FIVE KEYS to the game
1 KEEP YOUR HEAD, YOUNG BLOOD
The Phonze is going to have to play it cool this season. Young Alphonso Davies has seen plenty of over-aggressive play from defenders in the past year, whether it was in MLS, international or pre-season play. He’s lashed out a couple times as opponents have succeeded in getting the budding star to fall for their gamesmanship. “Am I worried? Possibly. Would I be surprised if they do that? No. Because I know they will,” said Caps coach Carl Robinson. “But you’re just relying on these officials to look after these players. “I’m sure there will be a number of experienced players trying to get in the head of the young boy, but trust me on this — his mentality is he’s as tough as nails. So he’ll be OK.”.
2 TIM’S TIME IS UP
it’s clear the Whitecaps and Tim Parker have made piece with the fact they will soon part ways. The ginger-headed fan favourite and Kendall Waston’s partner-in-crime on the back end will be heading somewhere back east, and won’t see any action in today’s game. The likely candidate to replace him is Aaron Maund, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound centre-back who made two starts for the Caps after coming over from Real Salt Lake last August. He’s had his moments in the pre-season, but has yet to prove he’s starting-calibre. Before joining Vancouver he had a team-leading 54 clearances and 34 aerials won.
3 NOT TODAY, NACHO MAN!
The Whitecaps know all about Ignacio Piatti, who spoiled their 2016 home opener with two goals — including the 87th-minute winner — and an assist. His weaving, darting run through the entire Caps defence for the game’s opening goal showed why the Italian has been named club MVP three straight seasons. He led the Impact with 17 goals in 28 games last season.
4 FORMATION FORMULA
Much has been made of the Whitecaps’ formation heading into the season. Will they play a 4-4-2? A 3-4-3? A 4-4-1-1? They’ve experimented with all the options during pre-season, but injuries to players like Doneil Henry and Justin Fiddes may throw a wrench in the works of playing three at the back. Robinson is confident in his team’s depth to play any formation, and will be looking to change it on a game-by-game basis.
5 SUPER BOWL
The Whitecaps have opened the full lower bowl for the game, with a sellout crowd of 27,000 fans expected, the largest in team history — including their glory days in the NASL. Not that it will be needed, but the $5 beers they’ll be selling in the supporters’ sections should help bolster the crowd’s energy.