Gressel set for debut as Whitecaps looks to halt rolling Fire

VANCOUVER — The newest addition to the Vancouver Whitecaps' lineup simply wants to contribute.

Days after the 'Caps acquired Julian Gressel from D.C. United for US$900,000 in general allocation money, the star wingback told reporters he's the kind of player who'd rather have two assists than one goal because it means his team has scored twice.

Watch the Whitecaps take on the Chicago Fire Saturday night at 10pm ET/7pm PT on TSN 5 or stream on TSN.ca and the TSN App.

“That’s me, the team player," he said. "I'm a team guy first that wants to win above all else. And if that means that my role is to assist more and not be scoring, that’s fine.”

Gressel tallied two goals and 13 assists in 34 Major League Soccer games for United last season. Since coming into the league in 2017, he's made 171 regular-season appearances, split between D.C. and Atlanta United, recording 19 goals and 58 assists.

His first chance to chip in for the Whitecaps will come Saturday when Vancouver (7-9-5) hosts the surging Chicago Fire (6-10-5).

Attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld is looking forward to what Gressel will add to the roster.

“He's very dynamic on the right-hand side. He likes to get on the ball, drive forward, and can whip some great balls into the box," Gauld said. "So it's another piece and we're all looking forward to getting to know him better and play with them.”

The Whitecaps are coming off a pair of hard-fought road draws, including a 1-1 result against the Timbers in Portland on Sunday.

A spate of injuries have kept several key players sidelined recently. Goalkeeper Cody Cropper went down during Vancouver's 2-2 draw against FC Cincinnati on July 13 after colliding with defender Javain Brown, and both missed the Portland game due to