VANCOUVER, B.C – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are back home this weekend as they get set to take on the Philadelphia Union at B.C. Place on Saturday afternoon. Vancouver will be looking to build on a 1-5-2 (5-points) record and a 1-0 win at home on April 17 vs LAFC.

Whitecaps FC have a lot of new faces that are still learning the nuances of MLS. No matter what kind of football experience you have, there is always an adjustment period when you come to a new league.

Baghdad native, Ali Adnan, is looking to make a difference for Vancouver, while also racking up frequent-flyer miles during Whitecaps FC’s hectic west coast travel schedule.

“Yeah, it’s really too much,” Adnan told reporters earlier this week. “Not just for me, but for all the players in MLS. We play in eight days, three games, this is really difficult. Now our players have a good recovery, and we start training. I hope this week we can recover better and be better for an important game.”

Whenever a new player arrives from playing in Europe, the level of physical play is often a surprise. While the talent, and technical skill in MLS, isn’t on par with what you would find in Europe. The physical nature of playing in North America can be a shock.

“I think it’s a good league, but it’s not easy,” Adnan admitted. “MLS is really difficult. When I came here, I think a little bit is easy, but they have really important things. Everyone that comes here has to understand that MLS is a really very good league and you have to be ready to play.”

The 25-year-old has quickly found a place in Vancouver’s lineup. Adnan has started and played a full ninety minutes in the last five Whitecaps FC matches. He has often stood out with his excellent passing, ability to read a play before it happens, and his link up play with his teammates.

Adnan is only a month into his MLS journey, and he’s already earning praise as the top left back in the league.

“It’s really nice when I hear that,” Adnan smiled. “I think it’s not enough. We are not winning, and for me it’s really important, not how I win, the best left back in the league, but it’s really important when we get three points for Vancouver.”

Coach Marc Dos Santos hasn’t been shy in his admiration for Adnan’s play.

“He is the best left back in Major League Soccer right now,” Dos Santos explained to Har Journalist. “He’s a player that you guys see more in the product on the field when we have a game. We see him in the day-to-day, and he’s been an impressive guy. Great in the locker room, great with the guys, very positive. He’s been good for the club for sure.”

Adnan plays football with poise, and confidence. That can be hard to find, on a team with one win. Adnan’s three-month loan from Serie A side, Udinese, will have him in a Whitecaps FC kit until June 30, 2019

Whether or not he sticks with Whitecaps FC beyond that, isn’t known.

“I don’t know, really,” Adnan said. “I like it so much here, I like the players, the staff, everything here, the city is amazing. I don’t know, I don’t know. I think we have time to talk about this. We don’t know what’s going to happen in three months. Let’s see.”

Dos Santos would love to have a player of Adnan’s quality in Vancouver long-term.

“I don’t know yet,” Dos Santos explained. “We’ll have to see what’s going to happen. We have to time things well with their club also. It’s not really the time to talk about that. The only thing I can guarantee you guys, we’ll do everything we can to keep a player like him here.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC have a top calibre player that’s showing that he can excel in MLS in such a short time. It would be counter-productuve to let Ali Adnan slip away.

“You have to wait until I finish my contract with Vancouver,” Adnan said. “After we do a contract, or maybe not. We will see.”