Union, Whitecaps have deep ties despite distance between them

VANCOUVER, B.C. - There are all kinds of reasons to assume the Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps have little that link them together.

Not only are the two clubs separated by nearly 2,400 miles, but their cultures could not be more different. The Whitecaps are a core piece of this city's sports scene, firmly entrenched in the heart of downtown at BC Place. Indeed, professional soccer has been part of Vancouver's soul for decades, going back to the old NASL-era Whitecaps in the 1970s.

Philadelphia, meanwhile... well, you know by now.

Yet the clubs have much in common. First and foremost is a commitment to youth development. The Whitecaps have been doing it for longer, obviously - indeed, their academy was one of North America's strongest long before the organization joined Major League Soccer. The Union's push in that direction is more recent, but it will be no small thing if Whitecaps midfielder Alphonso Davies tangles with Derrick Jones on Sunday night (9:30 p.m., TCN).

Union manager Jim Curtin calls Whitecaps counterpart Carl Robinson "an example for a lot of coaches in our league who talk about playing young players, but never actually do. He has the courage to do it."

Curtin counts Robinson as a good friend, and has since their playing days in MLS. When Curtin was with the Chicago Fire, his team played at Robinson's Toronto FC in the Canadian club's inaugural season. It was the game when Danny Dichio scored TFC's first goal in MLS.

Watch the play and you'll see Curtin chase after a player he now coaches: Maurice Edu. You'll also see Robinson start the buildup with a pass to Marvell Wynne.

"I remember him as a player, how competitive he was on the field," Curtin said of Robinson. "A real competitor, a great passer, a really good midfielder that could control the tempo of a game."

Their kinship has fostered good relations between the organizations, as proven by the many trades we've seen between them over the years. Although the ledger isn't evenly balanced, each side has benefited in ways that mattered in the moment.

"I wouldn't have a problem doing a deal with Jim, because he's a good person," Robinson said. "He tells the truth. And in football circles, if you don't tell the truth and you get found out - or you feel that someone's pulled one over on you - you won't do business again."

Each man has had ups and downs as coaches, from playoff and cup runs to losing streaks that have prompted calls for their heads. They are savvy enough to know when to take the blame, even when they sometimes shouldn't. And they are both well-regarded as coaches that players want to fight for.

"He's a great young coach that gets the most out of his players, and you can tell his players love him," Curtin said of Robinson. "That's the ultimate respect you can get as a coach, to have your players talk about you as a guy they love playing for."

"I've got the utmost respect for Jim as a person, first of all, but also for his coaching," Robinson said of Curtin. "I think Jim's an excellent tactician, I think he's a real smart coach, and he's been given the opportunity to progress in Philly."

Both men are relatively young: Robinson is 40 and Curtin is 37. They are are self-aware enough to admit that they are not finished products, and that their success as players means nothing for their potential as coaches.

"What makes you a successful coach is if you're willing to put in the hard work and the hours, and are willing to learn," Robinson said. "He is, I am, and there's a number of coaches in the league that are."

Of that group, more than a few are former MLS players. MLS' reputation as a work-ethic league is often cause for derision. But it has produced a number of students of the game who have proven they have managerial chops.

They might not dominate the league the way they used to. Patrick Vieira at New York City and former Argentina manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino at Atlanta United have changed that dynamic in a significant way. But there is still a place for the deep understanding of MLS' intricacies that comes from having played in the league.

"We all are grateful for the opportunities that we've gotten in this league," Curtin said. "I think there is a bond, almost a fraternity of guys who were thinking of what was next while they were playing... A lot of us were preparing for our coaching careers early on as players."

There's one more tie that binds the Whitecaps and Union, and it's the one that Union fans probably know best. Four former Union players have gone on to play in Vancouver, including three who are currently there: midfielder Andrew Jacobson and defenders Jordan Harvey and Sheanon Williams. The first two of those were Union originals, and the third was signed from the USL in the inaugural season.

(The fourth, of course, is Sébastien Le Toux.)

Sometimes it feels like eons since Harvey was around, as so much has happened since then to those players, their teams and MLS as a whole.

But at other times, it feels like yesterday. Could it really have been six years between the last time Harvey and Williams patrolled the Union's back line together, and the first time they did so with the Whitecaps?

Yes, it really could. Vancouver's CONCACAF Champions League game at the New York Red Bulls on February 22 was the first game since July 2, 2011 in which Harvey and Williams were on the same side of the field.

The chemistry they built in 24 shared games in blue and gold came back instantly.

"We picked up right where we left off," Harvey said. "It feels like it's flown by. The six years, if you kind of go back year by year, obviously it's a long time, but when you talk about those Philly days, it feels like it was yesterday."

Harvey still keeps in touch with teammates from back then. And though he's been in Vancouver ever since the Union traded him here, his time in in Chester still resonates.

"I always thought he was our best left back that we had on the team," Williams said.

The subject may have come up again since Williams reunited with Harvey and Jacobson.

(It certainly has come up for Union fans who've long lamented the team's lack of quality at that position.)

"We talk about some old war stories from back in the day," Williams said. "They are guys that are going to look out for me and show me the ropes as quickly as possible, get me acclimated to Vancouver, and that's what you need when you're moving to a new city and a new country."

Those relationships have already paid dividends. Williams' Whitecaps debut came February 22, as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the Champions League series against New York. His efforts helped lock down a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena.

"It was a no-brainer for me bringing [Williams] in," Robinson said. "I remember Sheanon when he was on trial at the New York Red Bulls and I was a player at the Red Bulls at the time. I thought the boy had got great talent, but he got offered a contract from Philadelphia, which is a credit to them, because they were willing to take a chance on him."

A few years later, the Union took another chance by promoting Curtin to head coach when John Hackworth was fired. That move came a year after Robinson got the Whitecaps' head job in a similar manner, earning a promotion when his former boss Martin Rennie was dismissed.

On Sunday, Robinson will be reunited with Curtin - and Harvey, Williams and Jacobson will be reunited with their old team. They will be part of new era for both clubs, from Davies and Jones to foreign stars Fredy Montero and Haris Medunjanin.

But MLS is a league with a history now, not just a present. The men featured here have all played roles in helping to write that history. And to their great credit, they have not forgotten it.

The Twitter handle above is for my general news reporting. My soccer handle is @thegoalkeeper. Contact me there for any questions about this post.