MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
TCF Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minnesota
06.24.17 | MLS Week #17 | MLS Game #17
7:00 p.m. CT (My29, MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN)

2017 Records:
MIN: 5-9-2; 5-3-0 at home
VAN: 6-6-2; 2-4-0 on the road

Fresh off a thrilling 3-2 victory over the visiting Portland Timbers, MNUFC will keep the home cooking going at TCF Bank Stadium this Saturday as they take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. with pre-match coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on My29 and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN. Check out our special offer for a ticket and Luchador mask, plus enjoy Lucha Libre wrestling in the West Plaza starting at 6:00 p.m.

The quick turnaround will place a premium on recovery and depth for a Loons squad that’s been short on the latter, but the team has to be encouraged by the fact that neither of Portland’s goals came in the run of play. The first was a penalty kick and the second an own goal, leaving the Loons with a sense that they never genuinely broke down on defense. Their resilience at home has been impressive overall.

“We’ve shown in the last few weeks that playing at home we’re a different proposition,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “Certainly our performances on the road the last two or three weeks were not good enough, individually or collectively. The game Saturday is huge for us and then we go away. And then we’re at home for virtually five or six weeks. The next five or six weeks for us are going to be sort of pivotal for where this season goes for us. It was nice to get that win, because getting wins at home keeps the confidence, gets the crowd going. I think we can build from that.”

After having to dig deep into the roster for road matches against Sporting Kansas City due to a combination of international call-ups, suspensions and injuries, the team’s starting lineup took another knock when left back Marc Burch underwent surgery for a bi-lateral sports hernia, putting him out for two to three months. In response, Heath moved Jerome Thiesson into Burch’s spot and has started Kevin Venegas the last two matches. For Venegas, it’s an opportunity, but one he’s been ready for.

“We train everyday together, so whether you’re with the starting back line, or just one of them or two of them, I’m still watching the games,” he said. “It’s really important to treat practice the same way you would a game. For instance, just like out of nowhere you get called in and you have to replace someone. There’s no time to build into it. You gotta be ready to go. If you train the same way as you would in a game, it makes that gap a lot shorter.”

“How many opportunities do you get generally depends on how you play,” said Heath, reflecting on Venegas’ performances so far this season. The defender started against New England in Week 4. “I think the three games that he’s had, he’s got better at each one. He’s got another opportunity this weekend, and now it’s up to him to start playing. But he certainly did himself no harm last night. I thought he was a lot better.”

After going without a goal in his last three matches, forward Christian Ramirez got back on the board with his ninth goal and moved up into a tie for fourth in MLS with a beauty of a chip over Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. A big part of his adjustment to MLS this season has been getting accustomed to the league and learning from other strikers who have had success at this level.

“As I get more and more opportunities, I find myself getting more and more comfortable, and learning different aspects of being the target man in this league,” he said. “Picking stuff out from guys who have steadied in this league, who have been successful in the last three or four years. A perfect example is last night, Fanendo Adi. Someone who I’ve looked up to, and have taken little things from his game, and from his start in MLS and to where he’s at now. Hopefully I can do that in my third year here. I always aim pretty big.”

Venegas — who played with Ramirez in the NASL for the past two years — has had a chance to gain even more keen insight into what makes Ramirez an effective attacker and special player.

“I think something about Christian that makes him different is he’s not a forward that’s going to dribble you, take you on,” he said. “He’s got a lot of really high qualities when it comes to movement off the ball, which is something that is hard to teach, hard to learn and hard to do. Christian is very good at working off the back shoulders of defenders, and staying in the most dangerous spots on the field. When he does get the ball, he’s doesn’t have to do a lot of dribbling. He doesn’t have to do a lot of work. He’s just going to get his couple yards of space, and shoot.

“That’s another attribute he’s always had,” Venegas continued. “His finishing is very clinical. Very simple. He’s not trying to blast the ball as hard as he can into the top corner and knock a spider web out. He’s just going to try to place it, or be very calm on the ball. That’s when he’s his best. It’s those qualities he’s always had, and this year with even better players around him feeding the ball to him, it’s just going to keep unfolding. Like it has in the last couple games where he gets those tap-ins, or you know, gets the little chip over the goalie. Those kinds of goals will keep coming.”

The Loons will need those goals on Saturday facing a Whitecaps side currently sitting sixth in the West and above the red line — a place MNUFC fervently wants to get to as it looks ahead to that long homestand coming up after they take on New York City FC. That match will take place on Thursday, June 29 in Yankee Stadium at 6:30 p.m. CT with pre-match coverage starting at 6:00 p.m. on My29 and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.

INJURY REPORT

Minnesota United
OUT: M - Bernardo Anor (left lower leg injury)
OUT: M/D - Thomas de Villardi (left Achilles injury)
OUT: D - Joseph Greenspan (concussion)
OUT: D - Marc Burch (sports hernia surgery 6/20, out 8-12 weeks)
OUT: D - Vadim Demidov (left knee injury)

Vancouver Whitecaps
OUT: D - Brett Levis (ACL tear)
OUT: M - Yordy Reyna (foot surgery 2/21, out until summer)
OUT: D - David Edgar (PCL, MCL tear)
OUT: D - Christian Dean (foot injury)
OUT: M - Nicolas Mezquida (right high ankle sprain)
OUT: D - Kendall Waston (left hip injury)
OUT: M - Christian Bolaños (right shoulder sprain)
OUT: F - Erik Hurtado (left foot contusion)

DISCIPLINARY REPORT

Minnesota United
Suspended: Abu Danladi (red card)

FIRST TOUCHES

• Christian Bolanos, Kendall Waston, Francisco Calvo and Johan Venegas are all members of the Costa Rican men’s national team.
• Goalkeeping Coach Marius Rovde was on the Whitecaps FC staff from 2011 through 2016.
• Brek Shea and Kevin Molino were teammates on Orlando City SC under Adrian Heath in 2015 and 2016.
• At just 16 years old, Alphonso Davies recently became the youngest player to make an appearance for the Canadian men’s national team.
• Christian Ramirez scored his ninth goal of the season on Wednesday night, moving him to fourth in the league rankings.
• Bobby Shuttleworth moved up to third in the MLS save rankings on Wednesday, bringing his total 55 stops.
• Abu Danladi will miss this match due to a red card suspension. He was sent off Wednesday night against Portland for violent conduct following a tackle with the Timbers’ Sebastian Blanco. Blanco was also ejected following the incident.
• With just 50 shots on target, Whitecaps FC has the second fewest in the league.
• Vancouver has the lowest shooting accuracy in the league, with just 29.2% of its shots hitting the frame.
• Both clubs have taken 67 corner kicks and have been caught offside 27 times.