To many playing the CONCACAF game against the New York Red Bulls on a Thursday night in Vancouver clearly wasn’t about those in the “Big-Apple” watching the match.

Rather about the scheduling for the MLS, considering the Whitecaps home opener takes place Sunday March 5th at BC Place, where the home crowd on this night is announced at 14,183, but Sunday’s crowd is expected to be more than the crowd on a soggy Thursday Vancouver evening.

Those attending the match saw a “lackluster” first half match where both clubs were being extremely tentative and not taking many if any chances putting them at risk.

For the first home match of the season, it’s no different than the Canucks re-build, this season for the Whitecaps it’s about a youth movement.

The highlight of the match was in the second half when the Whitecaps substituted Marcel de Jong for newly acquired Fredy  Montero.

He is on loan from the Chinese Super League, which currently consists of 16 teams this season and is the highest tier of professional football in the China.

The League is now operating under the authorization of the Chinese Football Association,

The Company is currently the commercial branch of the League and is a corporation in which the CFA and all of the member clubs act as shareholders.

In yet another plan the CFA will transfer their Share to clubs and professional union which consists of CSL clubs will be established as the League’s management, such as having its own independent existence.

Some might consider sixteen year-old Alphonso Davies a teenager, but to the Whitecaps, it’s about development and no different than others they have brought in, it shows their dedication to developing the youth within their system.

Davies grew up in Edmonton and in this game played like a boy among men who joined the Whitecaps organization August 2001 playing for the FC Residency Club and officially signed with the Caps July 2015.

He (Davies) scored one goal in the fifth minute managing to get past a Red Bulls defender making a nifty move to slip it in the corner bringing the crowd to it’s feet.

He also set up the other goal that started from a corner kick to defender Tim Park who in turn tipped it to striker Fredy Montero who scored his first goal as a Whitecap in the 76th minute.

Montero entered the match in the 67th minute and without missing a stride seemed to mesh with Davies and Shea coming over in a trade with  Orlando City FC.

Whitecaps bench boss Robinson was impressed with the play of his squad while the head coach for the Red Bulls Jesse Marsch told the media “The kid was great and dangerous all game fighting for the ball only wishing they had dealt with him somewhat different.”

Both clubs fought to a 1-1 draw in the opening match, stating “I like to prove people wrong and it’s going to be a massive game against a top-quality team.”

The Whitecaps open their regular season MLS game Sunday against the Philadelphia Union at 6:30 pm at BC Place.