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TSN Soccer Play-by-Play Announcer and Analyst

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With the CBA talks now in the rear-view mirror, we can finally get excited about the game that will kickoff our MLS in TSN schedule this year. Two Canadian teams with expectations of making the playoffs will meet at BC Place as the Vancouver Whitecaps look to maintain their perfect record in MLS of having won all four of their season openers since joining the league back in 2011.

You can watch the game starting at 6pm et/3pm pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5. 

Two of those wins have come against Toronto FC. First, that unforgettable day at Empire when the 'Caps burst onto the scene as the MLS new-boys and won 4-2 against a very poor TFC side that was beginning the Aron Winter era. The second was two years ago at BC Place when Gershon Koffie scored the only goal of the game as Ryan Nelsen's tenure as an MLS coach began with a defeat.

Fast forward to 2015 and the Whitecaps will be favourites heading into the game against a Toronto side that must start the season with seven-straight road games due to renovations at BMO Field.

It promises to be an intriguing contest.

The Whitecaps have had a strong preseason with some decent performances against MLS teams. We know exactly what to expect from Carl Robinson's team, which has had only a couple of key alterations from last year. Octavio Rivero should provide much more of a threat in front of goal and it will be a big test early in the season for Toronto FC's back-line to see how well they cope with the Whitecaps attacking weapons.

Toronto FC will be a bit more of an unknown quantity. They have had a mixed preseason and  we haven't yet had the opportunity to see their first team up against MLS opponents. Yes, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore looked good in the final preseason game, but that was against Costa Rica Under-23s. Against a very good Western Conference opponent, we will get an early glimpse of Toronto FC's potential.

"I'm happy about where we are at," said Toronto head coach Greg Vanney. "From a fitness and health point of view, we are in a good place. What we have accomplished over the preseason has been good, so we are excited to get the season started. Relationships are continuing to develop every single day, but we have intelligent players who are working well within our system. We're very happy with the group."

While Giovinco and Altidore will be an attacking threat, the game on Saturday could well be dictated by which ever team best patrols the midfield and protects the back four. Matias Laba and Russell Teibert will likely do that job for the Whitecaps trying to deny Giovinco space, while Michael Bradley and Benoit Cheyrou will be in the same role for TFC looking to stop Pedro Morales from playing his game.

A year ago, Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson faced one of his former teams New York Red Bulls in his first ever game as a head coach. Now he opens this season against the club that brought him to Major League Soccer. Robinson against Vanney will be an interesting battle between two young head coaches.

"I learned a lot about myself, both on and off the field, last season," said Robinson who was extremely impressive in his first year in charge. "If you make mistakes put your hand up and try not to make them again. There are areas that I will improve this year. We need to score more goals this year, throughout the team, if we are going to make the playoffs."

Both teams have lofty goals for the season. The Whitecaps should be good enough to be challenging for a home playoff date, while in a weaker Eastern Conference, just making the playoffs for a first time in club history should be the minimum goal for TFC.

As Whitecaps midfielder Russell Teibert said this week, "This year we're not trying to be a playoff team that sneaks in. We want to be one of the best teams in the conference." That shouldn't just be the mantra for the Whitecaps - with the money spent by TFC, it should be their expectation as well.

Predicted lineups:

Whitecaps (4-2-3-1):

Ousted

Beitashour-Waston-Kah-Harvey

Laba-Teibert

Rosales-Morales-Manneh

Rivero

TFC (4-2-3-1):

Bendik

Creavalle-Caldwell-Perquis-Morrow

Bradley-Cheyrou

Findley-Giovinco-Osorio

Altidore

 

Vancouver Whitecaps against Toronto FC is LIVE on TSN1, 3, 4 and 5 on Saturday at 6pm et/3pm pt.