Ryan Gauld wants to play meaningful soccer again.
It鈥檚 been more than four months since the Vancouver Whitecaps were eliminated from the Major League Soccer playoffs, a layoff too long for the captain鈥檚 liking.
Lucky for Gauld, the games are about to begin in a big way.
Vancouver鈥檚 2025 campaign begins with five games across 16 days starting Thursday when the Whitecaps visit Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa in the first game of a two-legged CONCACAF Champions Cup series.
鈥淚 think everyone鈥檚 looking forward to it. Having such a long off-season, it feels like it鈥檚 been a long time since we played a meaningful game,鈥� Gauld said. 鈥淪o the fact that they鈥檙e coming thick and fast right from the start, it鈥檚 what we all want, and it鈥檒l get the match sharpness up straight away.鈥�
Following the game in Costa Rica, the 鈥楥aps travel to Portland, Ore., where they鈥檒l kick off the MLS season against their regional rivals, the Timbers, on Sunday.
A busy start to the season isn鈥檛 unusual for newly minted Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen. The travel the team faces, though, is a bit of a change from what he experienced coaching in Denmark.
鈥淭o be honest, it鈥檚 difficult. Because I don鈥檛 have the experience from what we鈥檙e used to. I have experience with games coming up close to each other, but not by flying seven hours to Costa Rica and then directly to Portland and stuff like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 new to me. And that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 very important that I also have people around me that have the experience in these kind of situations.鈥�
The 鈥楥aps have already logged some big kilometres this year.
The team gathered in Vancouver in mid-January before heading to Marbella, Spain for three weeks of pre-season preparations, including four games against international competition. Players and staff returned to B.C. last week before heading to Costa Rica on Tuesday.
Over those four pre-season tilts, the team got better and better at executing the system Sorensen is trying to implement, said veteran defender Ranko Veselinovic.
鈥淲e worked from the day one. We understand what he wants from us,鈥� he said.
鈥淥f course, there鈥檚 a big space for improvement also. But yeah, we鈥檒l try to be as good as possible in the first game. It鈥檚 not going to be perfect, and we know that.鈥�
Vancouver finished last season with a mediocre 13-13-8 regular-season record. The club won a third straight Canadian Championship title but limped through the end of the MLS season and was ousted from the playoffs in the first round by Los Angeles FC.
Thursday鈥檚 game against Saprissa will be a test of Sorensen鈥檚 changes.
The Whitecaps have never faced the Costa Rican club in any competition and Veselinovic has been asking around about the opposition.
鈥淚 heard they鈥檙e a pretty good team. I spoke even with some friends that know them. They鈥檙e pretty aggressive. They like to play direct,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, yeah, it鈥檚 going to be super hard game because it鈥檚 gonna be hot weather. They鈥檙e good fans, and they鈥檝e even played like six or seven games already in the season. So we need to be ready for that and to have a positive result before coming back home.鈥�
Vancouver earned its spot in the tournament by winning last year鈥檚 Canadian Championship, while Saprissa won a play-in series against Comunicaciones FC.
The 鈥楥aps know they鈥檙e facing some obstacles heading into Thursday鈥檚 matchup. Saprissa has already started their season, and used to playing in the sweltering conditions expected in San Jose. The Costa Rican side has also won the CONCACAF Champions Cup three times, most recently in 2005.
They鈥檙e all challenges Vancouver is looking forward to, said striker Brian White.
鈥淲hen you get to play in these kind of games, these kind of competitions, it鈥檚 another level,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I think everyone鈥檚 going to be excited, everyone鈥檚 going to be up for it. It鈥檚 going to be a tough challenge, obviously, and a bit of a different climate than we鈥檙e playing in right now. But it鈥檒l be a fun challenge.鈥�
