A trip back to Austin, Texas, has Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed in a reflective state of mind.
It鈥檚 been more than two years since the 23-year-old Canadian made his Major League Soccer debut in Austin 鈥� a game that still holds mixed memories.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy,鈥� Ahmed said, noting that he鈥檇 just been speaking with Whitecaps teammate Sebastian Berhalter about that game.
鈥淭hat was probably one of the worst games we鈥檝e both played. And I was joking with him, saying that game, I felt like it was tough 鈥� it was hot, we really weren鈥檛 on the ball.
鈥淪o I told him after that game I was kind of scared. I said, 鈥楾his is what the MLS is like?鈥� But here we are now.鈥�
Ahmed and the 鈥楥aps (11-8-5) return to Austin (9-10-7) on Saturday to start the final stretch of their MLS campaign. With 10 games left on the regular-season schedule, the Whitecaps sit sixth in the Western Conference standings.
It鈥檚 been six weeks since Vancouver has played a league match, but the team is coming off a major win.
The 鈥楥aps blanked Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC 1-0 on Tuesday to earn a spot in the Canadian Championship final. They鈥檒l look to add a third-straight title on Sept. 25 when they host Toronto FC.
Austin, too, is in form, having resumed its MLS schedule with a 2-0 victory over Nashville SC last weekend.
鈥�(Austin is) a team that, in my opinion, is very dangerous because they can beat you even if they鈥檙e not in control of the game,鈥� said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini.
鈥淪o we need to be always very, very, very present. Even if we鈥檙e going to have some spell of possession, we need to be very present, because in transition, they鈥檙e lethal. So the organization, both offensively and defensively, will be very important.鈥�
The 鈥楥aps will be without a key offensive weapon on Saturday. Brian White remains in concussion protocols after taking a ball to the face in Tuesday鈥檚 game. The American striker is the club鈥檚 leading scorer with 11 goals on the season.
Fellow forward Levonte Johnson is also out of the lineup as he deals with calf tightness, Sartini said, so Ahmed and Berhalter will start against Austin.
Ahmed has been a steady presence for the 鈥楥aps this season, contributing one goal and one assist in 18 MLS appearances. He鈥� also saw action in five Canadian Championship matchups where he added another goal, and missed an extended stretch while playing for Canada in the Copa America.
All the experience has Ahmed feeling like a completely different player than the one who stepped out onto the field in Austin back in 2022.
鈥淗onestly, after every game you feel like you improve,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow that I have (42 MLS) games under my belt, I think if I look back at my first game, it鈥檚 a big difference.鈥�
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (11-8-5) AT AUSTIN FC (9-10-7)
Q2 Stadium, Saturday
HISTORY BOOKS: Vancouver holds a 4-1-2 edge in all-time meetings between the two clubs, including a 0-0 draw at BC Place back on May 4.
ROAD WARRIORS: Away games haven鈥檛 been a problem for the 鈥楥aps this season. The club boasts a 6-4-3 record on the road, the best in the Western Conference.
GOING INTERNATIONAL: Six Whitecaps have been called up to their national teams for games next month. Ahmed and defender Sam Adekugbe will join the Canadian squad, while star midfielder Ryan Gauld returns to the Scottish team for the first time in 14 years. Striker Fafa Picault (Haiti), midfielder Pedro Vite (Ecuador) and defender Andres Cubas (Paraguay) will also go out on international duty, leaving Sartini short-handed. 鈥淚 totally welcome that we can have a problem for one or two games if it means for the other 30 we have a really good roster,鈥� the coach said. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 really happy.鈥�
