NEWPORT, WALES – One down, two to go.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC continue their preseason tour in the United Kingdom on Monday morning with a friendly against English Football League One side Oxford United FC.
Kickoff is set for 5 a.m. PT (1 p.m. local) at Dragon Park. The match is open to the public. Fans can follow Whitecaps FC on Twitter and Facebook Live for live updates and visit whitecapsfc.com for post-match coverage.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
This will be Vancouver’s second match of the preseason.
On Friday, they fell 1-0 to Cardiff City’s U-23s in a match that saw most players get about 45 minutes under their belt. Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said that the plan is for those players to get about an hour on Monday, as they continue to work up their fitness with an eye towards the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Additionally, Robinson said that one or two players who did not play against Cardiff could make their preseason debuts.
“They’re all in a good state at the moment,” Robinson said. “Obviously we have to keep pushing them and pushing them, and they will go into the games tired.”
They certainly will.
After their first and only day off of the trip on Saturday, the ‘Caps got back to business on Sunday with a high-intensity training session in the morning, gym session in the afternoon, and more tactical-based training session in the evening.
OXFORD UNITED FC
Oxford compete in the English Football League One, which is the third tier of professional soccer in England. They currently sit 14th in the league table, but are coming off a massive 3-0 win over Championship side Newcastle United FC on Saturday in the fourth round of the FA Cup – what many media outlets referred to as an “FA Cup shocker.”
“Listen, it was a massive weekend for [head coach Michael Appleton] and the club,” Robinson said. “It will be similar to Cardiff. Some good players, some first team boys who haven’t played regular minutes, and some younger players that are trying to break into their squad. It will be a very competitive game.”
According to media reports, one player who is likely to feature for Oxford on Monday is Welsh defender Christian Ribeiro. The 27-year-old right back, a summer signing who broke his ankle during the preseason in August, has yet to make his competitive debut for Oxford.
DID YOU KNOW?
Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar, who played for the ‘Caps in 1979 and 1980, was a member of Oxford for a brief spell in 1997. Other ‘Caps alum who played for Oxford include Vancouver native Mark Watson and former Whitecaps FC keeper and women’s coach Hubert Busby Jr.
