Instead of soccer, the Whitecaps played Connect 4 against their opponent this weekend
COVID-19 has brought professional sports to a halt in North America, but that didn’t stop the Vancouver Whitecaps from competing this weekend.
At a social distance, of course.
The Whitecaps, who were supposed to play the Colorado Rapids Saturday at BC Place, instead challenged their opponent to a game of Connect 4.
Hey, @ColoradoRapids, still up for a βgameβ today?
#VANvCOL. Connect 4. 4pm.You in?
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
The teams’ official Twitter accounts played the popular children’s game using emojis, making the best of a bad situation.
It began with the announcement of the Whitecaps’ starting formation…
STARTING FORMATION #VANvCOL
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
Followed by both the US and Canadian anthems, with O Canada sung by Marie Hui.
Please turn up your volume, remove your hats and join us for the playing of the πΊπΈ anthem.#VANvCOL | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/cdTTNkKxat
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
Please join @mariehui for the singing of our national anthem π¨π¦#VANvCOL | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/af7WnzvCzC
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
As you might have guessed, it was a back-and-forth match, with both teams trading chances.
As the home team, we'll go first..
Your move, @ColoradoRapids β¬οΈ #VANvCOL
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺβͺ— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅π΄βͺβͺ#VANvCOL— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅π΄βͺβͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΄π΅π΄βͺβͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺπ΅π΄βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΄π΅π΄βͺβͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺπ΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΅π΄βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺπ΄π΄π΅π΄βͺβͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅βͺπ΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΅π΄βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺπ΄π΄π΅π΄π΄βͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΄βͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΅π΅βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΅π΄βͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺπ΄π΄π΅π΄π΄βͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
βͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΄βͺβͺβͺβͺ
βͺβͺπ΅π΅π΅βͺβͺ
βͺπ΅π΅π΅π΄βͺβͺ
βͺπ΄π΅π΄π΅βͺβͺ
βͺπ΄π΄π΅π΄π΄βͺ#VANvCOL | #VWFC— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
And the winner is…
FT https://t.co/xUDd8j0wmT pic.twitter.com/AMMAldlgzD
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 14, 2020
The Whitecaps defeated the Rapids, exposing their back line to diagonally connect four blue dots to win the match, which took 39 minutes to complete.
And their supporters? Well, they were loving it:
WHITE CAPS FC
ππππ
HOW WE LOVE THEE
ππππ
WWE STAND AND SING
ππππ
FOR VICTORY
ππππ
— Andrew Delbaere (@adelbaere) March 14, 2020
Did anybody mention how we played through the middle and got chance after chance? Brilliant tactics!
— Walter Siu (@waterboy99troop) March 15, 2020
VICTORY pic.twitter.com/fMzwpJ3joY
— Couch Ultras π (@CouchUltras) March 14, 2020
Wooohoooooo! Is there a post game show? Don't hear anything on the radio
— π£ππΆ ππ΅π½πΆπͺπ· (@Proggie01) March 15, 2020
I am finally emotionally invested with this team… go whitecaps!!!!! So proud πππ
— Bryan Guevara (@BE_Guevara10) March 15, 2020
GET IN BOYS
— Liam Lynch (@LiamLynch42) March 14, 2020
Wow, two wins in a row! Incredible performance, thoroughly deserved three points #VWFC
— Jake McGrail (@TheJakeMcGrail) March 14, 2020
For a full post-match report, check out Whitecaps blog AFTN, which covered it in full (seriously).
Our #VANvCOL Report and Reaction: @WhitecapsFC's exciting four play leads to tremendous Rapids climax
Some great connection from #VWFC yesterday as they made it back to back wins, ending @ColoradoRapids' unbeaten start to the year – https://t.co/7IApzEfyK8 – #rapids96 #MLS
— AFTN (@aftncanada) March 15, 2020