If you are a Vancouver Whitecaps fan or a fan of Major League Soccer, the move of Maxime Crépeau to Los Angeles FC is a surprise to say the least.
The reported details of the trade have Crépeau moving to LAFC with Vancouver receiving $1 million dollars in allocation money.
Adding to this, per source: Max Crepeau conveyed a desire to be traded out of Vancouver for family reasons. Did not show up for preseason for that reason.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 20, 2022
Whitecaps get around $1m GAM for the Canadian int’l from LAFC. https://t.co/9iW5R4VJ2R
Crépeau had a solid 2021 season with the Whitecaps appearing in 27 games with six clean sheets, helping Vancouver get into the MLS postseason for the first time since 2017.
Crépeau has also been a staple with the Canadian National Team attempting to earn its first World Cup birth since their only appearance in 1986. In the final stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, Crépeau has earned two caps: starring at Mexico in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw at the Estadio Azteca, and helping Canada to a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.
The Whitecaps will have big shoes to fill as Maxime had his best and most productive MLS season yet. It’s a shame his last game was a hard-fought playoff loss (a 3-1 scoreline) to Sporting Kansas City in 2021.
Whitecaps’ head coach Vanni Sartini has gone on record saying goalkeeper No. 2 Thomas Hasal would be the starter for the 2022 season.
With Crepeau making an exit, it looks like Thomas Hasal will get the chance to prove he can be a #1 goalkeeper in @MLS.
— Northern Tribune (@northtribune) January 20, 2022
It's something Vanni has backed him on before.
h/t @ThomasNef https://t.co/7OgMShxtpt#VWFC #LAFC
Crépeau will be going to a nice situation in Los Angeles. The club boasts great talent and is considered a legitimate MLS title contender.
The 2021 campaign was a disappointment for LAFC as they missed the playoffs and finished in ninth place in the MLS Western Conference, but the club still has Mexico international Carlos Vela as well as centre forward Cristian Arango of Columbia. In addition, 21-year-old Brian Rodríguez will be returning to Los Angeles after a loan spell with UD Almería of La Liga 2 in Spain.
Crépeau won’t be joining a club that’s rebuilding. Instead, LAFC is in more of a retooling stage after the team burst onto the MLS scene in 2018 and made back-to-back postseason appearances in the franchise’s first two seasons. As Crépeau was one of the best keepers in the MLS last season, we can expect LAFC to make a determined playoff push in 2022.