ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to take on Orlando City SC at 4:30 p.m. PT in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs (TSN1 and TSN 1410).
Here’s the full story on Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 33.Steven Beitashour, 4.Kendall Waston, 18.Diego Rodríguez, 3.Sam Adekugbe; 15.Matías Laba, 28.Gershon Koffie; 9.Nicolás Mezquida, 77.Pedro Morales, 23.Kekuta Manneh; 29.Octavio Rivero
Substitutes
70.Paolo Tornaghi, 2.Jordan Harvey, 11.Darren Mattocks, 19.Erik Hurtado, 26.Tim Parker, 31.Russell Teibert, 38.Kianz Froese
NOTES:
Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson makes three changes to his starting XI after last weekend’s 1-0 win over Chicago Fire. Centre back Diego Rodriguez is in for Pa-Modou Kah, Gershon Koffie is in for Russell Teibert, and Nicolás Mezquida is in for an injured Mauro Rosales (ankle sprain).
Robinson’s XI will include seven players 24 or under and an average age 24 years, nine months, and 25 days. Nine different birth countries (Denmark, United States, Costa Rica, Uruguay (3), England, Argentina, Ghana, Chile, and the Gambia) are represented in the starters.
Goalkeeper David Ousted will be making his 51st consecutive MLS start, including playoffs, with the club. Last week, Ousted recorded his first clean sheet of the season and 18th with the ‘Caps.
Right back Steven Beitashour makes his 117 MLS regular season appearance, including 116 starts, tonight against Orlando City SC. Last week against Chicago Fire, Beitashour recorded his 20th MLS regular season assist.
Centre back Kendall Waston is making his 12th start in MLS regular season play, while his partner in the middle Diego Rodríguez will be making his MLS debut. The two played together in three preseason matches for 132 minutes (45 minutes vs. San Jose, 63 vs. against UVic and 24 minutes vs. Portland).
Outside of his suspension for yellow card accumulation on October 18 at San Jose, Waston has played the full 90 in every match since his first start for Whitecaps FC on August 30 against Portland.
Rodríguez started 20 of 21 appearances with Juventud the last two seasons of the Uruguayan Primera Division. Rodríguez was also teammates with captain Pedro Morales at Malaga CF of the Spanish La Liga during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
Left back Sam Adekugbe makes his fourth professional start tonight and the first time he's started in back-to-back matches. The 20-year-old Calgary resident was named to the MLS Team of the Week after helping the ‘Caps keep a clean sheet last weekend against Chicago.
Following tonight's match, Adekugbe, along with Teibert, will join Canada's senior national team for friendlies against Guatemala on March 27 (1:30 p.m. PT) in Ft. Lauderdale, USA, and against Puerto Rico in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on March 30 (3:30 p.m. PT).
Central midfielder Matías Laba is making his 50th MLS regular season start tonight and his 34th with Whitecaps FC.
Laba’s partner in the middle, Gershon Koffie, will be making his first start of the season and his 95th in MLS regular season action. Last year, Koffie started Vancouver's MLS Cup Playoff match at FC Dallas on October 29 – his last regular season start was back on August 10 against Sporting Kansas City before suffering a foot injury.
Laba and Koffie will be making their 16th start together in the middle.
Winger Kekuta Manneh is making his 52nd MLS regular season appearance and his 22nd start. Tonight is only the third time Manneh has started three or more matches in row.
Attacking midfielder Pedro Morales will be making his 31st MLS regular season start for Whitecaps FC. Last year, Morales led the ‘Caps with 10 goals and 12 assists.
Midfielder Nicolás Mezquida makes his first start of the season replacing an injured Rosales (right ankle sprain). Mezquida replaced Rosales on the right wing near the end of the first half last week at Chicago. Tonight is Mezquida’s first start since August 16 at Chivas USA. Mezquida and striker Octavio Rivero played together with Uruguay at the U-17 level in 2009.
Rivero, who has scored in each of his first two matches, makes his third career start for the Blue and White. Three players all-time in MLS have scored in each of their first four games played: Alex Pineda Chacon (2001), Carlos Ruiz (2002), and Charlie Davies (2011).
Rookie defender Tim Parker is included in the 18-man roster for the first time. Parker was drafted 13th overall by Whitecaps FC in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.
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