PORTLAND, OREGON – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to meet Cascadia Cup rival Portland Timbers at 1:30 p.m. PT at Providence Park (TSN1/ESPN and TSN 1040). Here’s a look at Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 26.Tim Parker, 4.Kendall Waston, 44.Pa-Modou Kah, 2.Jordan Harvey; 77.Pedro Morales, 15.MatÃas Laba; 7.Christian Bolaños, 23.Kekuta Manneh, 13.Cristian Techera; 19.Erik Hurtado
Substitutes
70.Paolo Tornaghi, 6.Jordan Smith, 11.Nicolás Mezquida, 17.Andrew Jacobson, 27.Blas Pérez, 29.Octavio Rivero, 31.Russell Teibert
STARTING XI NOTES:
WFC head coach Carl Robinson makes two changes to his starting XI personnel with centre back Kendall Waston returning from suspension and replacing a suspended Fraser Aird, Tim Parker moves to right back, and left midfielder Cristian Techera is in for Russell Teibert, Pedro Morales moves to central midfield.
Today’s line-up has three personnel changes from Vancouver's 2-1 win over Portland two weeks ago at BC Place - Pa-Modou Kah for Fraser Aird, Kekuta Manneh for Nicolás Mezquida, and Erik Hurtado for Masato Kudo.
In total, seven different birth countries {Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica (x2), Denmark, the Gambia (x2), United States (x3), Uruguay} are represented in the starters.
Vancouver’s lone win at Providence Park in MLS regular season action took place back on June 1, 2014. Today’s XI includes six starters from that famous 4-3 win – Ousted, Harvey, Laba, Morales, Manneh, and Hurtado.
Tonight is the second consecutive and 11th all-time match that sees 2013 MLS SuperDraft picks Kekuta Manneh (4th overall) and Erik Hurtado (5th overall) start an MLS regular season game together. When the two speedsters are in the starting XI, WFC have posted a record of 5-2-3 including a record of 5-0-2 on the road. Hurtado and Manneh both have three goals to their credit in those 10 starts.
#1 Ousted
Keeper David Ousted makes his 98th consecutive start in MLS play, including playoffs - 99th with WFC including the Amway Canadian Championship. The 31-year-old native of Greve, Denmark, is second only to New York Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles (132) in consecutive MLS matches played. Ousted leads the league in saves with 50. Since 2014, Ousted's first full season with Vancouver, no keeper has recorded more cleansheets - 29.
#26 Parker
Centre back Tim Parker has stated and played the full 90 in all but one match this year – March 26 v Houston due to international duty with USA U-23. The 23-year-old Hicksville, New York native will start at right back for the first time since September 23 when the 'Caps lost at Seattle in CCL action. Including the CCL match, Parker started at right back four times in his rookie season; the other matches were May 9 v Philadelphia and June 3 at Montreal in MLS regular season play, and once in the first leg of the ACC final on August 12 at Montreal. Also of note, Parker made his MLS debut as a late second half substitute at right back for Ethen Sampson back on May 2, 2015 in Vancouver’s 0-0 draw at Providence Park. Parker is second in the league in clearances with 70 and tied for seventh in headed clearances with 33
#4 Waston
The 28-year-old San José, Costa Rica native Kendall Waston is seventh in clearances with 60, tied for second in headed clearances with 40, and third in blocks with 12. Outside of international duty and red card/suspensions, Waston has played every minute this year.
#44 Kah
The 35-year-old native of Banjul, The Gambia Pa-Modou Kah makes his second consecutive and fourth start of the season. Last year, his first in Vancouver, Kah started 10 of the ’Caps league-leading 13 clean sheets and led Vancouver defenders in goals scored with three.
#2 Harvey
Left back Jordan Harvey makes his club MLS record 126th regular season start and 136th appearance tonight for WFC. In MLS regular season play, the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft pick makes his 213th start and 227th appearance. The 32-year-old native of Mission Viejo, California leads the team in touches with 776 (Laba is second with 692).
#77 Morales
Captain Pedro Morales makes his fourth consecutive start and 10th on the season. The native of Hualpén, Chile leads WFC in scoring with five goals and three assists. Morales turns 31 on Wednesday, May 25.
#15 Laba
Since joining the 'Caps at the start of the 2014 season, no player has made more tackles in league play than midfielder MatÃas Laba with 345. Whitecaps FC record in MLS regular season play with the 24-year-old native of Villa Raffo, Argentina in the starting XI is 32-20-20 and 1-5-2 without.
#7 Bolaños
Midfielder Christian Bolaños makes his sixth consecutive start after starting two of the first eight. The recently turned 32-year-old native of San José, Costa Rica is second on the team in scoring with four goals and two assists and has score or assisted on a goal in four consecutive matches.
#23 Manneh
Midfielder/striker Kekuta Manneh makes his ninth start and 13th appearance in 2016. Since joining the club in 2013, the 21-year-old native of Bakau, The Gambia has now made 94 MLS regular season appearances.
#13 Techera
Midfielder and product of Paysandú, Uruguay, Cristian Techera has started all but three matches this year and outside of last weekend in Toronto the 24-year-old has appeared in every match to start the season.
#19 Hurtado
Striker Erik Hurtado makes his second consecutive start for the first time since the end of 2014. Prior to last weekend’s start at Toronto, the 25-year-old product of Beaverton, Oregon, had not made an MLS regular season start since March 28, 2015, when Whitecaps FC defeated Portland Timbers 2-1 at BC Place.
Hurtado did start the first leg of the 1-1 ACC semifinal against FC Edmonton on May 13, as well as the 1-1 CCL match against Seattle on August 5. Two days after the ACC start, Hurtado went on-loan for the remainder of 2015 with Norwegian side Mjøndalen IF. In 2014, his second professional season, Hurtado started 19 matches and made 30 appearances, while scoring five goals.
Injuries
9.Masato Kudo - fractured jaw suffered during the first half of the May 11 home match against Chicago Fire, had surgery on May 12
20.Deybi Flores - right adductor strain suffered in the first half of the April 22 USL away match against LA Galaxy II, currently working with the athletic trainers
22.Christian Dean - left foot fracture suffered during training on March 1, had surgery on March 9, currently working with the athletic trainers
Suspended
Fraser Aird – suspended due to a red card (second yellow) he was shown last weekend in Toronto
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