Vancouver Whitecaps' latest arrival, Stuart Armstrong, is relishing the challenge of the MLS as he aims to aid his new side’s push for the playoffs, starting with FC Dallas this weekend.
Armstrong, who arrived at BC Place as a free agent following his release from Southampton last season, provides a wealth of international and domestic experience for Vanni Sartini’s team.
The Whitecaps returned to league action last week with a win over Austin FC, leaving them fifth in the Western Conference table, four points behind Colorado Rapids with two games in hand.
And Armstrong, who will reunite with former Dundee United team-mate Ryan Gauld at the club, provided insight into what fans can expect from him for the remainder of the campaign.
"Hopefully, I can bring position play from back to front and connect the midfield to the forward line. Hopefully I can chip in with some creativity, some goals and assists too," Amstrong said.
"Every player I speak to says to me that the changing room's the best they've experienced in their career. The first player that said that to me was Ryan (Gauld) and I didn't believe him.
"Once more and more, every player says it, you begin to believe it. And having met the boys, a few boys yesterday and everyone today and a few more when they come back, I can re-affirm that everyone's a very good guy and a very good changing room to be a part of."
FC Dallas, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller against the Rapids last time out, with Darren Yapi’s 93rd minute winner sealing the victory for the away side.
The Toros twice led the encounter but were unable to build on their dramatic win over DC United in their first MLS fixture since their disappointing run in the Leagues Cup.
Interim head coach Peter Luccin acknowledged his side must improve to have a chance of reaching the playoffs as they sit 11th in the standings, identifying his team’s home form as a particular area to strengthen.
“We knew from the beginning that we had to get points on the road,” Luccin said. “Now we are doing the opposite, now we are winning on the road and losing at home.
“It would be great to now do both at the same time, but in the end, I am not saying that it was crucial today that we lost three points, but it was important.
“But the content of the game, is a concern. We have to learn, because today was not good enough.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld assisted Vancouver’s only goal against Austin last time out, his 10th assist of the season to go along with his nine goals.
The Scot, who recorded 11 goals and 12 assists last year, could become the first Whitecaps player to notch 10 goals and 10 assists in multiple MLS seasons.
FC Dallas – Petar Musa
Musa came off the bench to score for Dallas on Saturday, his fifth straight regular season appearance with a goal.
Only Jeff Cunningham (six in 2009) and Carlos Ruiz (seven in 2006) have had longer scoring streaks in FC Dallas’ MLS history.
MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
The Whitecaps have lost only one of their last nine meetings with FC Dallas dating back to 2019 (W5 D3), including going unbeaten at home against Dallas in that time (W3 D1).
They have also won five of their last seven regular season matches (D1 L1), including a 1-0 victory over Austin. The 1-0 win marked Vancouver’s first clean sheet in league play since a scoreless draw against the same opposition in May.
However, Dallas’ 4-3 win against DC United marked a rare away victory. The last time they recorded back-to-back triumphs on the road in the MLS was in May 2018, when they secured wins against Toronto FC and LA Galaxy.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps – 50.2%
Draw – 25.2%
FC Dallas – 24.6%
Kane at the peak of his powers as he takes inspiration from Ronaldo's 900th goal
Harry Kane feels at his peak ahead of his landmark England appearance on Tuesday, taking inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo's latest goal-scoring achievement.
Kane is set to make his 100th England appearance at Wembley in their Nations League fixture with Finland, becoming only the 10th player to reach that milestone.
His landmark appearance will see him awarded with a golden cap ahead of kick-off, the first player to receive one since Wayne Rooney did so in November 2014.
The Bayern Munich striker has made 86 starts for the Three Lions and has 83 goal involvements (66 goals - an England record - and 17 assists) to his name.
He averages a goal every 117 minutes, having 3.5 shots and 1.6 shots on target per 90, creating an average of 1.1 chances per 90.
Since his international debut in 2015, Kane has won 61 of his matches for England, giving him a 61.6% win ratio while also captaining the side to two major tournament finals.
At 31-years-old, many believe his time on the international stage may come to an end soon, but Kane has taken inspiration from Ronaldo, who, at 39-years-old, netted his 900th career goal against Croatia last week.
"I feel in really good shape, both physically and mentally, at a peak in my career," Kane said.
"Watching other players, [Cristiano] Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal, seeing him compete at 39 years old inspires me to play for as long as possible.
"I love this game, I love representing England - more than anything and I don’t want it to end any time soon.
"For me, personally, now it’s about continuing to improve and being consistent both in an England shirt and at club level.
"I’m hungry for more. I’m determined to keep pushing the boundaries."
81 of Kane's 99 caps came under former England head coach Gareth Southgate, with the others coming under Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce, and most recently, Lee Carsley.
Carsley got his reign as the Three Lions' interim boss with an impressive 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, with goals coming from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
Kane managed the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (nine) at the Aviva Stadium and is enjoying life under the 50-year-old.
"It has been really good. A new energy into the place especially after the disappointing end to the summer," Kane said.
"It has been great to work with the boss so far. He's brought his ideas, how he wants us to play. I think the lads have enjoyed it.
"We've got a good mixture of youth and experience in the team. You're seeing the excited faces of some of the new players."
JFF thanks fans for support in 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League opener against Cuba
The Jamaica Football Federation, in a release on Monday, expressed their gratitude to fans for their support in attendance at Jamaica’s opening game of the 2024/2025 season of the CONCACAF Nations League against Cuba at the National Stadium on Friday.
CONCACAF Officials reported an attendance of over 17,000 which is the highest attendance for a Reggae Boyz game at the National Stadium since 2019 when they played Honduras.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation Michael Ricketts gave some remarks on this feat.
“It was such a pleasant sight to see a sea of black, green and gold in the National Stadium on Friday night. You could definitely feel the energy in the support and every time Jamaica was in possession, the 12th man was behind the team. It certainly is a great stepping stone for future home games to come.”
The Reggae Boyz will next be in action on Tuesday September 10, 2024 against Honduras in Tegucigalpa.
The next home game for the Reggae Boyz will be Monday October 14, 2024 against Honduras at the National Stadium.
“Tickets for this game are slated to go on sale on Friday September 13, 2024. The Public are encouraged to buy their tickets as soon as possible. For the match against Cuba, the Grandstand tickets were sold out. Once again thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you all at our next home game,” the release concluded.
Arsenal handed BK Hacken reunion, Man City to face Paris FC in Women's Champions League
Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic found out their opponents for the Women's Champions League qualifying second round on Monday.
All three will play the first leg away from home, with Jonas Eidevall's side, who beat Rangers and Rosenborg to reach this stage of the tournament, facing BK Hacken.
The Swedish side reached the quarter-finals last year for the first time in the competition since the 2012-13 edition.
BK Hacken also played Arsenal in the last eight of the tournament during the 2011-12 season, with the Gunners winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Man City kickstart their Champions League campaign after finishing second in the Women's Super League last term against Paris FC.
The French side beat Real Madrid home and away last year but finished third in a group that contained Chelsea and BK Hacken.
Celtic were the only British team to be involved in the Champions Path draw and will face Ukrainian champions Vorskla Poltava.
The first legs of the two-legged ties will take place on September 18 and 19, with the returns on September 25 and 26.
Those that emerge victorious in the round-two qualifying fixtures will progress to the group stages of the competition, joining Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
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