VANCOUVER, BC
– After a tough start to their inaugural USL season, Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to Texas to take on fellow newcomers Austin Aztex at House Park.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. PT on Sunday and will be broadcast live on whitecapsfc2.com.
WHITECAPS FC 2
It was not the start that WFC2 were looking for as head coach Alan Koch and his squad fell to a 4-0 defeat on the road against Cascadia rivals Sounders FC 2 (S2) on Sunday.
“I think we’re all humbled by the experience,” said Koch after the opening day defeat. “We’ve kind of started at the bottom. But we’d rather start at the bottom and work our way up.”
- CONTEST: Enter to win WFC2 Season Tickets
Eight WFC2 players made their professional debuts versus S2, and nine of 11 starters were aged 22 or younger. Now that they’ve got opening day jitters out of the way, the team will be looking for a stronger follow-up match on Wednesday against the Aztex.
“We look forward to going to Austin,” added Koch. “They’re a good team, tough place to play. We’ll take [Sunday’s] lessons, absorb them, and go out there and make sure it’s a better performance on Wednesday night.”
Whitecaps FC 2 current roster:
Goalkeepers:Marco Carducci, Spencer Richey, Mark Village
Fullbacks:Jordan Haynes, Ethen Sampson, Chris Serban
Centre backs:Jackson Farmer, Craig Nitti
Centre midfielders:Ian Christianson, Ben McKendry, Mitch Piraux, Tyler Rosenlund
Wide midfielders:Victor Blasco, Jovan Blagojevic, Brett Levis, Sahil Sandhu
Strikers:Caleb Clarke, Mackenzie Pridham, Billy Schuler
* WFC player on-loan to WFC2
AUSTIN AZTEX
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lVLD0SmMOM"></a> |
<b>Highlights: Austin Aztex 2-0 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC</b> |
The Aztex got off to a flying start in their USL debut, earning a 2-0 victory over fellow newcomers Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in front of 4,105 fans at House Park. Strikers Sainey Touray and Trevin Caesar provided the goals.
Players to watch:
Striker – Sainey Touray: The Gambian went into the record books for the Aztex, scoring the first goal for the club as professional soccer made its return to Austin. The 25-year-old brings a wealth of experience to his side, having last played with San Antonio Scorpions in NASL last year and previously with Harrisburg City Islands, Carolina RailHawks, and briefly with New York Red Bulls in MLS.
Midfielder – Kris Tyrpak: The 23-year-old played with the Aztex in the PDL before being selected in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by Chivas USA. Tyrpak made nine appearances for the now defunct Chivas USA and scored one goal. That one goal, however, was a Messi-like moment of brilliance that will surely last as a career highlight. Now he’s back playing in his hometown and ready to lead the club to USL glory.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Whitecaps FC first team winger Kekuta Manneh played one PDL season with the Aztex in 2012 under current Aztex USL head coach Paul Dalglish.
- Before Whitecaps FC joined MLS, the club played the former Austin Aztex franchise five times, going 2W-1L-2D, with one win and one draw at House Park.
Come and see the next generation of Whitecaps FC stars as USL arrives in Vancouver. With Season Tickets available for as low as $118, WFC2 matches will be a unique and affordable experience for fans, families, students, and supporters. Flex packs are also available to fit your schedule - get seven tickets to use any way you want, to any matches you want. For more information on all WFC2 ticket options, call 604-484-7862 or e-mail wfc2@whitecapsfc.com.
