Whitecaps FC return home against New England Revolution on Saturday

VANCOUVER, BC – In their first and only meeting of the season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4W-5L-4D) host Eastern Conference side New England Revolution (5W-4L-5D) this coming Saturday, June 15 at BC Place. This will be the Revs' first ever match at BC Place.

This weekend's encounter will see a pair of streaks on the line as New England go into the match on a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions, while the 'Caps have yet to be beaten at home this season.

Saturday's match kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and is live on City, Sportsnet Pacific, Bell mobile devices, and online athttp://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl. 'Caps fans can also listen to Saturday night’s match live on TEAM 1410 radio andteamradio.ca, starting with the pre-game show at 5 p.m. PT. TEAM 1410 will also have a two-hour post-game show, which will begin following the match.

With this coming Sunday being Father's Day, what better way to spend time with Dad than at Saturday's game? Enjoy this BC Hydro Family Match with a Family Pack. For only $100, receive four tickets to the match, a 15% discount on youth and kids merchandise, and access to the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Bring three non-perishable food items or make a $5 donation for the Purolator Tackle Hunger Food Drive on Saturday and receive a player-autographed pennant.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

The ‘Caps are coming off of a tough 3-2 loss on the road to Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders FC last Saturday in front of 53,679 fans at CenturyLink Field. Camilo continued his strong play with a two-goal performance, while Canadian international Russell Teibert also continued to deliver with assists on both goals. However, a promising performance was not enough in the end. A second-half injury to centre back Andy O’Brien proved to be the turning point in the match as the Sounders mounted a comeback in front of their home faithful.

Camilo's brace brings his MLS total to a team-leading five goals, with another two in the Amway Canadian Championship (ACC). The Brazilian has now registered four goals and one assist in the past four 'Caps matches in all competitions. Teibert, meanwhile, now has assists in back-to-back matches after also serving up the cross for Kenny Miller's winning goal in New York two weeks ago.

Head coach Martin Rennie’s side will be short at centre back this week with captain Jay DeMerit (ruptured Achilles tendon), O’Brien (hamstring), and Brad Rusin (calf strain) also expected to be out this weekend. The long list of injuries led the 'Caps to recall centre back Carlyle Mitchell from his loan to FC Edmonton this week. Mitchell himself has been suffering from a sprained ankle, but the Trinidad & Tobago international did train this week and should be available come Saturday.

Also questionnable this week is midfielder Gershon Koffie (quad strain), while winger Omar Salgado (foot fracture) remains out indefinitely.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The Revs continued their fine run of form on Wednesday when they defeated New York Red Bulls 4-2 in the fourth round of the 2013 U.S. Open Cup. Second-year player Kelyn Rowe scored a pair to led New England into the quarterfinals. The result brought their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions with a record of 5W-0L-2D, outscoring their opponents by a score of 19-4.  Included in this stretch is a surprise 5-0 blowout win over defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy on June 2, in which five different players scored for the Revs: Saer Sene, Lee Nguyen, Diego Fagundez, Chad Barrett, and Rowe.

In their last MLS action, the Revs’ played to a 0-0 draw against D.C. United last Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution have plenty of young talent helping them this season, including 18-year-old Homegrown star Fagundez, who has five goals already this season.

In terms of injuries, the Revolution will be without defender Kevin Alston (illness) and midfielders Clyde Simms (MCL) and Donnie Smith (hamstring).

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Saturday’s match will be the fourth all-time MLS regular season match between the two sides, with the ‘Caps holding a record of 0W-2L-1D against the Revolution in MLS play.

In their most recent match against the Revs, on May 12, 2012, the ‘Caps lost 4-1 at Gillette Stadium, with former ‘Caps striker Eric Hassli netting the lone goal for the Blue and White. In their first and only time hosting the Revs in Vancouver, the 'Caps played their Massachusetts foes to a memorable 1-1 draw at Empire Field in which Vancouver received two red cards and New England were shown one.

Prior to joining MLS, Whitecaps FC held a record of 1W-2L-0D against teams from New England in the old North American Soccer League. Included in this record is a win and a loss to Boston Minutemen in 1974 and 1975, as well as a loss to New England Tea Men in 1978.

There are also many player connections between the two clubs. The most notable connection is Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Brad Knighton, who began his MLS career with New England in 2007.  Also of note, both Young-Pyo Lee and Revs midfielder Lee Nguyen played for PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch Eredivisie. The American midfielder signed with MLS in December 2011, and was originally allocated to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a weighted lottery but was released by the team on March 1, 2012. Nguyen was also a teammate of ‘Caps captain Jay DeMerit on the US men’s national team for the 2007 Copa América tournament. Lastly, New England defender Andrew Farrell and Whitecaps FC midfielders Erik Hurtado and Kekuta Manneh were all selected in the first round of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and spent time together at the 2013 MLS Combine.

NEXT UP

The 'Caps return to action soon after Saturday's match, hosting the ever-evolving Chivas USA this coming Wednesday, June 19 at BC Place. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca/whitecapsfc.