VANCOUVER – Bryan Meredith’s debut with the Vancouver Whitecaps didn’t go the way we wanted.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper scored four goals after Wednesday’s game against Los Angeles FC. The final result saw the ‘Caps defeated 6-0.
“Poor functionality was not Meredith’s fault,” Vancouver defenseman Jake Nerwinski said.
“In retrospect, I couldn’t have done anything,” he said in a video call on Friday. “I didn’t need to let him dry like that. No doorman deserves it. “
The Whitecaps (5-8-0) will catch Meredith sunday in front of the Portland Timbers (6-4-3).
The Scotch Plains, New Jersey home is expected to return to Vancouver for goals.
He is the club’s third goalkeeper this season, after Max Crepeau, who fractured his thumb in July, and Thomas Hasal, who recovers from a head injury in Vancouver’s 2–1 win over Real Salt Lake on September 19.
A condensed schedule will see the Whitecaps play six games in September, so education time has been hard to find, which made Meredith having difficulty creating behavior with team advocates, coach Marc Dos Santos said.
“But Bryan has all our confidence. We’re with him, we do it well, we do it to adapt well,” he said.
Meredith has admitted that betting the role of goalkeeper has not been easy, however, she feels prepared for the challenge.
“It’s a little difficult, ” he said. ” In the doorman, you like to get into rhythm. Having matches every week helps. That’s why I’m getting ahead of Sunday, there’s a lot to build from our last game. “and I’m ahead. “
Portland has only one more win than the Whitecaps this season, but the Timbers have been in major league soccer’s Western Conference lately.
Vancouver is in ninth place, two issues from a playoff position.
To beat Portland and climb the ladder, the entire Whitecaps team will want to be more powerful defensively, Nerwinski said.
“We have to make sure our four sides, with our midfielders, are tight and don’t allow simple shots,” he said.
Defending together is a big target in Friday practice, Dos Santos said, because the Whitecaps know Portland’s midfielder is dangerous.
Offensive threats like Diego Valeri’s will pose a challenge, but the coach expects his players to be in a position, even after an embarrassing outcome in L. A.
“We recovered,” Dos Santos said, noting that the team had responded to a previous three-game waste streak this season by winning two of their next 3 games.
“This gives me the utmost confidence that what LA was, that we will be able to respond, at least in terms of performance. In terms of results? You never know. It’s a game, it’s a sport. it just happens either way. “
PORTLAND TIMBERS (6-4-3) TO VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (5-8-0)
Sunday, Providence Park
HALFICILE TERRAIN BACKGROUND ?: Although the game is played at Timbers Stadium, the Whitecaps will technically be the team on Sunday. is the port of caps’ transit house.
GONE STREAKING: Timbers midfielder Yimmi Chara scored in three in a row for Portland.
GOL DECREE: Portland has scored 26 goals in thirteen regular-season games, the biggest moment among MLS teams. Vancouver has allowed 30 goals this year, the number of goals at the time in the league.
This Canadian Press report was first published on September 25, 2020.