VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC begin their quest for their second Voyageurs Cup tonight when they host Montreal Impact at BC Place at 7 p.m. (Tickets still available.)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. PT │ TV: TSN1 │ RADIO: TSN 1040
Here’s a look at Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
18.Spencer Richey; 28.Jake Nerwinski, 14.Cole Seiler, 51.Sem de Wit, 17.Marcel de Jong; 30.Ben McKendry, 31.Russell Teibert ©; 77.Mauro Rosales, 11.Nicolás Mezquida, 67.Alphonso Davies; 20.Brek Shea
Substitutes
40.Sean Melvin, 32.Marco Bustos, 42.David Norman Jr., 47.Kyle Greig, 54.Gloire Amanda, 62.Deklan Wynne, 65.Matthew Baldisimo
NOTES:
• Manager Carl Robinson makes a line change using a completely different starting XI from last Saturday against Sporting Kansas City
o Had previously started the same XI for five consecutive MLS RS matches – a first in the club’s MLS era
o No starter from Saturday will be on the match day roster
o Prior to April 29 at Montreal, Robinson had used 11 different starting XIs in their first 11 matches of 2017, including CONCACAF Champions League play
• Line-up includes a mix of experience and youth with an average age of 25 years and three months
o de Jong (50 caps with Canada and 10+ years as a professional), Rosales (167 MLS RS appearances), Shea (149 MLS RS appearances, 34 caps with US), Teibert (134 first team appearances with WFC and all-time leader in Canadian Championship matches)
• Three MLS Homegrown players (McKendry joined September 2007, Teibert joined September 2008, and Davies joined August 2015) Three MLS SuperDraft selections (Richey 61st overall in 2015, Seiler 16th in 2016, Nerwinski 7th in 2017)
• Four players are making their CC debut – Richey, de Wit, Nerwinski, and Shea
• All six WFC2 call-ups will dress with Sem de Wit starting and the other five available as substitutes
• Three Canadians citizens in de Jong, McKendry, and Teibert, as well as permanent resident Davies in the starting XI, and five Canadians available as substitutes in Melvin, Amanda, Baldisimo, Bustos, and Norman
• This year, 25 players have started at least one match and an additional three players have also seen first team minutes including MLS, CCL, and CC matches
PLAYER NOTES:
#18 SPENCER RICHEY – AGE: 24 – SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• University of Washington Husky grad was and third round pick (61st overall) in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft (same draft as Tim Parker). The pick was acquired from New England in trade in exchange for goalkeeper Brad Knighton
• Made his MLS debut March 18 versus Toronto FC and won MLS Save of the Week
• Last year, under the USL short-term agreements, Richey made two CONCACAF Champions League starts with the first team – 1-0 win at Central FC on August 2, 2-1 win at Sporting Kansas City on September 13
• One of four players to sign a first-team contract from WFC2 in 2016
• Six starts and two clean sheets during the current 2017 USL season
• Posted a 12W-12L-5D record, including playoffs, along with a GAA of 1.59 and save percentage of 0.709 in his two previous USL seasons
#28 JAKE NERWINSKI – AGE: 22 – LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY
• Rookie makes his fifth first team start of the season – MLS (2) + CCL (2)
o Made his debut in the first leg of the CCL quarterfinals in his home state against New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena
o Was named Budweiser Man of the Match in the April 8 match at Real Salt Lake
• Selected in the first round (seventh overall) by WFC in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft
• Out of the University of Connecticut where he played with Cyle Larin
• Two starts in the USL this season
#14 COLE SEILER – AGE: 23 – ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA
• Selected 16th overall (first round) by Whitecaps FC in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft
• Made his first team debut in last year’s Canadian Championship semifinal first leg at Ottawa Fury FC
• Two MLS starts in his rookie year in 2016, back-to-back at Houston and FC Dallas, making his 2017 first team debut
• Six USL starts this season
• Started 14 USL regular season matches in 2016 + all 3 playoff games
#51 SEM DE WIT – AGE: 21 – HANDERWIJK, NETHERLANDS
• 2016 WFC2 Player of the Year and has captained the side this season
• Spent preseason with the first team in Wales, but an injury kept him from playing
• Made his first-team debut with Whitecaps FC as a second-half substitute in the international friendly against Crystal Palace FC on July 19. He was called up three more times for the CONCACAF Champions League but would not feature in the tournament
• Initially joined WFC2 after a trial in November of 2015
• Six starts on the backline in the USL this season, and eight overall (two as holding mid)
• Made 30 USL appearances last year, including all three playoff games
#17 MARCEL DE JONG – AGE: 30 – NEWMARKET, ONTARIO
• Fourth start of the season tonight – MLS (1) + CCL (2)
o Was also a late second half sub vs. LA Galaxy
• 50 caps for the Canadian men’s national team
• Played vs. Whitecaps FC in the Canadian Championship semifinal 2nd leg at BC Place last season with Ottawa Fury FC before joining the ‘Caps in July. Also, played both CC matches last year against FC Edmonton and picked up an assist in the first leg
#30 BEN McKENDRY – AGE: 24 – VANCOUVER, BC
• First joined Whitecaps FC as a member of the club’s Prospects program in 2007 before joining Residency in 2010
• Spent three years at the University of New Mexico (2012 to 2014) before signing a first team Homegrown contact on January 26, 2015
• Made his first team debut on June 1 starting at Ottawa in the first leg of the CC semifinal, also started the first leg of the CC final at Toronto, and made two appearances in the CCL
• Second first team start this year, made his MLS debut at San Jose on March 11 playing the full 90
• Seven starts and two goals with WFC2 this year, was the WFC2 Player of the Year award in 2015
• McKendry started playing soccer as a four-year-old with Grandview Legion Football Club in Vancouver, BC. McKendry also played youth soccer in Metro Vancouver with Italian Canadian Sports Federation (ICSF), Marpole Soccer Club, Vancouver Selects (now Vancouver FC), and Total Soccer Systems (TSS)
#31 RUSSELL TEIBERT – AGE: 24 – NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
• Winner of the George Gross Memorial trophy in 2015 as the Canadian Championship MVP
• CC all-time games played leader, making his 18 appearance and 15 start tonight
• Making his seventh start of the season – MLS (4) + CCL (2)
• 134th first team appearance (including MLS, CCL, CC, and USSF D-2), which is 23rd all-time in Whitecaps FC history
#77 MAURO ROSALES – AGE: 36 – VILLA MARIA, ARGENTINA
• Making his first start of 2017 and his first CC start
• Second half substitutes appearances at RSL on April 8 and Seattle on April 14
#11 NICOLAS MEZQUIDA – AGE: 25 – PAYSANDÚ, URUGUAY
• Nine MLS RS appearances this year including three starts, scoring one goal and adding one assist
• Made a substitute appearance in the CCL away match at UANL Tigres
• Making his eighth appearance and seventh start in CC, has scored two goals
#67 ALPHONSO DAVIES – AGE: 16 – EDMONTON, AB
• Making his ninth start of the season – MLS (5) + CCL (3)
• Made his first team debut in last year’s semifinal first leg versus Ottawa Fury FC at the age of 15 years and 212 days – youngest ever to play an official first team match for WFC and youngest ever in a Canadian Championship match. In the second leg, he became the youngest ever to start. Played in both CC final matches against TFC
• Scored two goals in the WFC 2016-17 CCL run
• Permanent resident and is working on obtaining his Canadian citizenship
#20 BREK SHEA – AGE: 24 – NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
• Five MLS RS appearances this year including one start, scoring two goals as a substitute at Colorado and at Houston
• Three CCL starts, scored against UANL Tigres at BC Place
SUBSTITUTES
#40 SEAN MELVIN – AGE: 22 – VICTORIA, BC (GOALKEEPER)
• Three USL starts this season posting a 2-1-0
o Named to the USL Team of the Week after a 1-0 shutout road win at Portland
• Made eight USL starts in 2016, with a 1.75 Goals Against Average
• Made his Canada MNT debut this year in a friendly in Bermuda
#32 MARCO BUSTOS – AGE: 21 – WINNIPEG, MANITOBA (MIDFIELDER)
• Made his first team debut in the 2014 Canadian Championship semifinal vs. Toronto FC
• Started last year’s Canadian Championship semifinal first leg at Ottawa
• Four MLS appearances so far in his career, including one start
• Third pro season
• Two goals in two USL appearances this season – including a birthday goal on April 22
• 14 goals and 2 assists across 36 appearances in his two previous USL seasons
#42 DAVID NORMAN JR. – AGE: 18 – COQUITLAM, BC (CENTRAL MIDFIELDER)
• In his first pro season
• Has been with the club since nine-years-old, product of Coquitlam Metro Ford
• Six USL starts so far – made his pro debut on April 1 in Reno, Nevada
• Represented Canada at U-15 and U-17 national team levels
• Assisted the ‘Caps goal in the U-18 Academy Championship final last year, an eventual 2-1 extra time defeat versus FC Dallas
• Two goals and five assists with Oregon State in NCAA last season
#47 KYLE GREIG – AGE: 27 – OLATHE, KANSAS (STRIKER)
• Three substitute appearances with the first team this season
o Made his MLS debut on April 22 in Portland
o Appeared twice in the Champions League, quarterfinal first leg at NYRB and semifinal second leg vs. Tigres
• Made three first team appearances as a short-term call-up in the CONCACAF Champions League last year, assisting on the quarterfinal-clinching goal from Alphonso Davies at Sporting Kansas City
• Appeared in the July 19 international friendly against Crystal Palace
• Captained WFC2 in USL last year, scoring 13 goals in 30 appearances, including two goals in three USL Cup Playoff matches
• Signed to an MLS contract in the offseason, on December 19, 2016
• Prior to joining WFC2 last year, played with OKC Energy FC and Wilmington Hammerheads in USL
#54 GLOIRE AMANDA – AGE: 18 – EDMONTON, ALBERTA (STRIKER)
• In his first pro season after graduating from the Residency program
• Scored his first two pro goals in his most recent two USL appearances
o Including the game winner on May 14 in a 3-1 win against Colorado Springs
o Named to the USL Team of the Week for his two-goal week
• Four USL starts and eight appearances – in addition to his two goals, has one assist and one penalty drawn
• Joined the Residency program as a 15-year-old
• Scored 16 goals with the U-18 Residency team last year that made the Academy Championship final
• Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania before moving to Canada at age eight, has his Canadian citizenship
• Played with Alphonso Davies at St. Nicholas Soccer Academy in Edmonton
#62 DEKLAN WYNNE – AGE: 22 – AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (LEFT BACK)
• Seven USL starts of the season – scored one goal on April 8 vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2
• Member of the New Zealand national team – will be heading to the Confederations Cup in Russia next week to face Russia, Portugal, and Mexico
• Started five of 10 USL appearances last year, plus the Western Conference final in KC
#65 MATTHEW BALDISIMO – AGE: 19 – BURNABY, BC (CENTRAL MID / RIGHT BACK)
• Six starts and nine appearances in USL this season
• One of three brothers to come through the Whitecaps FC Residency program
o Brother Michael is also on WFC2 roster
• 22 USL appearances last year, including starts in all three playoff games
• Captained Canada U-17 national team at the 2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championship
• Joined WFC in 2011 and product of Burnaby Selects
