The Whitecaps’ World Cup break ends Wednesday night at Swangard, as Vancouver plays host to Cavalry FC in their first match of their Voyageurs Cup campaign.

It has been five weeks since the ‘Caps last took the field, and I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to watch this team play. With all three CONCACAF teams eliminated from World Cup play, it is the perfect time to transition back to MLS action.

The ‘Caps drew a tough opponent as they try to shake off the rust. Not only have Cavalry been playing through the World Cup break in the Canadian Premier League, but they have also been playing very well.

The Calgary-based side has won seven of its last eight matches, with the lone loss coming against league leaders Forge. All but one of those wins have come by multiple goals, and five have been clean sheets. The only thing separating Cavalry from the top of the table has been the five points dropped against Forge.

It makes sense, then, that Cavalry has both the best defensive record in the league, conceding only five goals all season, and the CPL’s best attack. Striker Tobias Warschewski, who has faced the ‘Caps previously, has chipped in five of those goals, but there is plenty of depth here, with six players scoring multiple times already this season.

Tommy Wheeldon has favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Warschewski or Caniggia Elva up top leading the line in front of a dangerous attacking band of Goteh Ntignee, veteran Sergio Camargo, and Ali Musse or Nathaniel Edwards. In some matches, Wheeldon has opted to play Warschewski and Elva together, giving him some options as the game develops on Wednesday.

Harry Paton and Eryk Kobza have held down the fort in central midfield ahead of the league’s best backline, anchored by Daan Klomp and Amer Didic. Keeper Nathan Ingham boasts the highest save percentage in the league, showing he can be a match-winner in goal.

The ‘Caps will likely still be shorthanded, with Sebastian Berhalter and Andres Cubas exiting the World Cup too late to feature in this one. Everyone else, aside from Kenji Cabrera and probably Emmanuel Sabbi, should be available, and you would think Jesper Sorensen will go with a fairly full-strength side given the long layoff and the need to ramp back up ahead of MLS action returning next week.

The intrigue is the return of Ryan Gauld and Sam Adekugbe to the lineup. It is unclear if they will be available to go from the start, but I would be pretty surprised if both players don’t get serious minutes in the second half. The Canadian quota will mean we’ll probably see Isaac Boehmer, Ralph Priso, and Jeevan Badwal in the starting lineup. Otherwise, I’d imagine the familiar faces will be in the starting XI (assuming someone can peel Thomas Müller away from a television set).

There will undoubtedly be some rust after such a long layoff, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of a wobbly first half as the ‘Caps try to find their feet and get up to speed. It will be a lift playing at Swangard, which the Whitecaps haven’t done since 2010, and I’ve seen a lot of excitement from fans about the novelty of the location. I’d expect a passionate crowd that could be a difference-maker as the squad tries to get back up and running.

Cavalry are pretty much the toughest CPL opponent the ‘Caps could have drawn here, and it will be a welcome test before MLS play resumes. With a quick turnaround ahead of the second leg on Monday, the ‘Caps would love to put this tie to bed in the first leg. Things rarely go so smoothly, but a win and denying Cavalry an away goal would put them in an excellent position before heading to Calgary.

A strong opponent and the energy at Swangard make this a fun watch and a nice way to welcome the Whitecaps back into our lives.