The Victoria Highlanders embark on a crucial weekend set against two MLS-affiliated clubs featuring potential pros.
First up is a United Soccer League Premier Development League fixture tonight at UBC鈥檚 Thunderbird Stadium against the Vancouver Whitecaps Under-23s.
That鈥檚 followed by a Sunday home matin茅e at Royal Athletic Park against a Seattle Sounders U-23 team that includes a couple of U.S. U-20 players.
The Whitecaps tonight will feature players several of the Highlanders know well. Both Caps goaltenders 鈥� Simon Thomas and Sean Melvin 鈥� are from the Island. The crafty and quick forward/midfielder Cam Hundal, who scored in the Caps鈥� 2-1 season-opening victory last week against the Kitsap Pumas, plays in the CIS for the University of Victoria Vikes while the dangerous striker Sasa Plavsic is a former Highlander.
鈥淭he Caps are strong in goal with those two Victoria [product] 鈥檏eepers [Thomas and Melvin] and they are also very creative and very skillful up front,鈥� said Highlanders head coach Steve Simonson, whose team opened the season with a 3-0 victory over Kitsap.
鈥淲e have to nullify their passing game.鈥�
The Whitecaps U-23 team is expected to field up to three players who have played minutes with the pro MLS Whitecaps.
Simonson鈥檚 veteran team has former pros of its own 鈥� such as Tyler Hughes, Blair Sturrock and Riley O鈥橬eill with European experience 鈥� and doesn鈥檛 shy from any PDL challenges. But he also knows he can鈥檛 take anything for granted against the youthful, potential pros of the Whitecaps and Sounders U-23 development sides.
鈥淲e鈥檙e aiming for maximum points this weekend,鈥� said Simonson.
鈥淏ut we need to be near-flawless to do that.鈥�
CORNER KICKS: In sports such as soccer, cricket and rugby, head-to-head regular-season league matchups between regional rivals are sometimes part of side competitions. The winner of the three-game PDL season set between the Highlanders and Whitecaps U-23 squad will claim the Juan de Fuca Plate, an annual competition between the clubs.
