J.J. ADAMS’ KICKOFF
Saturday, 4 p.m., BC Place Stadium, TV: TSN1, Radio: TSN 1040
FIVE KEYS to the game
1 Report to the headmaster
You can tell that not scoring is starting to piss Kei Kamara off — and that’s a good thing. He’s doing everything but score, and a motivated Kamara is a dangerous one. In the six games the 6-foot-3 striker has played since returning from his groin strain, he’s had goals (wrongly) disallowed and missed gimmes and tough chances alike, but was cold-blooded on a 100th-minute penalty against Dallas. The re-emergence of Cristian Techera and Yordy Reyna, who’ve combined to score seven of the team’s last nine goals, should open up some room for Kamara to operate. 2 Reunion of former Red Bulls
Felipe and Orlando’s Sacha Kljestan used to run the middle of the pitch as midfielders with New York Red Bulls, with Kljestan leading the league in assists the past two seasons. This season, Felipe is tied for the third-most assists in MLS with six, two ahead of his former teammate, as they prepare for their first game head-to-head since being traded away from the Big Apple. 3 Going fast on a fast
Most would view going without food and drink for a day as a punishment. Aly Ghazal sees it as a blessing. As a practising Muslim, the Caps midfielder goes without any food or water from sun-up to sundown during Ramadan, the annual month of fasting that this year stretches from May 15 to June 15. To maintain his energy levels, Ghazal consults with nutritionists and doctors to make sure he eats and drinks properly to maintain his fitness during games and training. Mohamed El Monir is the incumbent left back for Orlando, but last weekend saw him come off the bench for the first time in his time with City. Lions coach Jason Kreis said it was directly related to his energy levels because of his Ramadan fast. 4 Flight on the other foot
The Whitecaps are the league’s most-travelled team, but it goes the other way, too. Saturday’s game is the second stop in a three-game,10-day, 10,500-km trip for the Lions, who beat Miami United 3-0 in U.S. Open Cup play Wednesday before flying the 4,500 km to Vancouver and then on to Montreal. But Orlando will be flying on a charter flight, allowing them to set their own schedule and bring as many players as they’d like, instead of having to make decisions on possible player fitness ahead of time. 5 Let’s get in formation
If it ain’t broke, why fix it? The Caps will roll out their 4-4-2 formation again — though some may call it a 4-4-1-1 with Yordy Reyna being given the freedom to rove — as it generated the most scoring opportunities of any MLS team in May. Kei Kamara started last game on the bench, but it’s hard to see him staying there with a two-week break after this weekend. The questions again revolve around who will play on the back line, with Kendall Waston away and Marcel de Jong still rehabbing a hamstring injury. Brek Shea, on the left, Doneil Henry and Jake Nerwinski joined Aja last week, and did a credible job limiting the Rapids.
THE BIG matchup JOSE AJA VS. DOM DWYER
Dwyer is the engine that powers Orlando SC. In his seven games played, the Lions are 6-1 with Dwyer scoring six of their 18 goals. Without him, they’re 0-5-1 and have scored just four goals. He should be back, and the task of stopping the striker falls to his former teammate-turned-Cap, Jose Aja. The soft-footed and lanky 6-foot-4 centreback never really found a home in Orlando despite solid numbers — his passing percentage was tops among MLS centrebacks in 2016 — and was traded to Vancouver in February.