VANCOUVER, BC – Both Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7W-8L-4D) and Real Salt Lake (8W-5L-5D) will look to get back to their winning ways on Wednesday night when the Western Conference rivals meet in a midweek affair at BC Place. Limited tickets are still available.
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. PT | TV: TSN1/3 | RADIO: TSN 1040
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
“We need to be better.”
Those were the words of Carl Robinson this week when asked about where Whitecaps FC (7W-8L-4D) stand at this point in the season. The ‘Caps, who are coming off a 2-2 draw with Colorado Rapids, currently occupy the sixth and final position in the Western Conference.
“If you ask any coach, they want to be at the top of the table,” Robinson told reporters. “But we’re in the mix. We need to tidy up and clean up a lot of things. We have made individual errors and collective errors. We need to be better across the board. We’re not in a perfect position, but we’re in a decent position. As long as we remain in a decent position while we’re still trying to regain good form, we’ll be OK.”
But Robinson isn’t resting on his laurels.
The ‘Caps bolstered their back line on Monday with the additions of Canadian international defenders David Edgar and Marcel de Jong. Robinson said there’s a chance de Jong could be involved this week, while Edgar is more likely to make his debut on July 19 vs. Crystal Palace.
Robinson also said that it’s not looking like good news for Kekuta Manneh, who left Saturday’s match with a right foot injury, though there’s no official confirmation on the severity just yet.
REAL SALT LAKE
RSL (8W-5L-5D) enter Wednesday’s contest third in the Western Conference with 29 points – four points ahead of sixth-place Whitecaps FC – after a pair of draws at home. Most recently, they salvaged a 1-1 draw with Montreal Impact thanks to a 79th-minute Yura Movsisyan penalty.
Movsisyan plays centrally atop RSL’s 4-3-3 formation.
He’s one of the danger men – along with the diminutive Joao Plata and Juan Manuel “Burrito” Martinez, who play on either side of him. Movsisyan, who has scored in five of his last six starts, leads RSL with seven goals, followed by Martinez with six and Plata with five.
The likes of Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman lead the way for RSL a little deeper in midfield, but Beckerman will be unavailable on Wednesday due to caution accumulation.
KEY MATCHUPS
Kendall Waston (CB) vs. Yura Movsisyan (FWD): Waston is coming off a Budweiser Man of the Match performance against Colorado – and he’ll need to be at his best again against RSL’s leading scorer.
David Ousted (GK) vs. Nick Rimando (GK): We were treated to a pretty good goalkeeper battle on Saturday with Tim Howard in town, and this has the makings of another one. Ousted and Rimando are considered to be two of the best in MLS.
DID YOU KNOW?
No team has scored more goals than RSL (17) away from home this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Record vs. RSL: 6W-5L-4D
Record vs. RSL at BC Place: 5W-1L-1D
This will be the second and final meeting between Vancouver and RSL this season – RSL won 1-0 on April 16 at Rio Tinto Stadium behind a second-half goal from Martinez.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! 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.
