MIAMI (2-5-8) AT VANCOUVER (6-2-8), 7:30 P.M.
Venue: Swangard TV: Shaw
Web: whitecapsfc.com/live
THE SETUP
Vancouver has eight ties. Miami has eight, too. And their other meeting this season? A 0-0 tie. No truth to the rumour that it's Guaranteed Tie Night. Vancouver is sick of ties.
WHITECAPS LAST GAME
Randy Edwini-Bonsu salvaged a point, and the team's dignity, with an 87th-minute goal in a 1-1 tie against last-place AC St. Louis on Thursday.
MIAMI LAST GAME
Lost 2-0 at Por tland on Saturday and remain ahead of only St. Louis in the 12-team USSF D-2 league. Miami is 0-3-1 in its last four and winless on the road this season.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1 GET A GRIP, GUYS, WILL YOU?
Coach Teitur Thordarson took time at the end of Tuesday's training to address a growing concern: defending set pieces. Shoddy corner marking allowed St. Louis to strike first in Vancouver's most recent disappointing draw, and previous goals allowed against Rochester and Montreal were already on the coach's mind. "Really, it's just man-marking.''
2 GETTING CROSS ABOUT MISSES
The offensive side of set pieces was also on the mind of one Whitecap in particular. Defender Greg Janicki blew a glorious late chance against St. Louis when he mistimed his header off a Ricardo Sanchez corner. Janicki has scored twice this season but he's been left wanting far more.
Sanchez has consistently put deadly balls into the box.
3 RANDY'S FIRST PAST THE POSTS
Randy Edwini-Bonsu finally has his first goal of the season and the lightning-quick 20-year-old hopes it's a sign of things to come. The residency graduate latched onto the end of Blake Wagner's sublime pass to earn a tie with St. Louis last week. It was his 15th appearance this season across all competitions.
"The first one is always the tough one."
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