Vancouver Whitecaps coach Vanni Sartini has no qualms about seeing some family faces across the field as his team heads to California this weekend.
“It’s always fun to play against friends, to be honest. If you’re playing against friends, you probably want to win even more,” he said after training on Friday.
“Not just because of revenge or anything, but just because it’s a demonstration of the love you have for the other person and for being the best of yourself in front of the other person.”
There will be a number of friends on the pitch when the Caps (0-2-1) play Los Angeles FC (2-0-1) on Sunday.
Former Whitecaps defender Doneil Henry is now patrolling the back line for LA and former head coach Marc Dos Santos is an assistant to Vancouver Southern rivals. Above all, Maxime Crepeau, the “Caps former star” goalkeeper, was moved to LAFC before the season after asking for a trade.
Crepeau blew sunshine in California, earning two clean sheets and allowing only one goal in his first three outings.
Whitecaps are not intimidated by the performance, defender Jake Nerwinski said.
“I like Max, but he’s just one guy. I think we do not really have to worry about the goalkeeper in this case,” he said. “It’s about breaking down a very good team, especially away. I think if we execute our game plan and our attacking style, I do not think Max really has anything to say about it.
LAFC and the Whitecaps are on very different starts for their Major League Soccer campaigns.
While LA was unbeaten at the weekend and held on to first place in the Western Conference with a plus-5 goal difference, Vancouver sits at the end of the standings with a minus-5 goal difference and seeks its first victory.
“Of course, this is not the ideal start to the season we wanted,” Nerwinski said. “We still have the same pieces as we had last year and I think we have the same mentality as we play. We just have to perform better.”
The Caps won their season series against LAFC last year, 1-0-2, but the club has yet to claim a win at the Banc of California Stadium.
The place can be a tough spot for visitors, said defender Tristan Blackmon, who played four seasons for LA before coming to the Caps in a trade in December.
“It’s going to be a tough game, we already know that,” he said, noting that some of his new teammates have been asking for insight into what – and who – they will be up to in LA.
While Blackmon looks forward to returning to his former home, he is also pleased with how he has cut a spot in Vancouver.
The transition, however, was not always easy, he said.
“It put me in a position where I sometimes felt uncomfortable and that pushes you to be a better player,” Blackmon said.
“I mean, I really just took it on my shoulders and said, ‘Let’s run with it. In the first few games I have shown my skills and it will only be shown over the years. I feel really good in the system, there is a lot of trust in the boys, so I’m happy to be here.
This report from the Canadian Press was first published on March 18, 2022.
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