SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – Vancouver Whitecaps FC visit San Jose Earthquakes at 7 p.m. PT in their first road match of the 2017 MLS regular season (TSN 1/3 and TSN 1410 Radio). Here are some news and notes on Vancouver’s starting lineup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.David Ousted; 28.Jake Nerwinski, 4.Kendall Waston, 22.Christian Dean, 2.Jordan Harvey; 30.Ben McKendry, 31.Russell Teibert; 13.Cristian Techera, 11.Nicolás Mezquida, 23.Kekuta Manneh; 19.Erik Hurtado
Substitutes
70.Paolo Tornaghi, 7.Christian Bolaños, 12.Fredy Montero, 14.Cole Seiler, 32.Marco Bustos, 47.Kyle Greig, 77.Mauro Rosales
Injury Report
• David Edgar: out - suffered posterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments (PCL and MCL) tear, as well as a meniscus tear, in his right knee on December 15, surgery on January 4
• Brett Levis: out - suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his right knee during the second half of the season finale against Portland on October 23, surgery on November 8
• Yordy Reyna: out - left foot (fifth metatarsal) fracture suffered in the second half of the preseason match at Portland on February 15, surgery on February 21
Disciplinary Report
None
Lineup Notes
Five changes from the MLS home opener against Philadelphia Union as Jake Nerwinski, Kendall Waston, Russell Teibert, Ben McKendry, and Nicolás Mezquida replace Sheanon Williams, Tim Parker, Andrew Jacobson, MatÃas Laba, and Alphonso Davies
Average age of 26 years and two weeks o Eight starters are 26 or younger
- Three players over 26 are longtime WFC left back Jordan Harvey is the oldest at 33 years, followed by keeper David Ousted at 32, central back Kendall Waston at 29
10 of the 11 starters are returning players from 2016, only Nerwinski is making his WFC and MLS debut. In fact, eight starters have at least been with the club since 2014, Robinson’s first year as manager: Ousted, Waston, Dean, Harvey, Teibert, Mezquida, Manneh, Hurtado
Six different birth countries: Canada (x2), Costa Rica, Denmark, Gambia, Uruguay (x2), and USA (x4)
Two Homegrown players in Ben McKendry (joined the club in 2007) and Russell Teibert (joined club in 2008)
Four MLS SuperDraft first round picks in Kekuta Manneh (4th in 2013), Erik Hurtado (5th in 2013), Christian Dean (3rd in 2014), and Jake Nerwinski (7th in 2017)
Outside of last year’s match at San Jose on October 16, keeper David Ousted has played every MLS minute since his debut back on August 3, 2013
Rookie right back and native of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Jake Nerwinski is making his MLS debut. Nerwinski played both Champions League matches against New York Red Bulls.
After not playing a MLS match for 555 days, Christian Dean, the product of East Palo Alto, California, which is a 25-minute drive from Avaya Stadium, makes MLS starts in back-to-back matches for only the second time in his professional career. The centre back missed all of 2016 due to injuries including a left foot fracture suffered during training on March 1 (fifth metatarsal fracture surgery on March 9) and a meniscus tear in his right knee suffered during training on May 25 (surgery on May 31). Prior to last weekend, Dean’s last appearance in official competition was the last group stage match of the 2015-16 CCL at CD Olimpia on October 22, 2015, and first MLS appearance since the away match at Houston Dynamo on August 29, 2015
Central midfielder Ben McKendry is making his MLS debut. The native of Vancouver, BC first joined Whitecaps FC as a member of the club’s Prospects program in 2007 before joining Residency in 2010. The 23-year old, who spent three years at the University of New Mexico (2012 to 2014) has seen first team minutes in Canadian Championship and Champions League play last year. McKendry has also been a regular with WFC2 in USL, receiving the WFC2 Player of the Year award in 2015. McKendry started playing soccer as a four-year-old with Grandview Legion Football Club in Vancouver, BC. McKendry also played youth soccer in Metro Vancouver with Italian Canadian Sports Federation (ICSF), Marpole Soccer Club, Vancouver Selects (now Vancouver FC), and Total Soccer Systems (TSS)
Winger Kekuta Manneh makes his 100th MLS regular season appearance tonight
Recent additions, Fredy Montero and Mauro Rosales, as well as Christian Bolaños (returning from patellar tendonitis in his right knee), second year defender Cole Seiler, Homegrown midfielder Marco Bustos, last year’s WFC2 captain and leading goal scorer Kyle Greig, and keeper Paolo Tornaghi are available as substitutes
Following tonight’s match, Whitecaps FC will train in San Jose on Sunday before leaving on a chartered flight to Monterrey, Mexico on Monday morning. The team will train at Estadio Universitario on Monday afternoon, Tuesday’s Champions League match will kick off at 7 p.m. PT.
