The right opponent, in this case, is Manchester City. But is it the right date? The Whitecaps announced Thursday that it will play Manchester City on Monday, July 18 at Empire Field. It’s part of the World Football Challenge series. But, how will that game stretch coach Teitur Thordarson’s ranks? A high-profile international is a great PR exercise. But, the Whitecaps are scheduled to play at home to the juggernaut that is Real Salt Lake on July 16, and then travel to San Jose on July 20.

And, while the Whitecaps came back in stoppage time to draw Sporting Kansas City 3-3 on Saturday, they surrendered a 93rd-minute last-gasp goal to New England’s Ilija Stolica and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Revolution in front of 19,396 fans. But the talking point won’t be the Stolica equalizer. It will be the bizarre sequence that followed Eric Hassli’s penalty-kick goal in the 56th.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have their first ever Player of the Week honour. Brazilian striker Camilo da Silvo Sanvezzo won the weekly poll of the North American Soccer Reporters for his two stoppage-time goals in Vancouver’s improbable 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City.

It was as if the script was written by Vince McMahon. The heel takes some early liberties. Then, the crowd roars as the hero gets off the mat. In this case, the heel was Teal Bunbury — the Sporting Kansas City forward scored twice to stake his team to a 3-0 lead over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Empire Field. The hero? Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo, who scored twice in stoppage times as the Whitecaps roared back to snatch a 3-3 draw in what has to go down as one of the most exciting games in MLS history.

In 2007, it took Toronto FC 23 minutes and 13 seconds its fifth MLS game before it could register a goal. It took the Vancouver Whitecaps only 15. Designated Player Eric Hassli got the party started at a sold-out Empire Field (22,592), slamming home a half volley — endearing himself as a new folk hero on the Vancouver sports scene, as the Whitecaps stormed past an overwhelmed Toronto FC 4-2 in the all-Canadian curtain-raiser for both clubs.

It’s become obligatory for every sports journalist to provide season previews for the league he or she covers. It’s automatic, and a great space killer! In that vein, The 11 presents its “waited until the last possible second before the regular season” season preview! Why the wait? Because it’s hard to figure out the East. The West? Wow, a lot of power and depth there. As for the East? Last season, New York and Columbus and six other mediocre to bad to awful clubs were in the conference. New York and Columbus left them all in the dust.

The Vancouver Whitecaps created plenty of chances, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers Saturday at the preseason Cascadia Cup in Tukwila, Wash. The Timbers scored inside of the first 10 minutes, with Ryan Pore — who spent three years with the Kansas City Wizards slamming a the ball home after Whitecaps’ keeper Jay Nolly spilled it after the initial shot.

The Vancouver Whitecaps were beaten 2-0 by the Los Angeles Galaxy in a closed-door training game Monday in Arizona.

For the second time in three preseason Arizona games, the Vancouver Whitecaps faced CONCACAF Champions League opposition. And, just as the Whitecaps beat Real Salt Lake 2-1, they triumphed over the Columbus Crew by the same score on Tuesday.