The Vancouver Whitecaps face the Columbus Crew for the second time this season losing the first match 2-1 on the road. The club looks to bounce back from a disappointing week in which they lost all three games including the Canadian Championship to TFC.
KEY PLAYERS
ATTACKING
With the absence of Chiumiento due to injury, Terry Dunfield is playing more of an attacking role for the Whitecaps. Although he has struggled with his distribution the coaching staff is showing confidence in him. There will be times when he will swap spots with Brovsky.
Coming back international duty where he missed five games Robbie Rodgers brings goal scoring ability off the wing. Rodgers has pace, the ability to cut in and provides good service to the strikers for the Columbus Crew.DEFENSE
The Caps need Jonathan Leathers to have a bounce back game in order to slow down Rodgers on the flanks. While the American defender is not the fastest of players on the pitch, he is physical and smart two traits that will be needed at Empire.The two time MLS defender of the year, Chad Marshall, is the undisputed leader of the backline for the Crew and has played every minute of this year. The seven year veteran will be missing his partner, Andy Iro, and the normal holding midfielder, Rich Balchan.WHO’S ON FORM
During their recent three game losing streak, Camilo is the only Whitecap that has put through a consistent effort and score. He scored twice, including a fantastic free kick, and was very dangerous coming off the wing.Coming in to the season there were question of who would score for Columbus. It looks like they have found their player in Peruvian striker and designated player Andres Mendoza who has scored six goals in his last seven games.2011 RECORD
2W-8L-8D9th in Western Conference
Last Game: 1-0 Loss at Toronto FC
6W-5L-6D3rd in Eastern Conference
Last Game: 2-0 Loss at FC Dallas
PROJECTED LINEUPS
INJURIES
OUT: FW Atiba Harris (knee), DF Jay DeMerit (adductor)DOUBTFUL: MF John Thorrington (calf)
QUESTIONABLE: FW Davide Chiumiento (hamstring), FW Eric Hassli (foot)
OUT: DF Josh Williams (hip), MF Dilly Duka (ankle), DF Rich Balchan (adductor), MF Leandre Griffit (abdominal)DOUBTFUL: DF Shaun Francis (hamstring), FW Emilio Renteria (quad)
GAME PREDICTION
0
2
After a demoralizing weekend where they lost the Canadian Championship to TFC, the Whitecaps look to rebound against the Columbus Crew. They will be shorthanded when they face the Crew for the second time this season as they will be without their captain Jay DeMerit and their top playmaker Davide Chiumiento while Eric Hassli will be a gametime decision. It is only their second home game under the Tom Soehn regime with the first being a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union.
With injury concerns there will be some shuffling of the lineup as they will most likely play a 4-2-3-1 formation. If Hassli is unable to go then Salgado may start as the lone striker against the team he scored his first MLS goal. Behind him will be either Dunfield or Brovsky to start with the other partnering with Koffie as the holding midfielder.
Camilo will start at one of the wing spots with either Salinas or Teibert starting on the opposite side. Leathers will have the right back spot and Boxall should start in one of the central positions on the backline. Rochat could start in the middle, if Wagner is the fourth, or on the left side, if Janicki gets the call. Joe Cannon will get a chance to redeem his shaky performance over the weekend.
There are a lot of questions being asked after their three game road trip where they dropped all three matches. The best way to answer these questions is to get a result in their game tonight against the Crew. In their previous match up, a 2-1 loss, the Caps were dominated by the Crew’s width and will need their fullbacks and wingers to play together with the central midfielders. The team needs to start learn to grind out goals when on the attack and with all their missing players it will need to in order to get a result.
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