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Montreal makes MLS debut at Vancouver

Mar 9, 2012 - 10:33 PM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Vancouver Whitecaps FC proved last year you cannot judge a season by just one match.

The Whitecaps joined Major League Soccer as an expansion team in 2011, and won 4-2 over Toronto FC in its first-ever match.

It took three more months for the team to win again.

So when Vancouver starts its 2012 season Saturday against the newest expansion side, the Montreal Impact, the Canadian clubs should know the result will not necessarily forecast their season.

Vancouver finished with just six wins, changed coaches midseason, and tied for the lowest point total in the league with the New England Revolution.

It was not shocking for an expansion team to suffer through their first season in MLS.

It was just the first page in Vancouver's MLS history provided false hope.

The Whitecaps start their second season with Martin Rennie as the third coach in team history. Teitur Thordarson lasted only 12 games as Vancouver's first- ever coach last year, and Tom Soehn finished the season.

Other than the season opener, it's tough to find too many bright spots for the club.

Even with designated player Eric Hassli (10 goals, two assists) and Camilo (12 goals, three assists), the Whitecaps finished with the fewest goals in MLS.

Vancouver addressed that problem in the offseason, acquiring forward Sebastien Le Toux from the Philadelphia Union and signing Scotland international Barry Robson as its second DP.

While Robson will not join the club until this summer, Le Toux will provide an immediate impact. He had 11 goals and nine assists last year, and had 14 goals and 11 assists in 2010.

"We want to show for sure that Vancouver Whitecaps will be a different team this season," said Whitecaps attacker Davide Chiumiento, who had two goals and a team-high nine assists last season.

Montreal can only hope to follow the blueprint of Seattle Sounders FC and make an Impact in its first season.

Coach Jesse Marsch has assembled a quality group of players as he prepares for his first season as a manager, but how they jell remains a huge concern.

Former Italian defender Matteo Ferrarri, Colombian defender Nelson Rivas and a host of experienced MLS players, including goalie Donovan Ricketts, midfielder Davy Arnaud, and Justin Braun, should form the nucleus of the team.

Toss in No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wenger and Callum Mallace, the first pick in the second round, and Marsch also has some young talent to mix into the squad.

"The hardest part is yet to come, but I think that we are ready to start a new season," Impact defender Hassoun Camara said.

Montreal would love to mark its MLS debut with a win, especially against rival Vancouver, as the teams have a history in the lower divisions.

Either way, recent history has proven not to get too excited about one result.