Each Major League Soccer matchday in 2021, the KeyBank Scouting Report will give you a snapshot of the Portland Timbers’ next opponent. On Friday, the Portland Timbers travel north to Canada to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place (7pm PT, FOX 12 PLUS). Due to the pandemic, it is the Timbers' first trip to Canada since June 26, 2019 when they traveled to face the Montreal Impact – now CF Montréal – and first time in British Columbia since they took on the Whitecaps on May 10, 2019.
Team Form
The Whitecaps are in eighth place in the Western Conference on 29 points – one back from Portland's 30 – with a record of 7-7-8. They have won their last four games in a row by a combined score of 10-4 and are in the midst of a 10 game unbeaten streak. Most recently, the Whitecaps defeated Austin FC 2-1 at home.
Portland last faced Vancouver in a 1-0 loss on April 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah in a match that opened the 2021 MLS regular season for the Timbers.
Vancouver is led by interim head coach Vanni Sartini who took over after the Whitecaps parted ways with Marc Dos Santos in late August.
In attack
Vancouver forward Cristian Dájome leads the team with eight goals and is tied for the team lead with four assists. Coming over in a midseason addition, Scottish Designated Player midfielder Ryan Gauld has scored two goals and two assists in only six matches. Colombian forward Déiber Caicedo has four goals and four assists on the campaign.
Limited in MLS play due in part to Gold Cup duty, Canadian international Lucas Cavallini has one goal and three assists but has been out since early August due to a knee injury.
In Defense
Another Gold Cup Canadian representative, Maxime Crépeau has made 14 appearances in goal for Vancouver in 2021, earning three clean sheets. Homegrown goalkeeper Thomas Hasal has one shutout in six appearances this year.
Janio Bikel has played every minute of 2021 for Vancouver, sometimes in the midfield, sometimes along the backline and is second on the team in duels. Longtime San Jose centerback Florian Jungwirth was acquired by Vancouver in an August trade and has started the last two matches in defense.
Cascadia Cup
Friday's match is the first Cascadia Cup match between the two teams in 2021 but the third of Portland's campaign. Begun in 2004 by the supporters groups of Portland, Vancouver and Seattle Sounders FC, the Cascadia Cup is awarded to the team and their supporters group with the best record in intra-team, regular-season play between the trio.
Though Portland faced Vancouver earlier this regular season, this Cascadia Cup is only being contested in matches in which fans have been able to be in attendance, hence only the the final six matches of the three teams (two each against each team) count in the cup standings.
Pos. |
Team |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Sounders |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
+2 |
3 |
2 |
Timbers |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
-2 |
3 |
3 |
Whitecaps |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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