VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs TORONTO FC
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
March 7, 2015 (WEEK 1, MLS Game #3)
3 p.m. PT (TSN1/3/4; RDS2)
An all-Canadian rivalry again kicks off the season as Vancouver Whitecaps FC take on Toronto FC in the season opener for both clubs on Saturday afternoon at BC Place. Whitecaps FC made their second appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs a year ago, in their first season with Carl Robinson in charge. TFC are still looking for their first postseason trip in club history, with Greg Vanney in charge from the start of the campaign for the first time. The two teams have met three times in the last four years in the Canadian Championship, with TFC getting the measure of the series each time.
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Marco Arruda; 4th: Baboucarr Jallow
MLS Career: 45 games; FC/gm: 22.8; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 16; pens: 11
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (MLS) (5 meetings): Whitecaps FC 2 wins, 8 goals … Toronto FC 2 wins, 7 goals … Ties 1
AT VANCOUVER (2 meetings): Whitecaps FC 2 wins, 5 goals … Toronto FC 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 0
LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/16: TOR 1, VAN 1 (Defoe 64 – Mattocks 50)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The teams have evenly split their all-time league series, with two wins apiece (and one draw) since 2011. The clubs reached a 1-1 result last July 16 in their only meeting, at BMO Field; the road team has never won in the series.
- The teams have met three times over the last four years (2011, 2012, 2014) in the Canadian Championship, Toronto FC winning the aggregate series on each occasion. Twice (2011 and 2012) they met for the Voyageurs’ Cup in the final. In each instance, the teams played to a first-leg draw in Vancouver, then Toronto won the second leg at home.
- Coaches record: Greg Vanney vs. VAN: first game … Carl Robinson vs. TOR: P1 W0 L0 D1
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC come off a season when they made a second trip to the MLS Cup Playoffs in their four-year MLS existence, again reaching the Knockout Round following a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference. Carl Robinson returns for his second season in charge, after his club recorded a Vancouver-record 50 points last season.
TEAM NEWS
- Whitecaps FC claimed the title of the Simple Invitational in Portland, Ore., playing to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire in the tournament finale.
- Here’s the Whitecaps FC team: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Pa-Modou Kah, Jordan Harvey (Sam Adekugbe 63'); Matias Laba, Russell Teibert (Gershon Koffie 63'); Nicolas Mezquida (Darren Mattocks 63'), Pedro Morales, Kekuta Manneh; Octavio Rivero
- Defender Pa Modou Kah scored his second goal in as many games for the ‘Caps, who had 10 different players net goals during the preseason. Octavio Rivero led the club with three goals in the preseason.
- Attacking sparkplug Mauro Rosales missed the preseason finale with a knock, as did striker Erik Hurtado.
- Whitecaps FC defeated Stabaek IF of Norway and the host Portland Timbers in their first two matches in the event. Vancouver concluded the preseason with a 4-2-2 record in eight preparatory matches.
- Darren Mattocks scored a pair of goals in the 3-2 win against Stabaek, then came on as a substitute in the match against Chicago to conclude the tournament.
- “I’ve got some good decisions to make. That’s good, because I didn’t have them last year. But I’ve got them this year,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. “ … It was just a different look. Flipping Kekuta [Manneh] from the left to the right, putting Darren on and using Octavio as the focal point. It looked excellent for half an hour. It’s an exciting option for me.”
TRANSACTIONS IN: MF Marco Bustos (Homegrown); FW Octavio Rivero (transfer from O'Higgins FC); DF Diego Rodriguez (loan from Juventud de las Piedras); DF Pa Modou Kah (free); MF Ben McKendry (Homegrown); MF Deybi Flores (loan from Motagua)
TRANSACTIONS OUT: DF Jay DeMerit (retired); DF Carlyle Mitchell (out of contract); MF Bryce Alderson (option declined); FW Omar Salgado (traded to NYCFC); FW Mamadou Diouf (option declined); MF Sebastian Fernandez (option declined); DF Johnny Leveron (option declined); MF Mehdi Ballouchy (Expansion Draft to NYCFC); DF Andy O'Brien (out of contract)
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC begin their quest for a first-ever berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs once again, still to reach the postseason in the eight-year history of the club. TFC finished in seventh place in the Eastern Conference a year ago with 41 points, concluding the year under Greg Vanney, who returns as the club’s head coach from the start of the season.
TEAM NEWS
- Toronto FC concluded their preseason with a 2-1 win against a Costa Rican U-23 national selection at the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla., on Saturday.
- Here’s the TFC team: Joe Bendik; Warren Creavalle (Jackson 76’), Damien Perquis, Steven Caldwell (Eriq Zavaleta 76’), Justin Morrow (Ashtone Morgan 70’); Michael Bradley, Benoît Cheyrou (Collen Warner 35’), Jonathan Osorio, Robbie Findley (Luke Moore 76’), Sebastian Giovinco (Jay Chapman 85’); Jozy Altidore
- New signing Sebastian Giovinco scored his first goal with the club in the win, then set up US international Jozy Altidore’s game winner.
- “We tried to put [Sebastian] in a position where he can try to play his own game,” said Altidore. “I thought today was great, we all connected with him well and I connected with him well.”
- There were a couple of injury scares out of the preseason finale, as both Benoît Cheyrou and Justin Morrow were forced from the field early after suffering knocks. But both players returned to full training ahead of the MLS season opener.
- TFC concluded the Bradenton event with two wins and two draws in four matches. They suffered a 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in their only match against MLS competition. They defeated Danish side HB Koge, while losing to USL side Oklahoma City Energy FC.
- “I think we have a clear indication of where we’re headed and what we’re doing. I still think our relationships on the field are going to be developing for a while,” said TFC head coach Greg Vanney. “We don’t have to be at Z today, but we have to be moving towards Z by the key moments of the season. I think who we are as a team is evolving day by day.”
TRANSACTIONS IN: MF Marco Delgado (Dispersal Draft); MF Daniel Lovitz (trade from NYCFC); FW Robbie Findley (Re-Entry Stage 1 Draft); MF Jay Chapman (Homegrown); GK Alex Bono (SuperDraft); FW Jozy Altidore (transfer from Sunderland); FW Sebastian Giovinco (free); DF Damien Perquis (free); DF Eriq Zavaleta (traded from Seattle); MF Benoit Cheyrou (free)
TRANSACTIONS OUT: FW Dwayne De Rosario (option declined); DF Doneil Henry (loan expired); DF Bradley Orr (loan expired); DF Ryan Richter (option declined); FW Andrew Wiedeman (option declined); MF Daniel Lovitz (Expansion Draft to NYCFC); MF Jeremy Hall (traded to New England); FW Jermain Defoe (transfer to Sunderland); MF Kyle Bekker (traded to Dallas); FW Dominic Oduro (traded to Montreal); FW Gilberto (loaned to Vasco da Gama)
