Fresh off a draw with Miami FC in South Florida last weekend, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (1W-0L-1D) return to Swangard Stadium on Saturday afternoon for an inaugural meeting with Athletic Club of St. Louis (0W-2L-0D) in the USSF D-2 Pro League. Teitur Thordarson's side currently lead the NASL Conference standings after claiming a second straight clean sheet against the Blues last Saturday. The Blue and White now look to build on their encouraging start to the 2010 season by facing another conference rival in AC St. Louis. The Missouri-based outfit have endured a tough start to life as a brand new professional soccer club after falling to defeat in their opening two league matches. They now face a very challenging weekend of road games, with St. Louis taking on USL Conference club Portland Timbers in Oregon on Thursday night before travelling up to Vancouver for the weekend game with the 'Caps. Saturday's match between the Whitecaps and AC St. Louis at Swangard kicks off at 4 p.m. PT. Whitecaps individual match tickets start at $20, plus applicable service charges, and are available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres, online at ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at 604.280.4400 WHITECAPS Though earning a point on the road is generally regarded as a positive result, Thordarson felt a second league win should have been claimed after his side created several chances during last weekend's game in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Nonetheless, the Whitecaps have made themselves very difficult to break down so far. The Whitecaps defence of goalkeeper Jay Nolly, left fullback Zurab Tsiskaridze, centre backs Nelson Akwari and Greg Janicki, and right fullback Chris Williams have formed a steady and dependable defensive partnership in the past two matches. One player that will look to add to those solid defensive displays is recent signing Mouloud Akloul. After missing Vancouver's first two league matches, the Frenchman will be available to face AC St. Louis after finally receiving his international transfer certificate on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, whose previous playing spells were in France, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is keen to have an impact in the North American game with his new club. The Whitecaps will be without several players for Saturday's game. Striker Dever Orgill is not available for the AC St. Louis clash after suffering a calf strain in training on Tuesday. The Jamaican youth international will need further evaluation on the injury before it is determined how long he will be sidelined from action. Defender/midfielder Blake Wagner, meanwhile, is day-to-day with a foot problem, while Takashi Hirano (two weeks) and Jonny Steele (one to two weeks) continue to recover from their respective pre-season knee injury concerns. AC ST. LOUIS As the first professional outdoor soccer team to play in St. Louis, Missouri, for 33 years, AC St. Louis is one of three USSF D-2 Pro League clubs in their first season of existence. They have already endured a rough start following two season-opening defeats. The club's first-ever competitive match resulted in a 2-0 away defeat to Carolina RailHawks on April 10 before a sold-out Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park crowd of 5,695 saw St. Louis fall 2-1 to the league's early pacesetters in Austin Aztex last Saturday. With a tough Pacific Northwest road trip this weekend, the Missouri outfit will want to avoid falling further behind their league rivals. Led by French coach Claude Anelka, who is the brother of Chelsea and France striker Nicolas Anelka, AC St. Louis includes several players from the St. Louis area. One of those local players is experienced midfielder Steve Ralston, who also serves as the club's assistant coach. The 35-year-old returned home after a long and distinguished career in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Tampa Bay Mutiny and New England Revolution. The local flavour also extends to former United Soccer Leagues First Division defenders Jack Traynor (Miami FC) and Tim Velten (Charleston Battery), as well as midfielder Luke Kreamalmeyer (Portland Timbers, Rochester Rhinos, Carolina RailHawks). Former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Alec Dufty also provides further experience to a squad that is largely made up of talented youngsters in their first seasons as professionals. HEAD-TO-HEAD Saturday's match is the first-ever meeting between the Whitecaps and AC St. Louis. However, it is not the first time that the 'Caps have played opposition from St. Louis, Missouri. From 1974 to 1977, the original Whitecaps played St. Louis Stars on six occasions in the old North American Soccer League (NASL), with Vancouver's record standing at four wins and two defeats. In fact, you have to go back to the 1976 NASL season to find the last time the Whitecaps hosted a team from St. Louis in a competitive soccer match. That last visit took place nearly 34 years ago on April 30, 1976, as the 'Caps defeated the Stars 2-1 in overtime at the old Empire Stadium. The last-ever meeting between the Whitecaps and Stars took place during the 1977 NASL campaign, as the Whitecaps defeated the Stars 3-1 in St. Louis on June 8 of that year. In 2010, the Whitecaps will play AC St. Louis three more times in the regular season. Vancouver will travel to Missouri for their next encounter on Saturday, June 26, before hosting St. Louis for a second time on Thursday, July 8. The final match-up takes place in Missouri on Friday, August 6. NUTRILITE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP The weekend clash with AC St. Louis is Vancouver's last home match before they embark on their 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship campaign. Facing USSF D-2 Pro League rivals Montreal Impact and MLS club Toronto FC, the 'Caps will battle for the Voyageurs Cup title by hosting Montreal at Swangard on Wednesday, May 5. That is followed by the visit of Toronto FC to the west coast on Wednesday, May 19. The 'Caps will then wrap up their Nutrilite campaign with two road matches. They first battle the Impact at Montreal's Stade Saputo on Wednesday, May 26, before completing the tournament schedule versus Toronto FC at their BMO Field home on Wednesday, June 2. Both of Vancouver's home matches kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT, while their two away contests kick off at 5 p.m. PT. All six Nutrilite Canadian Championship games will be shown live on Rogers Sportsnet, beginning Wednesday, April 28. The tournament winner will not only claim the Voyageurs Cup, but Canada's lone spot in the 2010-11 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Whitecaps 2010 season tickets are also on sale, starting at $270. Season tickets include all men's and women's team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority purchase rights for Vancouver MLS 2011 in BC Place. For more information on the 2010 season ticket packages, CLICK HERE or call 604.669.WAVE (9283). Saturday's match between the Whitecaps and AC St. Louis will also be available live online at whitecapsfc.com/live.
