The Vancouver Whitecaps can extend their unbeaten run at BC Place Stadium to four matches in MLS when they host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
In their midweek clash, the Caps were convincing 6-2 winners over the Houston Dynamo, moving them up to sixth in the Western Conference, while KC won a second successive domestic contest, 2-1 versus Dallas.
Match preview
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Home field has proven to be a big advantage for the Whitecaps of late, and the players put on a show Wednesday, scoring multiple goals at BC Place for the fifth time in all competitions and netting five or more goals for the third time this year.
While they walked away with the three points, it took some time for Vanni Sartini's side to wake up and start playing, going behind 2-1, before scoring five unanswered goals, netting more goals on Wednesday than they had ever managed in a single MLS regular season affair.
Since their loss to Real Salt Lake on opening night, the Caps have only conceded one second-half goal at home in this competition, while they have now scored 10 times in the final 45 minutes at BC Place this season.
Their last three regular season contests versus SKC have fallen Vancouver's way, with the Caps failing to concede in their previous two meetings against them, including a 1-0 triumph at home in 2022.
Vancouver have been doing an excellent job in recent matches of creating turnovers and looking dangerous down the flanks, while they have also been making the most of their opportunities, scoring on six of their seven targeted efforts on Wednesday.
On the opposite side, however, they are still struggling when it comes to limiting their opponents' chances and defending set-pieces but have been fortunate to be bailed out by some outstanding goalkeeping.
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Whatever the message from Peter Vermes has been to his team of late, the players are starting to respond, claiming at least a point in five of their last six MLS encounters.
They come into this contest winless in their last three road matches in all competitions, however, with their last away game being a forgettable 4-0 defeat against St Louis City.
Sporting have failed to find the back of the net in five of its MLS road fixtures this year, conceding in all but two regular season encounters in 2023.
Their improved form has them within two points of the Dynamo for that final playoff spot in the Western Conference, though they have played more games than anyone this season (16).
One of the things Kansas City have been sharp at throughout the campaign has been defending set-pieces, all this despite missing numerous defensive specialists at different portions of the campaign, while also being the only team in the league this year to have three different goalkeepers play at least four matches.
Sporting KC have not lost all season when scoring multiple goals, winning all four of their MLS encounters in which they have done so.
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Team News
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Ali Ahmed sat out of the previous match for Vancouver due to concussion protocol, while Yohei Takaoka reclaimed his place in goal after Thomas Hasal got the start against St Louis City.
Pedro Vite's goal 15 seconds into their match on Wednesday was the fastest ever for the Caps in MLS, while Brian White had their fastest-ever MLS goal to start a second half dating back to 2011 (10 seconds), while Julian Gressel picked up a brace and Sebastian Berhalter notched his first of the campaign.
In the previous home fixture for the Whitecaps versus SKC, Ryan Raposo had the game's only goal as Hasal picked up a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.
Johnny Russell missed the last match for Sporting with a hamstring strain, the same issue which has kept Kayden Pierre out of the lineup for weeks, Willy Agada has a tibia stress fracture, Kortne Ford is recovering from Achilles surgery, Tim Melia has a quad strain and Remi Walter has been out of the starting 11 over the past two games with a sore back after beginning 56 straight regular-season fixtures.
Gadi Kinda and Daniel Salloi each found the mark in their victory over Dallas, with Kendall McIntosh winning his last two starts between the sticks.
Alan Pulido has three goals in his SKC career against the Caps, as he, Kinda and former player Erik Hurtado each netted in a 3-1 victory against them in Vancouver in 2020, with current Whitecaps and ex-Kansas City defender Luis Martins collecting an assist in that encounter.
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Brown, Veselinovic, Blackmon, Martins; Gressel, Cubas, Caicedo; Vite, Gauld; White
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
McIntosh; Zusi, Castellanos, Fontas, Ndenbe; Thommy, Hernandez, Kinda; Salloi, Pulido, Shelton
We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Sporting Kansas City
The Whitecaps attack is starting to come together, developing some solid partnerships while reading the field at BC Place incredibly well.
Sporting seem to be back on the right path, but they have not been sharp on the road throughout much of the campaign, and we expect they will be a step behind the speedy Whitecaps on Saturday.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
