The Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Toronto FC this weekend in MLS, with plenty of hometown players making a return.
Vancouver Whitecaps winger Jayden Nelson is looking forward to facing his hometown club and former employers when they travel to Toronto FC in an all-Canadian clash this weekend.
Nelson came through the youth setup in Toronto to begin his career there before moving to Norwegian side Rosenborg in 2023.
But two years later, he was back in MLS after securing a move to the Whitecaps.
“Before I left to Europe, TFC was all I knew,” said Nelson. “Now, actually going back, not playing in red and white, it’s definitely going to be a bit weird. But I’m just so excited, and I definitely want to beat them.
“I left the club as a young player. Very raw, and now I’m coming back with more experiences and more tools under my belt. I just wanted to show them what they missed out on.
"But at the same time, it’s all love, because that’s the team that gave me the opportunity, and that’s the team that gave me the chance.”
Team-mate Ralph Priso is also a Toronto native and came through at the Reds at a similar time before a move to Colorado Rapids and ultimately, the Whitecaps.
“I understand that coming from Jayden’s point of view, especially at a team like Toronto, with so much, so much money and so much expectation," he said.
"They’re always going to bring in guys who play in those front three positions. For me, it was a bit different. Obviously, I was in a position where maybe you don’t spend as much, but I still had good players to learn from.
"It was good for me. I think from his point of view, he probably didn’t play as much as he wanted to. My experience was a little bit different than I probably got a little bit more opportunity than him.
“It’s kind of just how football goes. You know, different people have different opportunities at different times. You have to make the most of them.”
Ali Ahmed, meanwhile, has been with the Whitecaps his entire career but is from Toronto. Like his team-mates, the 24-year-old is looking forward to going back home briefly.
“I don’t know if it’ll ever not hit. It’s playing in Toronto, just seeing the family again, playing at BMO, playing against Toronto FC, the club that I grew up watching," he said.
“It’s always fun. I’m going to be honest, when the MLS schedule comes out, that might be the first thing I look for.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto – Deandre Kerr
Kerr has scored both of Toronto’s last two goals, both with his head.
Six of Kerr’s 13 regular-season goals for Toronto have been headers (46.2%), the highest percentage of any player with 10 or more regular-season goals since Kerr’s MLS debut in 2022.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Pedro Vite
Vite has been involved in a goal in each of his first four appearances for the Whitecaps this season (one goal, three assists), the second player in club history to contribute a goal in his first four games of a campaign.
The Colombian has also averaged 1.3 shots per game in his first four matches, so Toronto's defence must be wary.
MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
The Whitecaps are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Toronto in all competitions (W4 D3) – the longest unbeaten run between the sides since the former joined MLS in 2011.
Toronto (D1 L4) have earned just one point in their opening five matches of a season for just the second time in club history after opening the 2012 season with nine straight defeats.
The Reds have just two points in 10 league matches dating back to the end of last season.
Vancouver, meanwhile, have won their first two away matches of the regular season for the second straight year after winning their first three on the road in 2024.
No team in MLS history has won its first three away matches of a season in back-to-back years.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto – 25.2%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 51.7%
Draw – 23.1%