Whitecaps set to battle familiar faces, and a former English star, in D.C.

VANCOUVER — All friendships will be left on the sidelines this weekend when the Vancouver Whitecaps take the pitch in Washington against D.C. United.

Vancouver defender Sean Franklin expects to hear a bit off abuse on the pitch during today’s match, which will be somewhat of a homecoming for the 33-year-old. Franklin played four seasons with United before signing with the Whitecaps in February.

“I’m just looking forward to having a good game there,” he said after practice this week. “There’ll probably be a little bit of trash talking. We’re friends off the field but when it comes to game time, you’ve got to set that aside and they’re the enemy.”

Franklin said years of playing and training with United give him a bit of an advantage going into the match, because he knows some of the team’s tendencies and weaknesses.

“But at the end of the day, it’s about how I perform, how our team performs,” he said. “And I want to win. You want to beat your former team and have bragging rights.”

There’ll be some familiar faces on the other side of the field, too, with former ’Caps keeper David Ousted and forward Darren Mattocks now playing for Washington.

Matches against former teammates are a “real treat,” said Vancouver midfielder Russell Teibert, who suited up alongside both Mattocks and Ousted for the Whitecaps.

“It’s that competitive nature. That’s why we're all here, we all have that drive to win games,” he said. “And it’s that much better when you can go out there and beat one of your former teammates.”

Washington has struggled so far this MLS season, winning just two of their 14 games, but today could mark the dawn of a new era for the team as they christen a new stadium and welcome a soccer superstar to the fold.

The club inked Wayne Rooney to a three-and-a-half year designated player contract last month. The 32-year-old is expected to play his first game for D.C. United against the Whitecaps.

Rooney, the all-time leading goal scorer for both Manchester United and England’s national team, most recently played with Everton in the English Premier League.

It will be a big day for Washington, but Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson said his team has the momentum, coming off an electric 3-2 win over the Chicago Fire last weekend.

“We’ll go full of confidence, full of energy and try to play spoiler down there,” Robinson said.

“We’re not there to make it a nice game. We’re there to win. We’re going in there to take three points off them.”