Whitecaps FC-Fire Preview
The Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire are both looking to bounce back after disappointing starts to the season.
The Whitecaps have failed to score in three previous visits to Chicago, but they'll try to spoil the Fire's home opener Saturday.
While Vancouver entered the year with high hopes, things didn't go as planned last Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Toronto FC. Octavio Rivero opened the scoring in the 19th minute, but David Ousted went on to allow three unanswered goals as the Whitecaps failed to win their season opener for the first time.
"We lost the first game but there are 33 games to go," defender Pa-Modou Kah told the team's official website after recording an assist in his Vancouver debut. "Like I always say, it's not where you start it's where you end. We have to set the record straight."
Vancouver committed 18 fouls to Toronto's 11, an area it will look to clean up going forward.
"You don't turn into a good team overnight and you don't turn into a bad team overnight," coach Carl Robinson said. "We just need to find our rhythm and groove. And hopefully that will come on Saturday."
The Fire opened with a 2-0 defeat at Los Angeles last Friday. Sean Johnson finished with three saves as Chicago held the Galaxy scoreless until the 65th minute.
"You can't ask for a harder game to start your season," coach Frank Yallop said. "For me, it was tough to really get a real sense of where we are because it's the first game against the (defending) champions and we were sort of at half strength with some guys out. My big thing is making sure that we regroup and get ready for the home opener next weekend and come out with a victory in that one."
The Fire are 1-2-2 against Vancouver, though both losses came on the road. Chicago has outscored the Whitecaps 1-0 in three matchups at Toyota Park.
"They're a good side, they're a side that's been together a little bit for a while now, they move the ball well and they're dangerous in certain areas," Yallop said of the Whitecaps. "They haven't changed a ton from a playoff group last year. But we're at home, we're expected to get on the front foot and make the game.
"I'm sure Vancouver will want to bounce back from a game they lost at home, so it's a tough match but one we're looking forward to."
Veteran Jon Busch, signed in January for his second stint with the Fire, is expected to start with Johnson sidelined due to an arm injury. Razvan Cocis has also been ruled out, while fellow midfielder David Accam and defender Adailton are listed as questionable.
Chicago, which hasn't won its home opener since beating Philadelphia 1-0 in 2012, was a league-worst 4-11-2 at home last season.
The Whitecaps were limited to five goals in going 1-5-5 over their final 11 road games last season, including a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in the Western Conference knockout round.