Vancouver WhitecapsThe Austin Aztex venture into the Great White North to play the Vancouver Whitecaps today. Kickoff is 6:00 PM CT.

Vancouver is currently in 3rd place in the league, with a 9-3-12 record. Their last game was a 1-1 draw with FC Tampa Bay more than a week ago (match report/box score).

Though they’ve done well this season, they’re clearly starting to look more to next year’s MLS season, and less to this year’s Division-2 season. This piece in the Vancouver Sun tells the tale:

The last time the Vancouver Whitecaps played at home, Willis Forko was in Norway, Terry Dunfield was in England and Jonathan McDonald was in Costa Rica.

Now they are all members of a new-look Vancouver roster that features nine new players signed since the Caps tied Minnesota 1-1 at Swangard Stadium on July 25.

Seven of those players have joined the team — with Swiss internationals Alain Rochat and Davide Chiumiento still to arrive — and expect several to make their Swangard debut Sunday when the Whitecaps host the tough Austin Aztex.

Vancouver head coach Teitur Thordarson said the new players have clearly raised the team’s technical skill level but fans shouldn’t expect miraculous highlight-reel plays all over the field right away.

“Spectators should expect to see good talent but be a little patient,” he said after the Whitecaps trained on Friday. “These guys need some games before we can expect them to perform at their best.

“Some of them haven’t played for months and are not totally game fit right now.”

For their part, the Aztex aren’t exactly storming into Vancouver. They’ll be missing a couple of players who can’t leave the U.S. (Yordany Alverez, Tyler Hemming), an injured player (Lawrence Olum) and a couple of red-card bearers (Kieron Bernard and apparently anger-managment-challenged head coach Adrian Heath). But if Miguel can stay big in goal and the front-end firepower can find their mojo, the Red & White should do all right.

The supporters’ buffering, er, watch party will once again be held at Mister Tramps on 183, come on out and join us!