FRISCO, TX – Vancouver Whitecaps FC kick off a three-match road swing with a visit to first-place FC Dallas at 5 p.m. PT at Toyota Stadium (TSN2 and TSN Radio 1410).
Here’s a look at Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 25.Sheanon Williams, 4.Kendall Waston ©, 26.Tim Parker, 17.Marcel de Jong; 23.Bernie Ibini, 15.Matías Laba, 16.Tony Tchani, 20.Brek Shea; 29.Yordy Reyna; 12.Fredy Montero
Substitutes
24.Stefan Marinović, 11.Nicolás Mezquida, 13.Cristian Techera, 19.Erik Hurtado, 28.Jake Nerwinski, 31.Russell Teibert, 77.Mauro Rosales
NOTES:
- Manager Carl Robinson makes six changes to his starting line-up against FC Dallas, after keeping the same XI in back-to-back matches against LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers
- On defence, Sheanon Williams, Kendall Waston, and Marcel de Jong replace Jake Nerwinski, Andrew Jacobson, and Jordan Harvey
- In the midfielder, Bernie Ibini, Yordy Reyna, and Brek Shea replace Cristian Techera, Nicolás Mezquida, and Christian Bolaños
- Starting XI includes nine different birth countries including players from North, Central, and South America, Africa, as well as Europe: Argentina, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Nigeria, Peru, and USA (x3)
- Captain Kendall Waston returns to the line-up after missing the last two WFC matches away with Costa Rica at the Gold Cup, starting both the quarterfinal match against Panama and semifinal match against the United States
- Right back Sheanon Williams makes his first start since the 3-1 home win over Atlanta on June 3
- Left back Marcel de Jong makes his second MLS start this season and first since the 3-0 away defeat in the snow at RSL on April 8; de Jong started two matches in the CONCACAF Champions League in March and both Canadian Championship matches against Montreal in May. More recently, the native of Newmarket, Ontario played the full 90 in three of Canada’s four matches at the Gold Cup
- Attacking midfielder Yordy Reyna makes his first MLS start tonight after four straight appearances as a second half substitute. Prior to his debut at Chicago on July 1, Reyna had missed the entire season, a total of 21 MLS, CCL, and CC games, with a left foot (fifth metatarsal) fracture suffered in the second half of the preseason match at Portland on February 15, had surgery on February 21
- Winger Bernie Ibini makes his second start and sixth appearance since joining the club in May
- Winger and native of Bryan, Texas, Brek Shea was drafted by FC Dallas second overall in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. During his five seasons with Dallas, he started 78 of 98 regular season matches, scored 19 goals and added 14 assists. Last match against Dallas, the Shea family welcomed the birth of their son Zepplin Brekken Shea a few hours before kickoff
- Striker and leading goal scorer Fredy Montero celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday, July 26
- Ousted and Parker have started 19 of the first 20 MLS RS matches and all four CCL matches
- Six starters have started more than 100 MLS regular season matches (Ousted 133, Williams 182, Laba 126, Tchani 158, Shea 123, Montero 125)
- Starting XI has an average age of 27 years, 8 months, and two weeks
- Injury list includes three players in Alphonso Davies, David Edgar, and Brett Levis
- Christian Bolaños, Jordan Harvey, and Andrew Jacobson did not travel and have been given a rest and recovery weekend. All three players have seen significant minutes and travel in MLS regular season, CONCACAF Champions League, Canadian Championship, and/or international play this year
- Alphonso Davies sits out the match with an adductor injury. Like the trio above, he did not travel after having seen significant minutes and travel across different competitions for club and country
PLAYER NOTES:
#1 DAVID OUSTED – AGE: 32 – GREVE, DENMARK
- 143rd all-time start for Whitecaps FC, second only to Jordan Harvey, since the club joined MLS in 2011
- Started every match this year outside of March 18 v Toronto due to a red card suspension, which was just the second MLS match Ousted has missed since his MLS debut on August 3, 2013 at Providence Park, as well as the two CC matches
#25 SHEANON WILLIAMS – AGE: 27 – BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
- First start since the 3-1 home win over Atlanta on June 3
- 14th started this year - 12 MLS RS matches and both CCL semifinal matches
- Making his 182nd start and 189th appearance in MLS RS play
#4 KENDALL WASTON – AGE: 29 – LIMÓN, COSTA RICA
- 18th start this year - 14 MLS RS matches and all four CCL matches
- Prior to his injuries and Gold Cup appearances, which saw Waston miss five matches, the captain had played the full 90 of every match, outside of the MLS opener against Philadelphia on March 5 and the two CC matches
- Leads WFC with 88 clearances (tied for 10th in MLS) and blocks with 13
#26 TIM PARKER – AGE: 24 – HICKSVILLE, NEW YORK
- Played the full 90 of every match to start the season outside of San Jose away on March 11 and the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal
- Was named the WFC Player of the Month in March and May
- Leads WFC with 557 successful passes, 46 aerials won (eighth in MLS), and 33 interceptions
#17 MARCEL DE JONG – AGE: 30 – NEWMARKET, ONTARIO
- Second MLS start this season and first since the 3-0 away defeat in the snow at RSL on April 8; de Jong started two matches in the CONCACAF Champions League in March and both Canadian Championship matches against Montreal in May
- Played the full 90 in three of Canada’s four matches at the Gold Cup
#15 MATÍAS LABA – AGE: 25 – VILLA RAFFO, ARGENTINA
- 110th start for WFC in MLS regular season play, just the fourth player to make 100 starts for WFC in MLS RS (Jordan Harvey 159, David Ousted 133, Gershon Koffie 116)
- Played the full 90 of every match to start the season outside of San Jose away on March 11, the final 12 minutes of RSL away of April 8, against D.C. United (suspended) on May, against NYCFC on July 5 (suspended), and both Canadian Championship matches
- Second in MLS in tackles with 73 tackles (8 last week against Portland)
- Leads WFC with 110 recoveries by a field player
#16 TONY TCHANI – AGE: 28 – DOUALA, CAMEROON
- 15th start and 17th appearance for WFC, includes one appearance in CCL play
- Both goals scored for WFC on the road - first goal at Minnesota on June 24 and second at LA on July 19
#23 BERNIE IBINI – AGE: 24 – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- Makes his second start and sixth appearance since joining the club in May
#29 YORDY REYNA – AGE: 23 – CHICLAYO, PERU
- Makes his first MLS start tonight after four straight appearances as a second half substitute
- Scored the match-winner against NYCFC on July 5 at BC Place
- Prior to his debut at Chicago on July 1, Reyna had missed the entire season, a total of 21 MLS, CCL, and CC games, with a left foot (fifth metatarsal) fracture suffered in the second half of the preseason match at Portland on February 15, had surgery on February 21
#20 BREK SHEA – AGE: 27 – BRYAN, TEXAS
- Drafted by FC Dallas second overall in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. During his five seasons with Dallas, he started 78 of 98 regular season matches, scored 19 goals and added 14 assists
- Last match against Dallas, the Shea family welcomed the birth of their son Zepplin Brekken Shea
- Sixth start and 14 appearance for WFC in MLS regular season play, scored two goals as a second half substitute, has also won two penalties, and assisted on Montero’s goal against NYCFC on July 5
- Started three CONCACAF Champions League matches, scoring against Tigres UANL, and started both Canadian Championship games
#12 FREDY MONTERO – AGE: 30 – BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA
- 18th start of the last 22 matches for WFC and has seen minutes in all WFC matches outside of the first CCL match at New York and the two Canadian Championship matches
- Leads the team with six goals in MLS play
- Named the WFC April Player of the Month
- Turned 30 on Wednesday, July 26
Injury List:
- Alphonso Davies: adductor injury
- David Edgar: PCL and MCL tear, as well as a meniscus tear, in his right knee, surgery on January 4. Out for the 2017 MLS season
- Brett Levis: ACL tear in his right knee, surgery on November 8. Continued on-field workouts with medical staff this week, on track for an August return
Disciplinary Report
Suspended
Maynor Figueroa and Hernan Grana (DAL): both have one-match suspensions for caution accumulations
Caution accumulation warning
Atiba Harris (DAL) and Tony Tchani (VAN): caution accumulation warning; suspended next yellow card
