As of now, Whitecaps game still appears to be happening

RENTON — The Vancouver Whitecaps were apparently able to get most of their players onto the training pitch on Friday, but still didn’t seem confident that they’d have enough fully fit players to complete Sunday’s game against the Seattle Sounders. A day earlier, the Whitecaps had canceled training after 9 of 16 players who flew back with the team from Mexico showed “gastrointestinal symptoms.”

“I don’t really know,” Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen told reporters when asked how many players he expected to have available. “We had some guys coming out on the pitch today who have been ill, and they left early, so we don’t really know where they are and then we have some guys not even returned yet.”

As of early Friday afternoon, Sounders officials said they had been not been given any indications from the league office that their match could potentially be postponed.

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer was working under the assumption they’d be playing the game, albeit against a weakened opponent. Even before the illnesses, the Whitecaps were set to be missing nine players due to international duty. Among that group was seven regular starters.

“We’re going to control the controlables,” Schmetzer said. “I can't control who Jesper is gonna put on the field, but I can control who I put on a field and making sure that they’re ready.

“That’s going to be a dangerous team because they have a built-in excuse. I know they're gonna play hard, whoever steps on the field.”