The Whitecaps come into <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/04/whitecaps-fc-return-home-host-western-conference-rivals-chivas-usa-weekend">Saturday's clash with Chivas USA</a> (4 p.m. Pacific, Sportsnet Pacific/Team 1410) on a bit of a low. Last week's 3-1 loss to Houston <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1499-Dynamo-3-Whitecaps-1-harsh-realities-MLS">might have been their most disappointing performance so far</a>, which is somewhat understandable considering <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1496-Whitecaps-Dynamo-preview-Salgado">how limited their roster</a> was thanks to injuries, international duty, and rest issues. The focus has largely gone away from that game locally thanks to the big midweek announcement <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1515-Whitecaps-to-Play-Manchester-City-in-First-Big-Friendly">that they'll play a friendly against Manchester City July 18</a> (a game that <a href="http://www.rednationonline.ca/VancouvertohostManCity.aspx">could prove important for developing their young talent</a>), but from the perspective of the MLS season, that's still both very much what they're coming in off of and what they're going to have to try and improve from.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Vancouver does have some important factors in their favour that weren't present last weekend, however. For one, they're at home, which is generally a crucial advantage in MLS and certainly helps even more when you've got a bunch of fired-up fans, as the Whitecaps do. It's worth noting that the club's gone 1-0-2 at home and 0-2 on the road, and they've scored 8 goals at home and just one away from Empire Field (Camilo's goal in Houston last week). For another thing, they've finally gotten a bit of a break; after three games in eight days (Saturday, April 2 <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1459-The-Miracle-On-Hastings-Street">vs. Kansas City</a>; Wednesday, April 6 <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1483-Whitecaps-1-Revs-1-Bizarre-game-leaves-Vancouver-with-a-point">vs. New England</a>, and the previously-mentioned Sunday, April 10 <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1499-Dynamo-3-Whitecaps-1-harsh-realities-MLS">game against Houston</a>), the team had almost a full week to recover. Their absences thanks to international duty and injuries have also diminished a bit.
Things still aren't all that rosy for Vancouver, though. As Bruce Constantineau <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/soccer/Whitecaps+Gameday+Something+give+with+Chivas/4625334/story.html">points out</a> in his preview over at the <i>Sun</i>, they still have plenty of players <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-preview/unbeaten-home-whitecaps-host-hungry-goats">on the official MLS injury list</a>. Two of those players, defender Greg Janicki and midfielder Michael Nanchoff are both definitely out, while others, including crucial players like defender and team captain Jay DeMerit and midfielder Terry Dunfield, are questionable. With midfielder Gershon Koffie still away on international duty with Ghana's U-20 side, it's obviously not going to be the Whitecaps' ideal lineup that takes the pitch Saturday.
What could that lineup actually look like? I'm guessing head coach Teitur Thordarson will stick with Jay Nolly in goal for the moment (though Joe Cannon appears to have recovered from injury). The back four could see more changes; defence <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Scoring+surprisingly+problem+expansion+Whitecaps/4624266/story.html">has been a larger issue of late</a>, and injuries to Janicki and DeMerit remove perhaps the team's top two central defenders. Michael Boxall seems likely to start in the middle again, and he could be paired with either Mouloud Akloul or Alain Rochat; Rochat is more proven, but he also has the ability to play as a wingback (where he may be best) or in the midfield. Jonathan Leathers will likely keep his right-back slot, while Blake Wagner could stay on the left or be replaced by Rochat. The midfield could see Dunfield if he's healthy and perhaps Jeb Brovsky and Rochat again in the middle; Kevin Harmse is also available. The wings have plenty of options, including Wagner, Teibert (who has <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/soccer/Whitecaps+Gameday+Something+give+with+Chivas/4625334/story.html">some injury issues</a>), Davide Chiumiento, and Nizar Khalfan, and strikers Eric Hassli, Camilo, Atiba Harris and Omar Salgado should all be available (although Harris is fighting through a knee injury). If I was making the lineup, I'd go Nolly - Leathers, Boxall, Akloul, Wagner - Chiumiento, Dunfield (if healthy, if not, Brovsky), Rochat, Teibert - Camilo, Hassli. There are lots of different things Thordarson could do though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see changes partway through the match.
Chivas is facing their own selection issues, though. One of the most notable injuries they're dealing with is a concussion to defender Jimmy Conrad, who can be one of their most effective players when healthy. Conrad is listed as questionable, so he may or may not play Saturday. They'll also definitely be missing striker Tristan Bowen and midfielder Blair Gavin, and midfielders Paulo Nagamura and Mariano Trujillo may also miss the match. However, they do have plenty of talent left, including former TFC midfielder Nick LaBrocca, Canadian defender Ante Jazic, and strikers Alejandro Moreno and Justin Braun, so they can't be written off.
For Vancouver, this could be a crucial game. They've previously demonstrated that they do play better at home than on the road, but they still only have five points on the season (despite the very impressive ways those points were earned). That's enough to put them in <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/standings">fifth place in the West</a>, but they're going to have to keep picking up points if they want to achieve a playoff berth at the end of the season. This match represents a great chance to do that; Chivas is 0-2-2 on the year and in the bottom of the Western Conference, and while they have been a little better recently (earning back-to-back draws against Toronto FC and Columbus), they're still not exactly in ideal form. This is an important opportunity for the Whitecaps to pick up both some points and some momentum. We'll see if they're able to do it or not.