VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to host FC Edmonton at 7 p.m. PT in the first leg of the 2015 Amway Canadian Championship semifinal (Sportsnet ONE and TSN 1410 radio).
Here’s the full story on Vancouver’s lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
70.Paolo Tornaghi; 27.Ethen Sampson, 26.Tim Parker, 22.Christian Dean, 3.Sam Adekugbe; 28.Gershon Koffie, 20.Deybi Flores; 19.Erik Hurtado, 9.Nicolás Mezquida, 38.Kianz Froese; 11.Darren Mattocks
Substitutes
24.Marco Carducci, 2.Jordan Harvey, 23.Kekuta Manneh, 30.Ben McKendry, 31.Russell Teibert, 34.Caleb Clarke, 88.Robert Earnshaw
NOTES:
Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson makes 10 changes to his starting XI from last weekend against Philadelphia Union. Centre back Tim Parker, who played right back against Philly, the only player who also started on Saturday.
In 12 matches to start the season, Robinson has now used 12 different starting lineups. Robinson starts an XI with an average age of 22 years, five months, and 21 days. The youngest outfield player is Deybi Flores, who turns 19 on June 16, and the oldest is Darren Mattocks at 24 years, eight months, and 11 days.
The XI includes three Homegrown players and four MLS SuperDraft selections. It also includes three players making their first starts of the season – Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, and Kianz Froese.
Tornaghi, who signed with Vancouver as a free agent at the beginning of 2015, makes his long-awaited Whitecaps FC first team debut. As the 'Caps backup, the 26-year-old Italian has dressed but not played in 45 MLS regular season matches, one MLS Cup Playoff game, and two Amway Canadian Championship matches. However, Tornaghi has played in two USL matches this season with WFC2, including a recent 1-1 draw at home against Seattle Sounders FC 2 on April 26.
Right back Ethen Sampson makes his second first team start this year. On May 2 at Portland, the 21-year-old defender made his MLS season debut and helped Vancouver post a clean sheet. Sampson has also made four appearances, including three starts for 269 minutes, this season with WFC2 in USL regular season action.
Last weekend against Philadelphia, rookie centre back Tim Parker made his first start for Whitecaps FC and went the full 90 in Vancouver’s 3-0 win. On May 2, the 22-year-old made his first-team debut at Portland as a late second half substitute. In addition, Parker has started five matches for WFC2 in USL.
Second-year centre back Christian Dean makes his 2015 season debut tonight. The 22-year-old started both ACC matches in 2014 but at left back and made four appearances, including one start, in MLS regular season action during his rookie season. This year in USL action, the U.S. U-23 international has started three matches – one at left back and two with Parker as his centre back partner.
Left back Sam Adekugbe makes his 10th first team start tonight and eighth of the year. Adekugbe, who was born in London, England, grew up in Manchester, England before his family moved to Calgary, Alberta when he was nine. Last season, the 20-year-old Whitecaps FC Residency graduate made four appearances, including one start on July 5, 1-1 at Toronto FC. He did not appear in the Amway Canadian Championship, however, due to injury.
Midfielder Gershon Koffie makes his fifth start and eighth appearance, of the season for Whitecaps FC. The 23-year-old Ghanaian, who is a permanent resident of Canada, is Vancouver’s all-time MLS regular season leader in appearances with 112 and tonight will be his 10th Amway Canadian Championship start.
Midfielder Deybi Flores makes his second start of the season for Whitecaps FC and fourth appearance. The 18-year-old Honduran made his MLS debut on March 28 in a 2-1 home win over Portland at BC Place, and his first MLS start on April 11 at San Jose Earthquakes. In USL action, Flores has started one match for WFC2 on April 26 against Sounders FC 2. Flores will leave to join the Honduran U-20 national team, in preparation for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, on Saturday morning.
Winger/striker Erik Hurtado makes his second start of the season – he also started in Vancouver 2-1 win over Portland on March 28. The product of Beaverton, Oregon started both ACC matches last season and scored in the second leg at BC Place.
Attacking midfielder Nicolás Mezquida makes his sixth start and eighth appearance of the season for Whitecaps FC. The 23-year-old Uruguayan started both matches for the ‘Caps in last year’s ACC.
Midfielder Kianz Froese makes his first start this season and first-ever at home for Whitecaps FC. Last year, Froese made his professional debut with Whitecaps FC in the first leg of the ACC semifinal at Toronto FC, starting and playing 77 minutes. The 19-year-old native of Havana, Cuba, who spent large chunks of his youth in Brunkild, Manitoba, has made four substitute appearances in MLS regular season play, including three this year, and has also made two starts in the USL with WFC2.
Striker Darren Mattocks is making his sixth start of 2015 and is currently second on the team with three goals and one assist. Earlier today, the 24-year-old was named to Jamaica's 30-man preliminary roster for the 2015 Copa América. The final 23-man roster for the tournament must be submitted to CONMEBOL, South American soccer's governing body, no later than June 1 – 10 days prior to the start of the tournament.
In addition to starters Sam Adekugbe and Kianz Froese, Whitecaps FC have four Canadians on their bench in Marco Carducci, Caleb Clarke, Ben McKendry, and Russell Teibert. This is the first time McKendry has made Robinson's 18 and the first time Clarke has made the 18 since April 24, 2013.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, 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.
