English Premier League club Crystal Palace FC descend upon BC Place on Tuesday night for an international friendly vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7 p.m. PT – tickets still available).
Here are five players who made the trip that you’ll want to keep an eye on.
10. Yannick Bolasie (winger) - pictured
This is the player I’ll be watching closest.
Those who follow the Premiership know Yannick Bolasie as one of the trickiest and most skilled players in the league. As the Daily Mail put it: “In virtually every match Bolasie plays, he produces tricks that defy belief in real-time and are hard to fathom even with the benefit of a few replays.”
Don’t believe it? Check out this move he pulled off against Tottenham Hotspur back in 2014.
It was so good that EA Sports decided to include the move, now known as “The Bolasie Flick,” in FIFA 16 along with other moves from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
11. Wilfried Zaha (winger)
Another exciting winger, Wilfried Zaha joined the Crystal Palace academy at the age of 12 after emigrating from Ivory Coast to London with his family (and eight siblings) at the age of four.
Zaha eventually broke into the first team, and then after a short spell with Manchester United, returned to the London outfit, where he has now appeared in over 200 matches. The 23-year-old, who has two caps with the English national team, was voted as Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year last season.
He limped off the field with an injury after scoring a goal on Saturday against FC Cincinnati (see highlight below), but Palace head coach Alan Pardew suggested it wasn't serious.
17. Andros Townsend (winger)
Yes, another winger.
Crystal Palace acquired Andros Townsend this offseason in a £13m deal from Newcastle United. The former Tottenham Hotspur man, who has 11 caps with the English national team, made his Palace debut last week and is expected to play a big part in their 2016/17 campaign.
15. Mile Jedinak (midfielder)
OK, no more wingers.
Defensive midfielder Mile Jedinak captains both Crystal Palace and the Australian national team. He has played in two FIFA World Cups, including 2014 when he scored against the Netherlands.
6. Scott Dann (centre back)
Time to give the defenders some love.
The anchor of Crystal Palace’s back line is centre back Scott Dann. The 6-foot-5 Englishman was the Premiership’s top goalscoring defender last year with five goals and was voted by his teammates as the inaugural Crystal Palace Players’ Player of the Year.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.