New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Sam Stejskal

New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2017 MLS Regular Season
Red Bull Arena – Harrison, N.J.
Saturday, Oct. 7 – 5 pm ET
WATCH: UniMas, Facebook.com (USA) | TSN1 (Canada)

Two teams moving in opposite directions in the standings will meet on Saturday at Red Bull Arena as part of the shortened Week 31 slate, as slumping New York will host streaking Vancouver in a match thick with playoff implications in both conferences.

New York enter Saturday’s affair on an eight-game winless run. They’re still in relatively comfortable sixth position in the Eastern Conference standings with a four-point lead and a game in hand on four different teams, but a loss on Saturday would seriously turn up the heat on Jesse Marsch and Co.

Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, they’re set to face perhaps the hottest team in all of MLS. Vancouver are 5-1-1 in their last seven matches and 9-3-3 since July 5. Their remarkable surge has taken them to the top of the Western Conference table, four points ahead of Portland, Sporting KC and Seattle. A win on Saturday would ensure at least the West’s No. 2 seed for Carl Robinson and the ‘Caps. While Vancouver are in fantastic form, they will be missing several key players due to international duty on Saturday, including captain Kendall Waston and star attacker Yordy Reyna.

New York Red Bulls

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M Sacha Kljestan, D Kemar Lawrence, F Bradley Wright-Phillips, D Sal Zizzo
International Duty: D Fidel Escobar (PAN), F Derrick Etienne (HAI), D Michael Murillo (PAN)
Injury Report: OUT – D Gideon Baah (broken leg – out for season), M Mike Grella (knee surgery – out for season), D Aurelien Collin (plantar fasciitis)

Projected Starting XI
(3-5-2, left to right)
GK: Luis Robles – Kemar Lawrence, Aaron Long, Sal Zizzo – Connor Lade, Daniel Royer, Sacha Kljestan, Felipe, Tyler Adams – Gonzalo Veron, Bradley Wright-Phillips

Notes: New York’s current eight-game winless streak matches the third-longest in the club’s 22-year history and is their longest since the club-record 13-game winless streak in 2009 … Gonzalo Veron scored in New York’s loss at Toronto last week, his third straight game with a goal. The Argentine now has four goals over his last seven games.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M Tony Tchani
International Duty: M Christian Bolaños (CRC), GK Stefan Marinovic (NZL), M Yordy Reyna (PER), D Kendall Waston (CRC)
Injury Report: OUT – D David Edgar (PCL, MCL tear – out for season), M Matias Laba (ACL tear – out for season)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, left to right)
GK: David Ousted – Jordan Harvey, Tim Parker, Aaron Maund, Sheanon Williams – Tony Tchani, Aly Ghazal – Brek Shea, Nicolas Mezquida, Bernie Ibini-Isei – Fredy Montero

Notes: The Whitecaps’ 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City last week clinched their spot in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs. Vancouver, who are returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence, were the first Western Conference team to secure a postseason berth … Vancouver have won the last two MLS meetings between the teams at Red Bull Arena, and tied 1-1 at New York in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League earlier this year.