VANCOUVER — Ali Ahmed wasn't about to let distance and time zones keep him from cheering for his teammates. While the 23-year-old wingback spent the past several weeks with the Canadian men's soccer team at the Copa America, the Vancouver Whitecaps were never far from his mind. "I was on the East Coast sometimes, so (I was) staying up, just watching the games, seeing the guys fight and stay together," Ahmed said.
What he saw was a Whitecaps (10-7-5) team in solid form. Vancouver is unbeaten in its last five games across all competitions (4-0-1), including a 1-0 victory over Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal last week. The club will look to extend the streak Wednesday when it hosts Sporting Kansas City (6-13-5) in Major Soccer League action.
The two sides have already faced off once this season, with the 'Caps taking a 2-1 road win back on May 29. Vancouver got off to a poor start in that game before buckling down defensively, said Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld. “I think we were strong defensively," said the attacking midfielder, who scored twice against SKC.
“I think we’re going to need to be like that tomorrow against a good team that’s started picking up results.” Head coach Vanni Sartini will have options when it comes to selecting his starters on Wednesday. After weeks of juggling a limited roster, Ahmed and Andres Cubas have returned from international duty, while other players, including Sam Adekug.