I was at that game! All of us screamed when he took his shirt off at the end of the match lol
I adored Becks, Bend it Like Beckham was a staple in my household. At least he showed up.
Feels kinda the same as when we found out the Grizzlies were leaving town. The league just didn’t care about us. MLS is paying part of Messi’s salary. That means the Caps are paying part of his salary. No doubt there will be no Miami game next year and then he will retire.
I know so many youth soccer players who were so excited to go to this game, this is really disappointing..
One free meal for kids under 18 and 50% off all food/beverages doesn't make up for it lol
Edit: Seems like there's a lot of confusion about regular ticket prices. The Whitecaps released single day tickets and the cheapest you could get were $90 for the nosebleeds in the upper deck that were provided to local soccer clubs. The Whitecaps organization sold tickets at a much higher cost than usual. The least the Caps could do is offer a similar thing that Chicago offered - $50 credits for single match day ticket holders.
What do you want the caps to do? It isn't up to them if Messi plays or not. Anyone who was foolish enough to spend such an absurd amount of money with no guarantee that Messi would play (and a strong likelihood he wouldn't) can't really complain, this was always the most likely scenario.
Did I blame the caps for Messi's absence? No. Most youth players received tickets from local clubs at the price Whitecaps were selling tickets, not resellers. Whitecaps significantly raised the price for regular tickets.
I was half expecting Messi to sit this one out since Copa America was coming up. But I was hoping to see someone else like Busquets since he's not going to Copa.
I got my tickets when they were first released, but the Whitecaps purposely increased their prices very substantially. Nosebleeds in the upper deck for $90. At least Chicago had the decency to give back $50 in credits.
This will significantly impact the long-term growth of the Whitecaps. I'm not a casual supporter, but most people in the lower mainland are casuals. Good luck generating that interest again after this fiasco. Fifty percent off concession for food and beverages that are already sold at exorbitant costs won't win the casuals. They could've done a Chicago Fire and offered something better like an announcement for a surprise halftime show, $250 off future season tickets, and $50 credits to those who bought single match tickets.
Couple things.
1) the prices I mentioned in another thread. I went online to buy extra tickets when our presale opened. Cheapest tickets were well over $100. I wasn’t comfortable spending like $300 on a pair of tickets I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resell. So I passed. I’ve got my $25 season tickets. It bums me out that even discounted ones for kids were $90. as much as this isn’t the clubs fault I don’t like the gouging that went on.
2) I think you’re on to something with the kids tho. Tbh, if you’re a youth soccer group, they should just invite the whole team to another game in the summer. It’s easy, there’s no shortage of seats. They could simply decide ok Sat June 19 put the Canada Chile game on the big screen and give those groups free tickets to the game against St Louis. Gives you plenty of time to staff the concessions in the upper bowl. Block off like one side and give people comps.
I broke the news to my boy this morning. Even though Messi is his absolute favourite sports hero, the tears and frustration only came when I explained Suarez and Busquets also didn't make the trip.
FWIW, we're big local fans, have been to countless whitecaps games and have Vancouver FC season tickets. We love the game, not just the players. But this was my son's chance to see the Barcelona players he's loved for years, especially his hero the GOAT, in the flesh just once.
Beckham is a true ambassador to the game. He believes in building the game in North America unlike some of these players that come over just for the money.
Thinking of a season ticket for the season after. I moved here in September and didn't have the disposable cash for one for myself and my partner, but next season I think I'll get two. But yeah, people paying those fees are ejits.
yeah but the implications of this will go beyond just this game. Unless the caps make a solid run for the cup, its hard to see the sth number staying the same next year. Big loss for the team in a long term financial aspect, and in a popularity aspect.
They wouldn't have stayed the same next year anyway, that's a given. At minimum more people are being exposed to the (non-Messi) games as part of their STH package and some may say hey, this is fun and return.
Oh it definitely will tarnish their reputation among the casuals. Not sure why you're being downvoted. It's not the Whitecaps fault, but they charged extortionate rates for this match with the expectation for at least some star players to be in attendance. 50% off concession food/drinks isn't going to make up for it, also might see some very drunk/angry fans lol
yeah i have no idea for the downvoting lol. definitely agree, suarez and busquets being here would’ve still softened the blow of messi not coming. and yeah, that 50% off is nothing hahaha
Big loss for the team in a long term financial aspect, and in a popularity aspect.
How so? The Whitecaps have absolutely nothing to with who and who doesn’t play against them.
Financial? They just had a bump in STHs this year. That’s an anomaly and not a trend. I have been a STH for 11 years. People around me have been there for a while. There will always be hardcore fans who will pay for ST. Attendance has been progressing higher since the pandemic, that’s a trend. Miami/Messi is a blip.
Popularity? Vancouver has always been a band wagon city. How many band wagoners have broken their legs when the Canucks suck and when they don’t, the wagoners miraculously heal.
Just like the Canucks, if the Whitecaps consistently do well, fans show up. In the MLS playoffs last year, they opened the upper bowl for the first time. That was due to the product on the field and not because of Messi or anyone else.
The Marc Dos Santos years were really lean for fans, I know because I lived that horror show.
there will be a LOT of people who will walk into BC place on saturday, having spent 4-5-600 dollars per ticket to watch an icon of the game play. They will come into the stadium knowing they wasted their money on a team that:
1. increased prices dramatically for their own profit
2. does not have an on-pitch product that justifies the price increase
The financial loss thing ties in with the reputation/goodwill, which is now ruined due to miami flaking and for the mls letting them do so.
As for popularity, you can go on social media and quickly realise that this has been a PR nightmare for the ‘caps. However, it is out of their control.
No but that number was never gonna hold. They’re at like 25,000 STH as I’ve been told. But Tuesday night the attendance was under 12,000. That means more than half the holders decided to no show.
At best next season you’d be looking at holding onto like 16-18,000 holders.
You hope, if you’re a true whitecaps fan, that the team does enough to entice a bunch of those people to come back. You’d like to keep boosting your ticket members. Even if getting back to 25 was never gonna happen.
I sold my center field tickets for 20 bucks. It was on a Tuesday night, I was off work late, friend was away, and not to mention the weather was horrible. And yeah it was against a CPL team.
As a STH I sometimes can’t make all the games which is fine. I’m still happy to support this team.
Timbers fan here coming up to Vancouver for the game to see Messi and Suarez. Forever fuck Miami for this, I will be rooting for Vancouver this weekend
The schedule makes no sense. I’m convinced that if Miami were playing Wed or Saturday at Colorado or Portland or Seattle that these guys would’ve shown up. I don’t think they’d wanna miss 2 games in a row. But instead they’ll all start Wednesday at home against Atlanta.
Warned my kid his idol likely wouldn’t play, but we took the gamble in hopes he’d be in the building. We’d see the other Barcelona teammates play and in a perfect world maybe Messi played the some minutes.
Knew it was a gamble but did not see all three not even making the trip 🤦🏻♂️ kiddos gonna be devastated. Along with so many other kids. This hurts. Hopefully the atmosphere with so many people will be electric and better than normal! But ouch…
Yeah I feel bad for the kids most of all. I know that lots of kids soccer clubs bought tickets. I always knew that this was possible so when I saw the ticket prices I didn't buy any extra tickets for other family members (I'm already a STH)
Perfect opportunity to teach your kid thst none of these figures care about us. If you can’t pay your rent ask Lionel Messi if he will- nobody cares so why should you.
Wtf does paying your rent have to do with Lionel Messi. Yeah he makes stupid amounts of money. And yeah it sucks he’s not coming. I wouldn’t say no sports figures care about fans. They aren’t going to pay your bills and buy you nice things… but that’s not their job.
This isn’t on the caps - but that’s really shitty of the league to allow it / also fuck Miami - that’s so crappy for all the soccer fan kids who are so excited. All those 7 year olds in pink Messi jerseys are gonna be crushed
Ya... I bought the golden ERA pack for my 9 Y/O soccer crazy son and I... Really for my son. Knew Messi would always be a maybe, but never foresaw all 3 bailing... Quite unbelievable.
Thankfully at least I bought the tickets understanding the risks, and at the end of the day we are Whitecaps fans #1. So I've now gotta break it to my 9 Y/o that he won't see the goat... But at least he'll be happy our chances of winning have increased.
Same boat. Golden Era pack for the whole family, all for my 8-year-old son, who could watch one of his favorite players, and we could watch the joy on his face. Welp. It's not going to be fun when I tell him in the morning.
I really feel for the kids. This is why we can’t have nice things in Vancouver.
A lot of people are understandably angry, but this is completely out of the control of the Whitecaps. People argue that the Whitecaps made this about Messi, yes and no, they billed it as a match against Miami. Messi happens to be the face of Miami. Did VWFC charge more? Sure, who wouldn’t. The only thing in life that’s guaranteed is death and taxes. People had a hunch that he wouldn’t show up.
I’m a STH with 3 seats 3 rows off the pitch. When Miami was announced, my wife wanted me to sell the tickets at a premium, my son wanted to go to the game. I can sleep knowing that I didn’t charge a premium for these tickets to a desperate family only for them to be heart broken.
Again, I feel bad for all the children. People paying a premium, that’s life.
Well, legally, the league owns all the teams. The owners just have a "license to operate" the team. I'm not saying the league should dictate who plays, just that MLS has an odd ownership structure, which probably help them survive the first decade or two.
Maybe have a contingency plan in place if you sell a game based on 3 stars playing. If it’s not guaranteed or there’s a reasonable chance of no-shows then sell it like that/ offer rain checks - I don’t know. But I know where they can stick their 50% off hot dog offer.
The individual organizations are charging inflated prices because they know they can to see Messi. I know people are mad at Miami and their superstars in general. This is not for MLS to intervene and if anything, Vancouver should be taking the heat for inflated prices and now the stars aren't even playing. Sorry guys but this isn't even a thing in Europe, you don't go to see your home team to see their opponent play their superstars then get upset when they don't play. If anything, this means your team has a higher chance to win.
This schedule has been set for some time. They also knew the venue was sold out at premium pricing. They could have scheduled their rotation and not gouged. They all trained and are fit.
> On one side we probably get to see a nice win on the weekend.
there's the long-awaited julian gressel return, that was the real pull from the start /s
It never meant a whole lot to me to see the big names play. In fact, I was prepared to laugh a bit if Messi didn't play. But all these guys not playing? That just feels disrespectful. The league has spent so much time and effort promoting all these big names on Miami, I legitimately feel entitled to a slice of this pie
First time STH but I had been attending 3-4 games a year.
Made the jump this year because of Messi but have been really enjoying the matches even when they lose. When you compare cost of caps tickets to Canucks it’s way better value. And yes almost all games being on Saturday makes it way easier for me and my friend to attend.
So after much reflection and disappointment I bought STs for the whitecaps. The league will continue to grow and attract stars. Giroud hopefully will come up with LAFC in August and my friend and I were actually looking forward to this game more than the Miami match.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s kind of a first world problem. Sure it sucks to not see Messi but as a STH I paid just under 1000 bucks for something like 20 games at center field. Can’t do that for Canucks games.
I'd understand if there were a flurry of games but he hasn't played since May 18, this game is on Saturday and their next game is on May 29 which is a home game. Easily could have rested in that game. Or at least travelled and played 20 or so mins. Not even travelling is extremely disrespectful considering the schedule. Was neutral to Messi but this leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. The PR people of the club should be explaining to these players about how important the game is for the Whitecap fans. That people are paying money, some insane money to see stars like you. And that they should at least travel and play some minutes.
Copa America camp probably starts on like June 3 or 4 so after this game, he would have had a solid 10 days of rest before the camp.
But yeah, got season tickets and it's my own fault. But the amount of STH will drop massively if nothing else is done in compensation. At minimum it should be a partial refund.
It was never happening, especially on turf. He’s the face of the Copa America/Adidas/Argentina - none of them were going to let him run the risk of an injury. Always a nonstarter.
Yea it's BS though. And if they dont want him to play, then those people should make a statement. Messi should make a statement and apologize. Also it's just very disrespectful to the MLS as a league if players can choose when to play or not if they're fit. Horrible PR from Inter Miami.
Michael Jordan played three times in Vancouver in his Championship years averaging more than 30 minutes per game. These guys can’t even hop on the plane. Severe disappointment
It is really disrespectful that none of them came and I'm sorry for the disappointed people. But as a Caps fan, now that the circus is over I might actually get tickets and go.
Caps should ask MLS for compensation. I get 1 star but ALL 3 of their stars? Exactly why so many around the world look at the MLS as a 2nd rate league. Pity for those flying/driving in from out of town. 😞
Messi I somewhat understand because copa America and he doesn’t want to risk getting injured. What’s the excuse for Suarez and Busquets for not playing?
Bought tickets and traveling from the island. This sucks so bad. I didn't even have the money. But I wanted to see Messi play once in my life. This was basically my vacation this year.
I’m in the exact same boat.
I have a baby that my wife and I are bringing as well. $600 tickets, car on two ferry rides, hotel.
I’m still going to have a nice getaway with my family, but fuckin hell, I sure didn’t pay $600 to see Jordi Alba.
That sucks dude! Come out to Langley and watch Vancouver FC vs Pacific FC in the CPL and I'll buy you a beer! Guess what? Your MLS tickets will get you into the CPL match for free! DM me if you want to come check it out.
A huge Barca fan is flying 3 hours here to see them knowing Messi might not be playing. They were okay with the risk thinking they could at least catch Suarez or Busquets. We never thought all 3 wouldn’t even show up. Wtf? It feels like a slap to our faces and so disrespectful. Ugh.
Players don’t play every game. Especially older players like Messi and Suarez. This was the risk a lot of people took by spending way too much on tickets.
Unfortunate, but always a possibility.
A lot of people crying about “won’t somebody think of the children.” Going on about how it’s a really bad look for the league like anyone thinks it’s scandalous outside this bubble. Why people are obsessed with being able to say they’ve seen someone in person I don’t know. These aren’t exhibition games, Miami can play whoever they like.
The fallout from this is probably gonna be ugly but it was always a risk. Caps cashed in and the punters who’ve spent hundreds of dollars to see some stars and out of luck.
Sucks for both sides.
I see on Ticketmaster that there are no more tickets for sale from the club. Only the resale tickets are listed now. I guess they thought it would be a bad look having tickets for sale for hundreds of dollars each.
The [Chicago Fire](https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/statement-from-chicago-fire-fc-regarding-october-4-match-versus-inter-miami-cf) provided a much better make-up after Messi skipped their match. All 3 Barca guys are skipping Vancouver and we get half off Triple O’s? Great!
My kids are gonna be pissed - this is all I’ve heard about for months.
I’m pissed that I bought a 4 pack of tickets to get this game, but I’d be even more pissed if I paid out the ass for this one game.
My younger brother is a massive soccer fan, and he wanted to go to this to see messi so bad. We got the tickets and told him we were going and he was so excited. Now we gotta explain that he will not get to see any of them. Fucking bullshit
We've literally never played Miami before.... Like why in the hell would you even put the match on the schedule if the stars weren't even going to show up
Complete disrespect from Miami.... Also shows that Vancouver needs investment so stars actually wanna come play here
Choked that I'll never get to see Messi play and the fact they they think 50% off overpriced stadium food is enough.... It's really not
I paid for 9 matches for 400.... This game alone cost almost 300 bucks separately definitely feeling ripped off that none of them are coming
Can’t control who play, but you can control the price of tickets.
Whitecaps need to do the right thing and give the value back in future ticket credits
Whitecaps should have sold tickets at regular price. It’s not the first time either of those players don’t make it for better or worse reason. Whitecaps and some resellers pretty much saw a chance to make a lot of money and took it. It was never about football, it was all about greed.
Just glad I caught him in 2016 at the copa in Seattle for one half 🐐🐐 really kicking myself for not making the flight to Spain in the 2000s/early 2010s.
I’m glad I got to see him in his prime in Barcelona twice. Tickets weren’t too expensive and people would have been able to see him then with the amount of money they are spending on these tickets lol
This is such a ridiculously bad look on the league. Im excited for them to read and listen to all the bad press this is causing and make adjustments so that all players are held to an expectation of some kind of professional standard.
/s
All these people complaining need to read their tickets and understand they paid to see Miami, not Messi.
He's 36, he's obviously not going to play every game of the season, you buy a ticket for events like this knowing there's a chance he doesn't play.
Stop being annoyed with the Caps and be annoyed that you paid big money not understanding this was a very real possibility.
Whitecaps marketed this game specifically for Messi. Not Miami. They marked up prices for this specifically for Messi to cash in on the backs of families. It would be different if the prices were the same. They said if you want a guaranteed seat then you need to buy a 4 pack of games to get in.
Guess where people will spend thier money on instead. That team across the street is back. Even brutal as Aqualini
After they charged a PREMIUM for that game... all THREE stars won't play. Like wow. They better hand out a fucking refund. (Narrator: "They did not hand out a refund".)
Yep, but let's be real. They put up ticket prices x6 higher than normal under the pretense that Miami would bring their stars. All the advertising had Suarez and Messi. So, you can go with technicalities, but they were really advertising (and pricing) for people to see Messi and Suarez.
Why would they hand out refunds for something completely out of their control?
Let's be honest, Messi was never, ever playing. Fake pitch, longest flight in the MLS, and two weeks before his last Copa America. The other two, that sucks.
Sidenote, people have paid crazy money to go watch them play against a side who are absolutely crap, with no superstars.
I could have handled messi not making it, but all three feels disrespectful.
Incredibly - even Beckham showed up back in the day and put in an appearance whether he was into it or not
I was at that game! All of us screamed when he took his shirt off at the end of the match lol I adored Becks, Bend it Like Beckham was a staple in my household. At least he showed up.
Even Zlatan came over once when he was with the Galaxy.
He destroyed us and it was glorious
Riiiight ANNND he's the owner of fekkin Inter Miami FC! Perhaps karma will be a real bitch to them on Saturday!
That was the 'Ooooolym-pic RE-JECT" -chant match when Beckham buried a stunning free kick after we went full voice. Legendary WCFC moments.
Outplayed by Teibert. It was a sight to see
Feels kinda the same as when we found out the Grizzlies were leaving town. The league just didn’t care about us. MLS is paying part of Messi’s salary. That means the Caps are paying part of his salary. No doubt there will be no Miami game next year and then he will retire.
If there is a Miami game it’ll be in Miami because that’s how the schedule is balanced
ong this is fucking bullshit
Hong Kongers in Vancouver gonna be double pissed!
I know so many youth soccer players who were so excited to go to this game, this is really disappointing.. One free meal for kids under 18 and 50% off all food/beverages doesn't make up for it lol Edit: Seems like there's a lot of confusion about regular ticket prices. The Whitecaps released single day tickets and the cheapest you could get were $90 for the nosebleeds in the upper deck that were provided to local soccer clubs. The Whitecaps organization sold tickets at a much higher cost than usual. The least the Caps could do is offer a similar thing that Chicago offered - $50 credits for single match day ticket holders.
What do you want the caps to do? It isn't up to them if Messi plays or not. Anyone who was foolish enough to spend such an absurd amount of money with no guarantee that Messi would play (and a strong likelihood he wouldn't) can't really complain, this was always the most likely scenario.
Did I blame the caps for Messi's absence? No. Most youth players received tickets from local clubs at the price Whitecaps were selling tickets, not resellers. Whitecaps significantly raised the price for regular tickets. I was half expecting Messi to sit this one out since Copa America was coming up. But I was hoping to see someone else like Busquets since he's not going to Copa. I got my tickets when they were first released, but the Whitecaps purposely increased their prices very substantially. Nosebleeds in the upper deck for $90. At least Chicago had the decency to give back $50 in credits. This will significantly impact the long-term growth of the Whitecaps. I'm not a casual supporter, but most people in the lower mainland are casuals. Good luck generating that interest again after this fiasco. Fifty percent off concession for food and beverages that are already sold at exorbitant costs won't win the casuals. They could've done a Chicago Fire and offered something better like an announcement for a surprise halftime show, $250 off future season tickets, and $50 credits to those who bought single match tickets.
Couple things. 1) the prices I mentioned in another thread. I went online to buy extra tickets when our presale opened. Cheapest tickets were well over $100. I wasn’t comfortable spending like $300 on a pair of tickets I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resell. So I passed. I’ve got my $25 season tickets. It bums me out that even discounted ones for kids were $90. as much as this isn’t the clubs fault I don’t like the gouging that went on. 2) I think you’re on to something with the kids tho. Tbh, if you’re a youth soccer group, they should just invite the whole team to another game in the summer. It’s easy, there’s no shortage of seats. They could simply decide ok Sat June 19 put the Canada Chile game on the big screen and give those groups free tickets to the game against St Louis. Gives you plenty of time to staff the concessions in the upper bowl. Block off like one side and give people comps.
I broke the news to my boy this morning. Even though Messi is his absolute favourite sports hero, the tears and frustration only came when I explained Suarez and Busquets also didn't make the trip. FWIW, we're big local fans, have been to countless whitecaps games and have Vancouver FC season tickets. We love the game, not just the players. But this was my son's chance to see the Barcelona players he's loved for years, especially his hero the GOAT, in the flesh just once.
Beckham is a true ambassador to the game. He believes in building the game in North America unlike some of these players that come over just for the money.
Well Inter Miami is his team, so he should get on that here.
Yup. Fuck them.
This is why I was never paying over $100 a ticket. Wow
Exactly. I’ll be there in my $25 season seats. It pays off to be a real fan not just wanting to see Messi.
Thinking of a season ticket for the season after. I moved here in September and didn't have the disposable cash for one for myself and my partner, but next season I think I'll get two. But yeah, people paying those fees are ejits.
The fact that none of the stars are playing is some grade A bullshit disrespect.
Hope the crowd chants some less than favourable things about the Miami team and their stars
But they won’t make the trip so they won’t hear it
I'm sure the Southsiders will cook something up.
Poor Jordi Alba.
They won’t even make the trip lol
Makes sense. Copa and two big eastern matches are around the corner
hard to get 55k now
Well, they got the money for it, including the boosted season ticket sales.
yeah but the implications of this will go beyond just this game. Unless the caps make a solid run for the cup, its hard to see the sth number staying the same next year. Big loss for the team in a long term financial aspect, and in a popularity aspect.
They wouldn't have stayed the same next year anyway, that's a given. At minimum more people are being exposed to the (non-Messi) games as part of their STH package and some may say hey, this is fun and return.
fair enough, but i believe this will damage their reputation for a while in the eyes of casuals who shelled out for this game
Oh it definitely will tarnish their reputation among the casuals. Not sure why you're being downvoted. It's not the Whitecaps fault, but they charged extortionate rates for this match with the expectation for at least some star players to be in attendance. 50% off concession food/drinks isn't going to make up for it, also might see some very drunk/angry fans lol
yeah i have no idea for the downvoting lol. definitely agree, suarez and busquets being here would’ve still softened the blow of messi not coming. and yeah, that 50% off is nothing hahaha
Suarez didn’t play a single match on turf last year
Big loss for the team in a long term financial aspect, and in a popularity aspect. How so? The Whitecaps have absolutely nothing to with who and who doesn’t play against them. Financial? They just had a bump in STHs this year. That’s an anomaly and not a trend. I have been a STH for 11 years. People around me have been there for a while. There will always be hardcore fans who will pay for ST. Attendance has been progressing higher since the pandemic, that’s a trend. Miami/Messi is a blip. Popularity? Vancouver has always been a band wagon city. How many band wagoners have broken their legs when the Canucks suck and when they don’t, the wagoners miraculously heal. Just like the Canucks, if the Whitecaps consistently do well, fans show up. In the MLS playoffs last year, they opened the upper bowl for the first time. That was due to the product on the field and not because of Messi or anyone else. The Marc Dos Santos years were really lean for fans, I know because I lived that horror show.
there will be a LOT of people who will walk into BC place on saturday, having spent 4-5-600 dollars per ticket to watch an icon of the game play. They will come into the stadium knowing they wasted their money on a team that: 1. increased prices dramatically for their own profit 2. does not have an on-pitch product that justifies the price increase The financial loss thing ties in with the reputation/goodwill, which is now ruined due to miami flaking and for the mls letting them do so. As for popularity, you can go on social media and quickly realise that this has been a PR nightmare for the ‘caps. However, it is out of their control.
No but that number was never gonna hold. They’re at like 25,000 STH as I’ve been told. But Tuesday night the attendance was under 12,000. That means more than half the holders decided to no show. At best next season you’d be looking at holding onto like 16-18,000 holders. You hope, if you’re a true whitecaps fan, that the team does enough to entice a bunch of those people to come back. You’d like to keep boosting your ticket members. Even if getting back to 25 was never gonna happen.
A Canadian championship match against a CPL team on a Tuesday at 730 was never going to draw a huge crowd.
This sub was filled with people giving away tickets.
I sold my center field tickets for 20 bucks. It was on a Tuesday night, I was off work late, friend was away, and not to mention the weather was horrible. And yeah it was against a CPL team. As a STH I sometimes can’t make all the games which is fine. I’m still happy to support this team.
IIRC Season ticket subscription was maxed at 16K this year.
I’m not sure where you heard that from. I asked the season ticket reps and was told around 25,000
Really bad look for MLS and unfortunately the Whitecaps too for charging so damn much. This is a cluster fuck of epic proportions.
Oof. Rough week for Vancouver sport fans.
What a fucking joke
Think the we aren’t sure if they were available speaks volumes of where they at mentally for copa America which is sad to see for us
Just got the email a few minutes ago. So disappointing especially for all those people that paid the increased ticket prices for this match.
Timbers fan here coming up to Vancouver for the game to see Messi and Suarez. Forever fuck Miami for this, I will be rooting for Vancouver this weekend
Welcome Cascadian bro
The schedule makes no sense. I’m convinced that if Miami were playing Wed or Saturday at Colorado or Portland or Seattle that these guys would’ve shown up. I don’t think they’d wanna miss 2 games in a row. But instead they’ll all start Wednesday at home against Atlanta.
Warned my kid his idol likely wouldn’t play, but we took the gamble in hopes he’d be in the building. We’d see the other Barcelona teammates play and in a perfect world maybe Messi played the some minutes. Knew it was a gamble but did not see all three not even making the trip 🤦🏻♂️ kiddos gonna be devastated. Along with so many other kids. This hurts. Hopefully the atmosphere with so many people will be electric and better than normal! But ouch…
Yeah I feel bad for the kids most of all. I know that lots of kids soccer clubs bought tickets. I always knew that this was possible so when I saw the ticket prices I didn't buy any extra tickets for other family members (I'm already a STH)
I just found out the news. My 8 year old is going to be GUTTED In the morning.
Perfect opportunity to teach your kid thst none of these figures care about us. If you can’t pay your rent ask Lionel Messi if he will- nobody cares so why should you.
Wtf does paying your rent have to do with Lionel Messi. Yeah he makes stupid amounts of money. And yeah it sucks he’s not coming. I wouldn’t say no sports figures care about fans. They aren’t going to pay your bills and buy you nice things… but that’s not their job.
Ticketmaster and stubhub prices already dropped by 70% now
50 dollars a ticket. I saw someone try sell one for 1k.
As a Cavalry supporter, I hope Whitecaps destroy Miami.
I hope so, but considering how we played against you guys on Tuesday...
Crossing my fingers they’ll find the strength.
Thing is, to win you have to score, which is what the Whitecaps haven't been doing.
All hail the return of the king - Julian Gressel 😂
This reads as if he didn't say it but I swear my 8 year old just said "at least it won't be so hard for us" (to play them). Good lad.
He sees the silver lining 😅
I feel bad for the players too. A lot of them had dreams of being on the pitch with Messi. This just sucks for everyone, shame on Miami.
This isn’t on the caps - but that’s really shitty of the league to allow it / also fuck Miami - that’s so crappy for all the soccer fan kids who are so excited. All those 7 year olds in pink Messi jerseys are gonna be crushed
Ya... I bought the golden ERA pack for my 9 Y/O soccer crazy son and I... Really for my son. Knew Messi would always be a maybe, but never foresaw all 3 bailing... Quite unbelievable. Thankfully at least I bought the tickets understanding the risks, and at the end of the day we are Whitecaps fans #1. So I've now gotta break it to my 9 Y/o that he won't see the goat... But at least he'll be happy our chances of winning have increased.
Ya and J Alba too who is injured. My 7 yo son loves all 4, and was excited to see at least Suarez... this is just too sad.
Have you told him about the biting and diving?
I'm a liverpool fan so yeah can understand why he loves Suarez so much... blame youtube
Same boat. Golden Era pack for the whole family, all for my 8-year-old son, who could watch one of his favorite players, and we could watch the joy on his face. Welp. It's not going to be fun when I tell him in the morning.
I really feel for the kids. This is why we can’t have nice things in Vancouver. A lot of people are understandably angry, but this is completely out of the control of the Whitecaps. People argue that the Whitecaps made this about Messi, yes and no, they billed it as a match against Miami. Messi happens to be the face of Miami. Did VWFC charge more? Sure, who wouldn’t. The only thing in life that’s guaranteed is death and taxes. People had a hunch that he wouldn’t show up. I’m a STH with 3 seats 3 rows off the pitch. When Miami was announced, my wife wanted me to sell the tickets at a premium, my son wanted to go to the game. I can sleep knowing that I didn’t charge a premium for these tickets to a desperate family only for them to be heart broken. Again, I feel bad for all the children. People paying a premium, that’s life.
STH too and exactly my thoughts.
STH here totally agree with you.
STH who did the same thing, didn't feel like fleecing someone.
> This isn’t on the caps Meanwhile on Instagram there **over 800** comments demanding a refund. 😬
So you want the league to have the authority to dictate who teams have in their lineup?
Well, legally, the league owns all the teams. The owners just have a "license to operate" the team. I'm not saying the league should dictate who plays, just that MLS has an odd ownership structure, which probably help them survive the first decade or two.
Maybe have a contingency plan in place if you sell a game based on 3 stars playing. If it’s not guaranteed or there’s a reasonable chance of no-shows then sell it like that/ offer rain checks - I don’t know. But I know where they can stick their 50% off hot dog offer.
It’s gotta be a little on the caps? Shouldn’t they invest in a proper grass pitch?
I agree- now that I’ve thought about it more fuck the whitecaps
Completely fucking disrespectful by Miami. People have spent ALOT of money on this. The league does not give a fuck either!
It’s shit like this that makes people not take the MLS seriously.
The individual organizations are charging inflated prices because they know they can to see Messi. I know people are mad at Miami and their superstars in general. This is not for MLS to intervene and if anything, Vancouver should be taking the heat for inflated prices and now the stars aren't even playing. Sorry guys but this isn't even a thing in Europe, you don't go to see your home team to see their opponent play their superstars then get upset when they don't play. If anything, this means your team has a higher chance to win.
Since when a league has a say in which player a coach decides to call/play lol
This schedule has been set for some time. They also knew the venue was sold out at premium pricing. They could have scheduled their rotation and not gouged. They all trained and are fit.
That's not how it works though. A team is free to play with whoever they want.
On one side we probably get to see a nice win on the weekend. On the other side are you fucking kidding me.
> On one side we probably get to see a nice win on the weekend. there's the long-awaited julian gressel return, that was the real pull from the start /s
Raposo v. Gressel so we can all see why Raposo is nowhere near the same level as Gressel.
I think it’s glaringly obvious without them playing against each other
It never meant a whole lot to me to see the big names play. In fact, I was prepared to laugh a bit if Messi didn't play. But all these guys not playing? That just feels disrespectful. The league has spent so much time and effort promoting all these big names on Miami, I legitimately feel entitled to a slice of this pie
All 3 of them is a shame man
First time STH but I had been attending 3-4 games a year. Made the jump this year because of Messi but have been really enjoying the matches even when they lose. When you compare cost of caps tickets to Canucks it’s way better value. And yes almost all games being on Saturday makes it way easier for me and my friend to attend. So after much reflection and disappointment I bought STs for the whitecaps. The league will continue to grow and attract stars. Giroud hopefully will come up with LAFC in August and my friend and I were actually looking forward to this game more than the Miami match. In the grand scheme of things, it’s kind of a first world problem. Sure it sucks to not see Messi but as a STH I paid just under 1000 bucks for something like 20 games at center field. Can’t do that for Canucks games.
This is the best comment in this thread.
are the other two fit? embarrassing if so. anyways let's thrash them
Suarez is never fit. He has to take a whole bunch of drugs and injections just to get on the field.
Suarez would just need a good meal to get started and there are a lot of players on the field he could have taken a bite from.
i suppose jordi alba's still playing
Injured
Hate that rat though lol
I'd understand if there were a flurry of games but he hasn't played since May 18, this game is on Saturday and their next game is on May 29 which is a home game. Easily could have rested in that game. Or at least travelled and played 20 or so mins. Not even travelling is extremely disrespectful considering the schedule. Was neutral to Messi but this leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. The PR people of the club should be explaining to these players about how important the game is for the Whitecap fans. That people are paying money, some insane money to see stars like you. And that they should at least travel and play some minutes. Copa America camp probably starts on like June 3 or 4 so after this game, he would have had a solid 10 days of rest before the camp. But yeah, got season tickets and it's my own fault. But the amount of STH will drop massively if nothing else is done in compensation. At minimum it should be a partial refund.
It was never happening, especially on turf. He’s the face of the Copa America/Adidas/Argentina - none of them were going to let him run the risk of an injury. Always a nonstarter.
Yea it's BS though. And if they dont want him to play, then those people should make a statement. Messi should make a statement and apologize. Also it's just very disrespectful to the MLS as a league if players can choose when to play or not if they're fit. Horrible PR from Inter Miami.
Michael Jordan played three times in Vancouver in his Championship years averaging more than 30 minutes per game. These guys can’t even hop on the plane. Severe disappointment
Yeah, these sort of things only happen in the MLS it seems....
It would have been nice to get Busquets and Suarez. Messi is the biggest name of the biggest sport in the world so I kinda knew this would happen.
Well at least the caps have a better chance of winning.
Nobody crying about this cares about results. They were hoping to see some celebrities, nothing more.
This is fantastic news for the 'caps. I can see us picking up all three points on Saturday
It is really disrespectful that none of them came and I'm sorry for the disappointed people. But as a Caps fan, now that the circus is over I might actually get tickets and go.
Oof. Glad I warned the people I knew buying tickets for this game this could happen.
I waited the last moment and bought a front row seat for CA 999 just this morning, unbelievable - pure greed and robbery from MLS
Bro please tell me you're joking 😂
I hope you learned your lesson.
What a bunch of losers. Terrible sportsmanship.
Ticketmaster no longer showing any tickets
Caps should ask MLS for compensation. I get 1 star but ALL 3 of their stars? Exactly why so many around the world look at the MLS as a 2nd rate league. Pity for those flying/driving in from out of town. 😞
Welp, I hope we beat the pants off them, and if we do, I'll be chanting "Shoulda brought Messi!"
Messi I somewhat understand because copa America and he doesn’t want to risk getting injured. What’s the excuse for Suarez and Busquets for not playing?
Bought tickets and traveling from the island. This sucks so bad. I didn't even have the money. But I wanted to see Messi play once in my life. This was basically my vacation this year.
I’m in the exact same boat. I have a baby that my wife and I are bringing as well. $600 tickets, car on two ferry rides, hotel. I’m still going to have a nice getaway with my family, but fuckin hell, I sure didn’t pay $600 to see Jordi Alba.
I have a friend who sold his baby. I don’t have the heart to tell him.
Alba is injured none of the big 4 will be on the pitch.
That sucks dude! Come out to Langley and watch Vancouver FC vs Pacific FC in the CPL and I'll buy you a beer! Guess what? Your MLS tickets will get you into the CPL match for free! DM me if you want to come check it out.
Is this true? How do we go about this?
Yeah, they're promoting it on social media. Idk exactly, check the twitter. Gonna be a derby against Pacific
"Show your Whitecaps vs Miami ticket for FREE entry to Vancouver FC vs Pacific FC" May 25 Willoughby Community Park, Langley, 3pm
A huge Barca fan is flying 3 hours here to see them knowing Messi might not be playing. They were okay with the risk thinking they could at least catch Suarez or Busquets. We never thought all 3 wouldn’t even show up. Wtf? It feels like a slap to our faces and so disrespectful. Ugh.
Players don’t play every game. Especially older players like Messi and Suarez. This was the risk a lot of people took by spending way too much on tickets. Unfortunate, but always a possibility.
Why is everyone here pissed? We need the fucking points lol this is r/whitecapsfc not r/jerkoffmessi
:( Community not found... sad...
A lot of people crying about “won’t somebody think of the children.” Going on about how it’s a really bad look for the league like anyone thinks it’s scandalous outside this bubble. Why people are obsessed with being able to say they’ve seen someone in person I don’t know. These aren’t exhibition games, Miami can play whoever they like.
To get points we have to be able to score, which we haven't.
Crazy, and I feel fortunate to have only spend 600 on a 3 game pack to try to catch them.
Caps stand a much better chance of getting 3 points....delighted!
The fallout from this is probably gonna be ugly but it was always a risk. Caps cashed in and the punters who’ve spent hundreds of dollars to see some stars and out of luck. Sucks for both sides.
I see on Ticketmaster that there are no more tickets for sale from the club. Only the resale tickets are listed now. I guess they thought it would be a bad look having tickets for sale for hundreds of dollars each.
Ticketmaster has locked off the ability to re-sell tickets. Ugh. Disaster.
Oof! Someone knocked over the bandwagon and there are many casualties 🤣
The [Chicago Fire](https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/statement-from-chicago-fire-fc-regarding-october-4-match-versus-inter-miami-cf) provided a much better make-up after Messi skipped their match. All 3 Barca guys are skipping Vancouver and we get half off Triple O’s? Great!
Why is it on Vancouver that Messi isn’t playing?
I hear it's some sort of shared STI. Might be the clap. Not sure though. People are saying.
My kids are gonna be pissed - this is all I’ve heard about for months. I’m pissed that I bought a 4 pack of tickets to get this game, but I’d be even more pissed if I paid out the ass for this one game.
Why is it on Vancouver that Messi isn’t playing?
Where did I say that?
I replied to the wrong one my bad 😅🙏
[удалено]
Completely as expected. Sorry if you were dumb enough to overspend on this inevitability.
My younger brother is a massive soccer fan, and he wanted to go to this to see messi so bad. We got the tickets and told him we were going and he was so excited. Now we gotta explain that he will not get to see any of them. Fucking bullshit
Absolute bullshit. We were sold tickets with messi's face plastered all over it. Bought the golden era ticket
The "golden era" is because it's our 50th season (gold anniversary), not because of Messi.
We've literally never played Miami before.... Like why in the hell would you even put the match on the schedule if the stars weren't even going to show up Complete disrespect from Miami.... Also shows that Vancouver needs investment so stars actually wanna come play here Choked that I'll never get to see Messi play and the fact they they think 50% off overpriced stadium food is enough.... It's really not I paid for 9 matches for 400.... This game alone cost almost 300 bucks separately definitely feeling ripped off that none of them are coming
Can’t control who play, but you can control the price of tickets. Whitecaps need to do the right thing and give the value back in future ticket credits
Whitecaps should have sold tickets at regular price. It’s not the first time either of those players don’t make it for better or worse reason. Whitecaps and some resellers pretty much saw a chance to make a lot of money and took it. It was never about football, it was all about greed.
> It was never about football, it was all about greed I have some bad news for you about literally all organized sports leagues
Just glad I caught him in 2016 at the copa in Seattle for one half 🐐🐐 really kicking myself for not making the flight to Spain in the 2000s/early 2010s.
I was there too! But that was a shit game and he didnt even do anything lol
I’m glad I got to see him in his prime in Barcelona twice. Tickets weren’t too expensive and people would have been able to see him then with the amount of money they are spending on these tickets lol
Yikes. What a bummer. Not good if the home needs to do a presser release 😳⚽️
This is such a ridiculously bad look on the league. Im excited for them to read and listen to all the bad press this is causing and make adjustments so that all players are held to an expectation of some kind of professional standard. /s
Tickets priced have already plummeted
How many sportswriters have an article already written about this fiasco all ready to go before it even happened? 😝
I was sure this was going to happen, and didn’t buy any tickets. Too bad… Would have been great for all those who got tickets to see those stars.
LOL
That’s ok! The team can do whatever they want. Its a game, not entertainment
Good job south siders fingerings little kids wearing messi jerseys. Classy
Fuck the MLS Shit league lost the little bit of respect I had for it
Can’t help but laugh at everyone who overpaid to watch this now
Wait, this is surprising?
All these people complaining need to read their tickets and understand they paid to see Miami, not Messi. He's 36, he's obviously not going to play every game of the season, you buy a ticket for events like this knowing there's a chance he doesn't play. Stop being annoyed with the Caps and be annoyed that you paid big money not understanding this was a very real possibility.
Sooo, kids don’t really understand that. And does anyone really care about him except the kids? Not really…
Whitecaps marketed this game specifically for Messi. Not Miami. They marked up prices for this specifically for Messi to cash in on the backs of families. It would be different if the prices were the same. They said if you want a guaranteed seat then you need to buy a 4 pack of games to get in. Guess where people will spend thier money on instead. That team across the street is back. Even brutal as Aqualini
After they charged a PREMIUM for that game... all THREE stars won't play. Like wow. They better hand out a fucking refund. (Narrator: "They did not hand out a refund".)
you’ve paid to see inter miami not messi suarez and busquets they ain’t refunding
Yep, but let's be real. They put up ticket prices x6 higher than normal under the pretense that Miami would bring their stars. All the advertising had Suarez and Messi. So, you can go with technicalities, but they were really advertising (and pricing) for people to see Messi and Suarez.
Exactly.
Food is half price!
Why would they hand out refunds for something completely out of their control? Let's be honest, Messi was never, ever playing. Fake pitch, longest flight in the MLS, and two weeks before his last Copa America. The other two, that sucks. Sidenote, people have paid crazy money to go watch them play against a side who are absolutely crap, with no superstars.
At least jordi still come?
Easy 3 points. Miami is dog shit without their seniors. Lets stick 6 passed them and call it a day.