Onto the next one.
After a tough 4-0 defeat at the hands of Chicago Fire, things won't get any easier for Vancouver Whitecaps FC when they host high-flying New York City FC on Wednesday night at BC Place (7 p.m. PT on TSN - tickets still available). Here are five things you need to know about the match.
1. This is Vancouver’s final match before MLS breaks for the group stage of the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, which begins on Friday. The ‘Caps will also officially hit the midway point of the 2017 MLS regular season on Wednesday after going 6W-7L-3D in their first 16 matches.
2. After suffering a broken foot in the preseason, Peruvian attacking midfielder Yordy Reyna made his MLS debut as a second-half sub on Saturday against Chicago. It’s unlikely he’s ready to start just yet, but there’s a good chance we see him make his home debut at some point on Wednesday. Here's more on Reyna from last week.
3. NYCFC enter Wednesday’s match as one of the hottest teams in MLS. A win against the ‘Caps would extend their winning streak to a club-record five matches. The third-year MLS side are a perfect 2W-0L-0D against Vancouver in their previous two meetings.
4. A big reason for New York’s success is the production of striker David Villa, who is third in the MLS Golden Boot race with 11 goals on the season. Not only is Villa the reigning MLS MVP, he’s also Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer – both overall and in World Cup play. The former Valencia, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona marksman has three goals in two previous meetings with Vancouver.
5. In addition to their four Gold Cup call-ups, the ‘Caps will also be without defensive midfielder Matias Laba on Wednesday. The Argentine will be serving a one-match suspension after picking up a red card on Saturday vs. Chicago.
