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Thin Rapids, 'Caps squads aim to end winless streaks

Jul 8, 2011 - 7:59 PM Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rapids and Vancouver Whitecaps FC squads are both looking very thin ahead of their tilt at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.

Colorado's Pablo Mastroeni was questionable for Saturday's match against Vancouver after picking up a knee injury against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, but the midfield stalwart will have to sit out to serve a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation.

It is uncertain what roles Jamie Smith and Brian Mullan will play in Saturday's match against the 'Caps. Smith (calf) and Mullan (back) did not travel to Kansas City for Wednesday's match in an attempt to better recover from their ailments.

Wells Thompson and Ross LaBauex are likely to shoulder much of the workload in the midfield, while Joseph Nane looks like the direct replacement for Mastroeni.

"Every time I sit on the bench I look at Pablo and Jeff [Larentowicz] and watch the way they play, so it's easier for me when I get in," Nane said after Wednesday's game. "I already know what they have been doing and I just try to replicate that."

The Whitecaps will likely be without captain Jay DeMerit (groin), Designated Player Eric Hassli (foot contusion), and playmaker Davide Chiumiento (hamstring), while midfielder Shea Salinas is a certainty to miss the match after receiving a red card against the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

Vancouver has lost its last three Major League Soccer matches. In its most recent outing, it suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 home defeat to Columbus by way of a late Jeff Cunningham header.

Despite a tough string of results recently, there is some optimism surrounding Vancouver, as it acquired Jordan Harvey from the Philadelphia Union this week for allocation money.

Harvey appeared and started in 16 of a possible 17 matches for the Union this season, reaching a level of consistency that the 'Caps feel can help right their ship. While it is uncertain whether he will play on Saturday, Harvey is available for selection.

This is the first competitive encounter between the Whitecaps and the Rapids, although the teams did meet in preseason on March 12th. The Rapids earned a 1-0 victory in the friendly at Empire Field in Vancouver.