The opponent for this season’s opener is a familiar one. The Vancouver Whitecaps were the only Canadian club to make the MLS playoffs last season and the majority of their core returns for the 2015 campaign.
Blessed with an arsenal of speed up front, creativity in the midfield and brute strength at the back, the Whitecaps are slated to compete for their second consecutive playoff berth in a tough Western Conference.
Vancouver replaced Andy O’Brien with Pa-Modou Kah, but outside of that former Toronto FC midfielder Carl Robinson will have a familiar cast of characters at this disposal.
Here are three keys to watch when it comes to Vancouver.
Strong Spine
Late last season a group of TFC players gathered in a Boston hotel lobby to watch Vancouver’s must-win game against the Colorado Rapids. David Ousted garnered widespread praise, with one player stating the Dane was the best goalkeeper in the league.
From the goal out the Whitecaps are big, strong and mobile. Kendall Waston enjoyed a breakout 2014 season. The Costa Rican international emerged as one of the best centre-backs in MLS, and alongside Kah, Robinson can count on a steady, physical presence in the center of his defence.
Matias Laba, a familiar face in these parts, will likely be paired with Russell Teibert (another player...well, you get the point) in front of the back four. The cat and mouse game between Laba and Sebastian Giovinco should be worth the price of admission alone.
Balance in the midfield
Laba provides the mettle in the midfield, but it’s Pedro Morales who will have the Reds on alert throughout Saturday’s match. The reigning MLS Newcomer Of The Year is primed for another big season and has been challenged by his head coach to add another dimension to his game: the free kick.
"He didn't score one free kick last year, and I've challenged him this year to score more free kicks and to score more from open play, because the quality he possesses when you see him on a daily basis is absolutely top-drawer," Robinson told MLSSoccer.com earlier this week. "He makes players around him better, but I also want him to get better as well. I believe he can get better. Not just him though, but a number of my players."
Morales will also be well rested after playing for 18 months straight.
Mauro Rosales and Kekuta Manneh round out the attacking triumvirate that will play behind newly signed striker Octavio Rivero.
Speed kills
Greg Vanney made it clear Vancouver’s speed is something TFC will have to counteract if a result on the road is to be had.
“They’re a team that hasn’t made a bunch of changes this last offseason,” Vanney said.
“They’ll be very mobile, with very quick players that can get in and out of gaps. Obviously with Manneh he can get in behind and take people on.”
The 20-year-old Manneh, Nicolas Mezquida and his countryman Rivero are pace threats Damien Perquis, Steven Caldwell and the rest of the TFC defence must pay keen attention to.
On Friday we’ll take a closer look at the matchup as a whole. It’s so close.
Watch the game this Saturday on TSN4 at 6:00 PM ET and follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TFCLive
