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Minnesota takes on rebuilt Vancouver in opener

[March 02, 2019] A pair of teams brimming with optimism will meet Saturday when Minnesota United travels to Vancouver to open the 2019 MLS season.

Vancouver narrowly missed the playoffs last season, falling just two points out of the Western Conference's final spot. Since then, the Whitecaps have signed 14 new players and, as expected, there were growing pains in the preseason.

"Some dynamics between players are going to take time to grow," Vancouver coach Marc Dos Santos said. "I don't think there's one MLS team that in their first game, they are ready."

Dos Santos was named the head coach for Vancouver in November, replacing Carl Robinson who was let go with one month remaining last season. Dos Santos sounded satisfied at this point with how the team has come together.

"I feel we are ready," Dos Santos said. "I am sure it's not perfect yet because there's a lot of margin for growth. But I am very pleased with where we are at this point."

For Minnesota, it is moving into year three of a four-year plan to make the MLS playoffs. If they stay healthy - something that was a challenge last season - the Loons might arrive at their goal a year early.

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That would be a far cry from last season when they won just 11 games in 34 matches played.

"Everyone came through unscathed," said Minnesota coach Adrian Heath, when asked what the best part of the preseason was. "I am pleased with where we are. There is a lot of optimism - a lot of excitement about a new season."

Heath knows his squad is facing basically a new Vancouver team, which makes preparation a challenge.

"There's been a huge turnover - it's a new team virtually," Heath said. "We can't worry about what they're going to do after we have laid down what we think is going to happen."

--Field Level Media

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