The Vancouver Whitecaps will take on their second Eastern Conference side of the season on Saturday, as they welcome NYCFC to BC Place for the first time since 2022.
The last time these two teams played was in 2023, when the ‘Caps were in the midst of a lengthy road trip. The game was in the afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and I’m 97% convinced it was a fever dream. Nonetheless, it ended 1-1.
The last time these two teams played in Vancouver was the opening week of the 2022 season, when Thomas Hasal was the man of the match. So, suffice to say, plenty has changed since then.
This promises to be a fun one. The Pigeons sit second in the East and have been one of the better sides in the league so far. Their schedule hasn’t been the stiffest — NYCFC’s three wins came over Philadelphia (bad), Orlando City (very bad), and Colorado (mediocre), and draws against middling Western Conference sides LA Galaxy and St. Louis were sprinkled in there as well.
NYCFC’s strengths, however, are obvious. They have two very good central midfielders, Keaton Parks and Aiden O’Neill, a goalkeeper who will likely be starting in the World Cup, and the ageless wonder, Maxi Moralez, pulling the strings in midfield. Nicolas Fernandez has also been a promising DP signing, with five goals this year.
The backline has been solid enough, conceding the seventh-fewest goals per match of any team in the league. I would argue, however, that this is as much down to the ability of Parks and O’Neill to control games and tilt the field in NYCFC’s favor than an exemplary backline (though Thiago Martins is fine, and I’m not sure if we have enough data on new signing Kai Trewin to know one way or another). Parks, in particular, is excellent on the ball and operates well in tight spaces to cause problems for the opposition.
The ‘Caps will get a boost as they try to win the midfield battle, with Andres Cubas set to be available after missing the last couple of matches with an injury. It is unclear whether he will be fit to start, but even having Cubas ready to go off the bench will be huge.
It will be interesting to see what Jesper Sørensen decides to do with his wingers. AZ Jackson struggled to get involved in last week’s match against Portland, while Cheikh Sabaly got involved but couldn’t finish the hat trick of chances that fell his way. Emmanuel Sabbi was not exactly convincing in his performance off the bench either.
Now, all three of these guys have the capacity to be game changers. But the ‘Caps have not quite figured out how to unlock their wide players consistently, week in and week out.
Bruno Caicedo’s spectacular debut, which was Ali Ahmed or Jayden Nelson-esque in his ability to beat defenders 1v1 and cause chaos, has caused a stir. And, given that Vancouver has missed that sort of player this year, you can see why the fans are desperate for more. I would be surprised if Sørensen started Caicedo, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he gets another cameo off the bench. It should be the usual suspects in the attack, otherwise.
Sebastian Schonlau, meanwhile, has picked up an injury and will miss out, solidifying Mathias Laborda alongside Tristan Blackmon in the backline. While Ranko Veselinovic is seemingly near a return, the ‘Caps are awfully thin at centreback for the time being. Hopefully, it won’t be an issue in this match, but it certainly is something to watch moving forward.
Overall, this should be a very entertaining match, with two teams who like to take the initiative and who have been among the best in their respective conferences this season. For Vancouver, it will be a welcome test after weeks of playing against teams that have been content to sit in a low block and absorb pressure. Given that the clock is running out on Vancouver’s lengthy home stand, time is of the essence to stockpile points. For NYCFC, this will be a chance to pick up a huge result on the road. Either way, it should be must watch TV.