here – something that everyone involved can be rightfully proud of. It’s not necessarily the easiest path. It sometimes requires us to make some tough decisions, but we have a plan in place that will keep the club on the right track for years to come.
WATCH: Robinson discusses extension in exclusive interview with TSN
I am thankful to everyone involved - from fans, to players, to front office - for having faith in that vision, for being a part of it and for supporting it since day one.
I am also thankful for my coaching and support staff. While I might be the one standing in front of the cameras, the outstanding work that assistant coaches Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest, and goalkeeper coach Marius Røvde do behind the scenes often goes unnoticed. This also applies to Daniel Stenz, head of analysis and scouting, Rick Celebrini and everyone on the medical team, as well as the support staff. Their dedication, professionalism, and determination is invaluable to this club and I’m delighted we are continuing this journey together.
Preseason is just around the corner now. The guys will be back in training next week and we’re looking forward to seeing a number of returning players, as well as welcoming the new faces who have joined the club during the offseason. We’re still looking to add a few pieces to the puzzle, but I strongly believe that we’ll have a team that can take that all important next step.
READ: Whitecaps FC add centre back Diego Rodriguez and striker Octavio Rivero
Playing in the CONCACAF Champions League is going to be an exciting challenge for us. We’ll also be competing in a Western Conference that is now even stronger with the addition of Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City.
There are going to be a lot of big games, but those are the games we want to manage and those are the games our team wants to play. They’re the kind of occasions we live for.
Hopefully one of those games can be a home playoff match at BC Place. You have been behind us every step of the way. You’ve picked us up when we’re down and held us up when we’re winning. We can’t ever thank you enough for your support, but a good place to start will be giving you an opportunity to cheer on your team in the club's first-ever MLS post-season match at home. We will continue to give our all, on our honour, to bring you that, and hopefully more.
Thank you again for all of your support and see you on March 7.
Sincerely,
Carl Robinson
Head coach, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
