Whitecaps introduce new coach
Marc Dos Santos tabbed to replace Robinson, comes to Vancouver from Los Angeles FC
VANCOUER — A bright red line will soon go on display in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ locker room, marking a shift in culture under the club’s new head coach.
The Whitecaps announced Wednesday that Marc Dos Santos has been appointed to lead the team through 2021.
The 41-year-old Montreal native has spent 12 years coaching professional soccer, most recently as an assistant for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
In each coaching role, Dos Santos has drawn a red line on a board to mark the split between teams bound for the post-season and those that are not, then posted the board in the dressing room before the season kicks off.
“The first thing that’s going to be clear with players is that we have to be above that line every day,” Dos Santos said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Whitecaps finished the season with a 13-13-8 record, two spots out of a playoff position.
Some players and the team’s general manager have said a “divided” locker room caused problems on the field, and that the issue grew after the organization fired coach Carl Robinson and his staff in late September.
The team’s captain, Kendall Waston, also announced that he wants to leave Vancouver and has asked his agent to find him a new place to play.
“There were things that happened in the past locker room that were very good, others that were not so good. I’m here to try and change it and try to bring it to another level,” Dos Santos said.
Creating a new culture and identity isn’t easy, he added.
“It’s not a Power Point presentation to the players or a motivational speaker or Harry Potter with a wand and now we have culture. That’s done in the day-to-day, every day.”
Despite the challenges ahead, Dos Santos said he’s looking forward to his new role with the Whitecaps.
“We all share the same vision and the same passion, that is to grow this club into a championship team. That’s in my DNA. It’s a dream for me to be in a club and right away be thinking ‘How can we win titles?’ . . . I just want to start working,” he said.