The Vancouver Whitecaps defender feels that the Toronto FC star's diminutive stature makes him a hard player to defend against.

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston admits he is not looking forward to facing Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco on Sunday, because short players are “more difficult” to play against.

Giovinco stands at a mere 5-foot-4 but has shined with the Canadian outfit since moving to MLS, scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists in 44 games.

And Waston acknowledges that such diminutive players present a tough challenge for defenders.

“It's more difficult to play against short players because they are quicker and their sense of gravity is lower so they can move a little bit faster, but I have to try to do my best to not let him score,” he said, talking to Goal as part of New Balance's Furon 2.0 launch.

Giovinco was part of a major influx of talent into North America, including the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David Villa. Waston says he relishes coming up against such stars.

"When I play against, like, Gerrard, Lampard and David Villa I think most of it is to try to learn in those games because it's not every day that you play against top players like those. And in every aspect in the field you see them, they have something special, that's why they played in the toughest leagues in the world."

Waston, himself, is something of a star, having been voted to the MLS All-Star team in 2015, but he maintains that he does not feel any extra responsibility after the nod.

He added: "Not so much but I pressure my own self because I want to be there again and I would like to be in the All-Star game."

Vancouver is currently sixth in the Western Conference, and Waston has hailed the support of the Whitecaps faithful as a motivating factor behind the club’s good form.

"Vancouver is very nice because the fans are very close to the pitch and when we are walking out from the tunnel we feel the vibrations and the nice atmosphere that the crowd is making there, so it's very exciting when you're walking in."