The Whitecaps will be going up against Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers FC on Friday night at 7PM, and this match should be an interesting one. We know that Cascadia rivalries always have a certain special flair to them, but this one will be especially interesting for a few reasons.
- Brian Fernandez
Brian Fernandez was brought in to the Portland Timbers from the Liga MX, where he did very well last season. He comes to Portland as a DP and a record cost signing for them, so he will be looking to get on the scoresheet for his first MLS game. I will be exciting to see how he adjusts to a different style of play, and how his quality compares to that of the MLS and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
2. Both teams aren’t doing too well so far this season.
For the Whitecaps’ last game against Philadelphia, the theme of the day was frustration. The Whitecaps were livid that they didn’t pick up 3 points against a Philadelphia team who didn’t have their best squad on the pitch. Knowing how important it is to pick up points at home in MLS, the Whitecaps will be happy with nothing less that 3 points here against Portland.
Both the ‘Caps and the Timbers have had a rough start to the season. The Whitecaps have a 2-3-5 record so far, and the Timbers have a 3-1-5 record. Portland were doing extremely poorly at the start of the season, but they picked up 3 big wins as of late, so they are on a hot streak right now, and are probably feeling pretty confident about themselves especially with their new signing.
3. A tough task for the Whitecaps
Although Portland haven’t done amazingly well to start off this season, we can’t forget about the serious assets they have on this squad. With the likes of Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco, their leading goalscorer Jeremy Ebobisse, and the new man Brian Fernandez, the Whitecaps will have their work cut out for them defensively, and this match will serve as a good test of how solid the Whitecaps’ back line really is.
BTS Player to Watch: Fredy Montero
Coming off of arguably his best performance of the year, Fredy Montero is likely going to get the start against Portland. This game will be a big one for him, as he will be looking to show everyone that he is a consistent performer, something that’s been really lacking from him this season. If the Whitecaps can execute effective delivery to Montero, and he has found his confidence back, the Whitecaps may have the piece of the puzzle they have been lacking this season – a goalscorer.
Predictions:
Bryan : 3-1 Portland. Fernandez, Valeri, Ebobisse for Portland, and Montero for Vancouver.
Jan : 2-1 Whitecaps with Montero and Hwang scoring and Valeri scoring for the Timbers.
Keveren: 2-0 Whitecaps win. Goals from Bangoura and Montero.
Alex: 3-2 Whitecaps. Hwang, Montero and Godoy for ‘caps, Valeri and Blanco for Portland
Karim : 1-0 Whitecaps. Bangoura.