On Wednesday, Vancouver Whitecaps FC trained for the final time at Dhillon Field before leaving for Montreal to face the Impact on Saturday.
The Caps will get a boost on defence after manager Martin Rennie revealed that Andy O’Brien, Johnny Leverón, and Captain Jay DeMerit are all in contention for a spot in the starting eleven.
DeMerit, who returned to the field in San Jose as a substitute, said he’s ready to start and his fitness levels are where they need to be.
“I think my levels and my results in my fitness testing are to the point where I think I can get myself through ninety.”
Vancouver, who are winless in September, are looking to get back into a playoff position are desperate for a win on Saturday. With only six matches remaining in the Major League Soccer season for the Caps, and on the outside of the playoff bar in the Western Conference, the Whitecaps know that they need to get wins starting on Saturday.
Johnny Leverón tries to slip past Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted at the National Soccer Development Centre.
“Every individual game is a Cup final”, said midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, “that’s the best way to look at it.”
The Whitecaps currently sit seventh in the Western Conference, five points back of their expansion cousins, the Portland Timbers, who are in fifth place.
The Whitecaps will train in Montreal on Friday before facing the Impact at Saputo Stadium on Saturday, kick-off at 11:00 AM pacific time.
The Montreal Impact meanwhile travelled home Wednesday after losing 3-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday evening in the Champions League.