When asked about the early Saturday afternoon start at training on Friday, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Marc Dos Santos told the gathered media that if it was up to him, every home match would be an afternoon start. When asked why, Dos Santos cited the lack of rest and travel acclimatization time as a distinct advantage for the home side in an early start. But having just experienced the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew on Saturday afternoon, it certainly didn’t look like the home side had the upper hand.
The Whitecaps starting eleven remained largely unchanged from last weekend’s victory of the Houston Dynamo.