LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Vegas, baby!
Vancouver Whitecaps FC continue their preseason schedule on Saturday night against expansion United Soccer League side Las Vegas Lights FC. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. PT at Cashman Field and the match will be streamed live on the Las Vegas Lights FC YouTube channel.
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This will be Vancouver’s fourth preseason match of 2018.
The ‘Caps posted a 2W-1L-0D record in the Hawaii leg of their training camp, defeating Japanese sides Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Iwaki FC.
“Some of the guys were surprised at how energetic the teams were,” Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said this week. “They’re a lot fitter than us at the moment. They press the ball very quickly. We could have gone to Arizona and played MLS teams trying to ramp up their fitness as well, but I wanted to play against fully fit teams, so we need to work harder, think quicker, and make wrong decisions. Obviously we didn’t win the final game, we lost on a set piece. That happens, but there were lots of positives.”
The ‘Caps sent 20 players to Vegas for Saturday's match, while the rest of the squad travelled directly to Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s friendly vs. MLS expansion club LAFC.
Two players from Vancouver's USL affiliate, Fresno FC, will also join the club in Los Angeles as camp invitees: Colombian-born midfielder Danny Barrera and Argentine winger Juan Pablo Caffa. Of note, Yohan Mollo (formerly of Fulham FC) and Mark Bloom (formerly of Atlanta United FC) are no longer with the team in camp.
See the travelling rosters below.
LAS VEGAS
Myer Bevan, Chance Carter #, Simon Colyn #, Alphonso Davies, Marcel de Jong, David Edgar, Sean Franklin, Thomas Hasal #, Isaiah Hudson, Efrain Juarez, Kei Kamara, Stefan Marinovic, Nicolas Mezquida, David Norman Jr., Tim Parker, Jake Ruby #, Lucas Stauffer^, Cristian Techera, Russell Teibert, Kendall Waston
LOS ANGELES
Danny Barrera, Anthony Blondell, Juan Pablo Caffa, Justin Fiddes^, Aly Ghazal, Doneil Henry, Erik Hurtado, Bernie Ibini, Brandon Kerr, Brett Levis, Aaron Maund, Jake Nerwinski, Yordy Reyna, Brian Rowe, Brek Shea, Tony Tchani
* Training camp invitee
^ Unsigned SuperDraft selection
# Whitecaps FC Residency player
ABOUT LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC
This is Vegas’ inaugural season in the USL. They are led by former Chivas USA head coach José Luis Sanchéz Solá, better known as Chelís. The Mexican manager has brought a number of Liga MX veterans into the squad, including Marcelo Alatorre, Joel Huiqui, and Gerardo Lugo.
Former MLSer Freddy Adu is also currently with Vegas on trial.
Lights FC opened the preseason with a 2-0 defeat to Montreal Impact last weekend in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,387 at Cashman Field.
