First Of A Canadian Doubleheader

Whitecaps-Rapids, wettest game in MLS

Colorado makes the first of back-to-back trips to Canada tomorrow, facing Vancouver almost a stone's throw from my childhood home in Oak Harbor, WA (Seattle is 18 miles closer to drive than Vancouver B.C.).  Game time tomorrow is 4:30pm, so you can have a nice dinner during the second half or you can join C38 at the British Bulldog.  The game is on Altitude, no word if Balboa will be rejoining Fleming this week.

Injury Report:

OUT: M Brian Mullan (L knee surgery)

QUESTIONABLE: D Mark Burch (L calf contusion); D Chris Klute (R hamstring strain); D Dillon serna (L ankle sprain)

Disciplinary Report:

SUSPENDED: D Marvell Wynne (red card against KC)

Well, at least we have Irwin back at 100%.  Not a pretty report for our back line.  Vancouver will be missing Nigel Reo-Coker and our old friend Mehdi Ballouchy.  Here's my guess at our lineup but who really knows what will happen....:

I'm assuming that with the turf in Vancouver neither Buddle or Sanchez will start.  Sanchez had a pretty bad reaction when he tried Portland's turf last season and Buddle avoided it last season due to his knee issues.  Torres and Chavez seem like the obvious replacements, but an Eloundou or Hill could be in consideration.  On the back line I assumed the reason we signed Piermayr was so he would start this week, while VDC seems the most likely to fill in for Wynne.  Or they could move O'Neill inside and use Watts and Piermayr on the outside.

Strategic Consideration: Defensive back 4, obviously.  No matter who we put out there it could be ugly.

Prediction: 2-0 loss.  I don't see a whole lot of opportunity in this game.  Even a draw should be considered a good result.  But maybe this is where Pablo shines.  I remember a game close to 10 years ago where he and a an iffy back-line defended a 1-0 lead against LA while down 2 men to get the win.