VANCOUVER – And so it begins.
Major League Soccer’s 20th season officially kicked off on Friday night when the reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy defeated the visiting Chicago Fire. But for Canadian fans, the MLS campaign doesn’t really start until Saturday when the Vancouver Whitecaps host Toronto FC.
Here are a few things you need to know about Saturday’s game at BC Place.
The Canadian rivalry
The majority of the players from both teams weren’t even born in Canada, and the coaches are American and Welsh.
But don’t try telling them this isn’t a Canadian rivalry.
“We have a fair amount of players who aren’t Canadian but the rivalry of two Canadian teams playing each other and the importance of the rivalry, all of our guys recognize it,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said.
“You always want to show you’re the best team in Canada, and within MLS. … It has some extra spice in it.”
Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson agreed: “It’s a match that’s great for Canadian football. It’s great for Major League Soccer.”
Giovinco debuts, Altidore returns
Toronto FC made the biggest splash of the off-season when it signed former Juventus playmaker Sebastian Giovinco to a designated player deal. The Italian is a dynamic, fleet-footed attacker who can make things happen in the final third of the pitch—the kind of player the Reds have never really had on their roster.
He’s also quite lethal from dead ball situations—during Friday’s practice at BC Place, the Italian was pinging free kicks off the crossbar and past goalkeepers Joe Bendik and Chris Konopka with stunning consistency.
“Don’t commit fouls too close to your box,” Vanney warned. “I think everybody has seen why.”
Giovinco and fellow DPs Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore will get special attention from the Whitecaps.
“Their (three DPs) make them tick, so if we can stop them then it’s down to them to stop my three guys and my other seven players. We have good balance throughout our team at the moment,” Robinson said.
Saturday’s contest also marks the MLS return of Altidore, one of TFC’s big signings this off-season. The American forward played in the league earlier in his career with New York before heading off to Europe where he enjoyed mixed results—brilliant with Dutch club AZ, but a complete washout at Hull City and Sunderland in the Premier League.
Rivero set for debut
Also making his MLS debut will be Octavio Rivero, a 23-year-old forward from Uruguay that the Whitecaps signed to a young designated player contract in the off-season. Vancouver struggled to score in 2014, and Robinson said he wants to add 25 more goals to his team’s overall tally this season.
“Hopefully (he can give us 26 goals), that might be nice,” Robinson quipped with reporters on Friday.
“If you’ve done your home work and you know what he’s like and not just read reports on him, (you know) he has super movement. He’s a big strong body. He’s quick. His movement is fantastic and he’s a focal point of the team.
“He brings a different dimension to the team that we were lacking last year when we lost Kenny Miller. He’ll be a welcome addition and brings different qualities to the other young players I’ve got.
Notable absences
Except for Deybi Flores who is away with Honduras’ under-20 team, Robinson confirmed all of his players will be available for selection and that he has no injury concerns.
For Toronto FC, three players of note were healthy scratches and did not make the trip to Vancouver: defender Mark Bloom, Brazilian winger Jackson and midfielder Daniel Lovitz.
Bloom, 27, was one of the Reds’ most consistent performers in 2014, making the right fullback position his own. He did so well that the club signed him to a multi-year contract extension this off-season even though the Georgia native had two years remaining on his previous deal.
Why was Bloom, who appeared to have a lock on the starting right fullback position coming into training camp, left at home in Toronto this weekend? Vanney explained that Warren Creavalle looked “a bit sharper” in pre-season than Bloom, who was coming off minor surgery.
“Warren has come in and he’s been hungry for the position. He’s shown a lot of confidence with the ball in terms of how we want to play—he’s been getting up and down the line. … Warren, during this pre-season, has progressed a little bit more (than Bloom),” Vanney told reporters after TFC’s practice Friday morning at BC Place.
He later added: “A lot of guys made strong cases for themselves who aren’t even here, and that’s just a tribute to the depth we have.”
Paul Dolan’s take
Sporsnet’s Irfaan Gaffar spoke to soccer commentator Paul Dolan after Whitecaps practice on Friday to get his take on the two teams and the game:
What’s next?
Toronto continues its seven-game stretch on the road to open the season next Saturday when it visits the Columbus Crew.
Vancouver’s next two games are also on the road: March 14 vs the Chicago Fire and March 21 vs Orlando City.
Check back with Sportsnet.ca throughout the weekend as John Molinaro is in Vancouver and will file a number of reports before and after Saturday’s Whitecaps-TFC match.
