SANDY, UTAH – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to take on Real Salt Lake at 6:30 p.m. PT at Rio Tinto Stadium (TSN1/3 and TSN1410 radio).
Here’s the full story on Vancouver’s lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 33.Steven Beitashour, 4.Kendall Waston, 44.Pa-Modou Kah, 3.Sam Adekugbe; 28.Gershon Koffie, 15.Matías Laba, 31.Russell Teibert; 9.Nicolás Mezquida; 11.Darren Mattocks, 29.Octavio Rivero
Substitutes
70.Paolo Tornaghi, 2.Jordan Harvey, 7.Mauro Rosales, 19. Erik Hurtado, 20.Deybi Flores, 23.Kekuta Manneh, 88.Robert Earnshaw
Real Salt Lake
18.Nick Rimando; 2.Tony Beltran, 4.Jamison Olave, 12.Elias Vasquez, 17.Demar Phillips; 10.Luis Gil, 5.Kyle Beckerman, 19.Luke Mulholland; 7.Jordan Allen, 15.Alvaro Saborio, 13.Olmes Garcia
Substitutes
24.Jeff Attinella, 16.Wellington Paeckart, 21.Aaron Maund, 27.John Stertzer, 29.Abdoulie Mansally, 49.Devon Sandoval, 50.Sebastian Saucedo
NOTES:
Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson makes four changes to his starting XI from last weekend at San Jose Earthquakes with left back Sam Adekugbe in for Jordan Harvey and midfielders Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert, and Nicolás Mezquida in for Deybi Flores, Kekuta Manneh, and Pedro Morales (suspended).
Ten different birth countries are represented in the starters – Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, The Gambia, Ghana, Jamaica, United States, and Uruguay (x2).
Tonight is the first time since the 3-3 draw at Philadelphia on June 7, 2014 - and the sixth time overall (04/26, 04/19, 04/05, 03/29) - that midfielders Gershon Koffie, Matías Laba, and Russell Teibert have all been on the pitch to start a match.
Goalkeeper David Ousted will be making his 56th consecutive MLS start, including playoffs, with the club. In MLS action, the 30-year-old keeper is second only to New York Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles (86) in consecutive matches. To start the season, Ousted is first in keeper wins (4) and tied for second in shutouts (3).
Right back Steven Beitashour makes his 122nd MLS regular season appearance, including 121 starts. The 28-year-old Iranian international, along with Ousted and Waston, has played every minute to start the 2015 season. Beitashour's four assists, including two of his three last year, in nine previous starts against RSL is the most he's recorded against any other MLS side.
Centre back Kendall Waston is making his 17th start in MLS regular season play. Outside of his suspension for yellow card accumulation on October 18 at San Jose, the 27-year-old defender has played the full 90 in every match since his first start for WFC on August 30 against Portland. Waston leads MLS in clearances (57), blocks (10), and is second in interceptions (28).
Waston is tied for the league lead in cautions with four - one yellow card away from being suspended for caution accumulation, if Waston appears in three consecutive games without receiving a yellow card or disciplinary sanction, he will have one yellow card expunged. A player may take advantage of the “Good Behavior” incentive only once throughout the season.
Waston's centre back partner, 34-year-old Pa-Modou Kah, will be making his 46th start in MLS. Kah’s two assists tie him for the league lead with Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler and LA Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez in assists from a defender.
Left back Sam Adekugbe makes his eighth professional start tonight. Last season, the 20-year-old Calgary, Alberta resident made four appearances, including one start on July 5 – 1-1 at Toronto FC.
Midfielder Gershon Koffie, who missed the last three matches with a left MCL sprain, will be making his third start of the season and his 97th in MLS regular season action. Tonight is the 23-year-old's 10th start against RSL, which is against more than any other team in MLS.
Midfielder Matías Laba is making his 55th MLS regular season start tonight, his 39th with WFC. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder leads MLS with 33 tackles (eight more than the player behind him) - including a season high of eight last Saturday at San Jose.
Winger/striker Darren Mattocks is making his third straight start of 2015 and 46th in MLS regular season action. The 24-year-old Jamaican international has scored two goals and added an assist in nine matches against RSL.
Attaching midfielder Nicolás Mezquida is making his fifth start of the season - last year, his first in MLS, the 23-year-old Uruguayan started four matches. Mezquida’s first goal in MLS was scored at Rio Tinto Stadium back on April 26 when he came on as a second half sub.
Homegrown midfielder Russell Teibert will be making his 52nd MLS regular season start tonight – all with Vancouver. The 22-year-old Canadian international is second in MLS with a 90.06 per cent passing completion rate (among players who have completed at least 100 passes)
MLS Player of the Month for March Octavio Rivero has started every match to start the season. The 23-year-old Uruguayan leads MLS in goals (5), tied for the most game-winning goals (2), leads shots on goal (13), is tied for the lead in shots (23), eighth in fouls committed (14), and fifth in fouls suffered (17).
Experienced midfielder Mauro Rosales returns to the 18 tonight for the first time since suffering a right ankle sprain just before halftime on March 14 at Chicago Fire.
The club’s newest addition, 22-year-old Uruguayan Cristian Techera, arrived at the team hotel this morning and met his new teammates at breakfast following a busy couple days. In total, he travelled over 9,250 kilometers and 14 1/2 hours in the air (Montevideo to Buenos Aires to Dallas to Salt Lake). Techera will not dress tonight but will travel with the team back to Vancouver and will be available for selection next Saturday when Whitecaps FC host Eastern Conference side D.C. United at BC Place.
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.
