Whitecaps ready to battle Canadian rival
Posted May 13, 2016 9:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, ON (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to face Toronto FC at the newly renovated BMO Field on Saturday afternoon. It is Vancouver’s third game in eight days.
Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted will not use the hectic schedule as an excuse. “There are going to be tired legs, but now we have to show that we have depth and character,” “We need to go and put on a good defensive performance but also take to the game to them.”
The ‘Caps are coming off a 2-1 midweek win over Chicago that saw striker Masato Kudo suffer a fractured jaw in a nasty collision with Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson.
There is no timetable for Kudo’s return, but he certainly won’t be in the lineup for a while. And neither will fellow striker Octavio Rivero (left ankle sprain), or the suspended Kendall Waston (yellow card accumulation).
This match will be a bit of a homecoming for a few involved with the Vancouver club. Head coach Carl Robinson and midfielder Matias Laba formerly played for Toronto FC, while Fraser Aird and Russell Teibert grew up in Ontario. Aird was a Toronto FC season ticket holder growing up. This will be his first professional match in his home province.
Vancouver and Toronto have battled six times in Major League Soccer play. TFC has the edge with a 3-2-1 record, including a 3-1 win at BC Place in their lone meeting last season. The ‘Caps remain winless at BMO Field – aside from a 1-0 win in the 2008 Canadian Championship.
Kick-off is at 4:30.
