Game Day Hub: NYCFC at Vancouver Whitecaps

It’s Matchday 2, and New York City FC are in British Columbia to play the Vancouver Whitecaps. The two teams last met in 2019, when NYCFC defeated Vancouver 3-1 at BC Place. Héber, Alexandru Mitrita, and Gary Mackay-Steven scored in that game. Good times.

NYCFC is coming off an unimpressive 1-0 loss to LA Galaxy last Sunday in the season opener. The club managed just a single shot on goal—to find a performance that poor you have to go all the way back to the 2019 MLS season, when NYCFC made just one shot on goal against Toronto FC. Even then, NYCFC managed to tie that game 1-1.

Vancouver managed an even worse showing against Columbus Crew on Matchday 1: Zero shots on target, one red card. The Whitecaps were thoroughly underwhelming—they went down 2-0 at the half, then lost by a final score of 4-0.

Match: NYCFC at Vancouver Whitecaps

Date and Time: Saturday, March 5, 6 pm ET

Venue: BC Place, Vancouver

Watch: YES

Stream: YES app, ESPN+

Listen: The game will be broadcast in both English and Spanish on NYCFC Radio

• Injury report: NYCFC Defender Anton Tinnerholm is out with the Achilles injury he suffered last October. The rest of the squad is available.

• Will Taty Castellanos find the back of the net? The striker last scored on February 15, when NYFC defeated Santos de Guápiles in Costa Rica. His eight-game scoring streak ended the following week when NYFC defeated Santos in the second leg 4-0. Talles Magno scored twice in that game.

• Will the Vancouver defense do a better job of protecting goalkeeper Thomas Hasal? The 22-year-old took over the Whitecaps starting spot after Canada international Maxime Crepeau left for LAFC, and the young goalkeeper looked shaky against Columbus.

• Will the Vancouver midfield show up, or will they be as invisible as they were in the season opener? The NYCFC midfield didn’t exactly cover itself in glory against the Galaxy, but they have to like their chances against Michael Baldisimo and Russel Teibert after the performances they put in last week.

• The comment section below is for everybody in the Hudson River Blue community to use for the game thread. Not a member? It’s free: Sign up here.

UPDATE: NYCFC posted the starting lineup at 5:17 pm ET