HARRISON, NEW JERSEY – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to take on New York Red Bulls at 4 p.m. PT (TSN2 and TSN 1410 radio). Here’s a breakdown of Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 33.Steven Beitashour, 4.Kendall Waston, 44.Pa-Modou Kah, 2.Jordan Harvey; 15.Matías Laba, 28.Gershon Koffie; 13.Cristian Techera, 9.Nicolás Mezquida, 23.Kekuta Manneh; 29.Octavio Rivero
Substitutes
70.Paolo Tornaghi, 7.Mauro Rosales, 19.Erik Hurtado, 20.Deybi Flores, 26.Tim Parker, 31.Russell Teibert, 38.Kianz Froese
NOTES:
Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson makes one change to his starting XI from two weeks ago at LA Galaxy with Nicolás Mezquida in for Pedro Morales (left calf). In 19 matches this year, including the Amway Canadian Championship, Robinson has now used 19 different starting XIs.
Seven different birth countries are represented in the starters: Argentina, Costa Rica, Denmark, The Gambia (x2), Ghana, United States (x2), and Uruguay (x3).
Goalkeeper David Ousted makes his 65th consecutive MLS start, including playoffs. The 30-year-old Dane is second only to New York Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles (94) in consecutive MLS matches. This season, Ousted is second in shutouts (7) and wins (8).
Right back Steven Beitashour makes his 127th start in MLS regular season action. The 28-year-old native of San Jose, California has two assists in three previous starts against NYRB.
Centre back Kendall Waston is making his 28th start, including MLS Cup Playoffs and ACC, for Whitecaps FC. The Costa Rican, who leads MLS in clearances and headed clearances, has played every minute of every ‘Caps MLS regular season match so far this season.
Waston’s centre back partner, Pa-Modou Kah, will be making his 54th start in MLS and second against the Red Bulls. The 34-year-old Gambian has two assists this season.
Left back Jordan Harvey makes his 199th regular season appearance and 185th start. The native of Mission Viejo, California is making his eighth consecutive start, 10th on the season, and his 10th start against NYRB. Last time the ‘Caps were at Red Bull Arena, Harvey scored his second goal for the club in the 2-1 comeback win on June 1, 2013.
Midfielder Matías Laba is making his 63rd MLS regular season start tonight, his 47th with WFC. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder is second in the league in tackles won (65) and ninth in duels won with 94.
Midfielder Gershon Koffie makes his 102nd MLS regular season start today. The 23-year-old native of Koforidua, Ghana, who is a permanent resident of Canada, is the club’s all-time leader in MLS regular season appearances.
Uruguayan Cristian Techera, 23, makes his fourth MLS start and eighth appearance of the year. The 5-foot-2 winger has a goal and an assist in 384 minutes of action.
Attacking midfielder Nicolás Mezquida makes his ninth regular season appearance and seventh start of the season. The 23 year-old Uruguayan, who has three career goals, most recently played 63 minutes in Vancouver's 2-1 loss to Montreal on June 3.
Midfielder Kekuta Manneh, who scored the game-winner in Vancouver’s June 6 win over LA Galaxy, makes his 11th start on the season and 30th in MLS – but his first against NYRB. The 20-year-old is fifth in the league in completed dribbles with 26.
Striker Octavio Rivero has started all but one MLS regular season match to start the season and is behind only Ousted and Waston in minutes played with 1,345. The 23-year-old Uruguayan is tied for eighth in the league in goals (6).
Additional match note:
After 16 matches in 2015, Whitecaps FC have earned 26 points with a 8W-6L-2D record, which is one point more than last season where they were 6W-3L-7D after the same number of matches.
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.
