Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Houston Dynamo - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to keep pace with San Diego atop the Western Conference of Major League Soccer, the Vancouver Whitecaps host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday at BC Place Stadium.

A 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend has the Caps in second place, four points back of first, while Orange Crush are four points below the post-season line following a 2-2 draw with Austin FC.

Match preview

It is an exciting time of year if you support the Whitecaps, a side in the hunt for first in the West, with a former World Cup Golden Boot winner now officially arrived.

Jesper Sorensen will be counting on Thomas Muller to step in and help take this team over the top, with the former World Cup champion considered the biggest signing in club history.

His presence should make an already strong scoring squad that much better, with the Caps netting the joint second-most goals in the Western Conference this year (43).

The Caps have won seven times at BC Place in the 2025 regular season, which is one more triumph than they earned a year ago, while they are eight points away from equalling their best-ever MLS campaign (53 points in 2015).

They have conceded the fewest goals in the regular season thus far (28), posting three clean sheets in their previous four domestic affairs on home soil.

Vancouver are undefeated in 2025 versus teams based in Texas, conceding just one goal in those four regular-season meetings so far.

In the nick of time, the Dynamo were able to salvage something from a match that looked all but lost, erasing a two-goal deficit against Austin with two goals in the final 10 minutes of that clash.

That increased their domestic unbeaten run to two games, though they have not won any of their previous four matches played in this competition.

Ben Olsen’s side won the joint-most road games in the league last year (eight) but have claimed just three victories outside of Houston in 2025.

Five times already in this campaign, this team have failed to win a regular-season affair when scoring first, resulting in 12 points being dropped.

Houston are unbeaten in their previous four MLS away games when netting in the opening 45 minutes, emerging victorious in those last two outings.

While Orange Crush are winless in their last two meetings with the Caps, they won their previous visit to BC Place a year ago (4-3), their first ever in Vancouver.

Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer form:

Vancouver Whitecaps form (all competitions):

Houston Dynamo Major League Soccer form:

Houston Dynamo form (all competitions):

Team News

A knee issue kept Ryan Gauld and Ranko Veselinovic out of the Caps lineup last Saturday, Ali Ahmed was dealing with an ankle problem and Sam Adekugbe is out with a torn Achilles tendon.

Brian White had their only goal two minutes before the 90, while Sorensen will be missing Edier Ocampo this weekend, after he received two first-half cautions against the Quakes.

Lower body injuries kept Gabriel Segal, Erik Sviatchenko and Ezequiel Ponce out of the Dynamo lineup versus Austin, while Andrew Tarbell and Nelson Quinones were sidelined with knee injuries.

Jack McGlynn scored twice for Orange Crush in the latter stages of their clash last week, including the equaliser one minute before the 90.

Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:

Takaoka; Bovalina, Blackmon, Utvik, Laborda; Berhalter, Cubas, Ngando; Muller, White, Nelson

Houston Dynamo possible starting lineup:

Bond; Dorsey, Bartlow, Ortiz, Andrade; Artur, Bassi, Holmes; McGlynn, Ponce, Ennali

We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 Houston Dynamo

Expect the Whitecaps to feed off what is likely to be an enthusiastic crowd at BC Place Sunday, all of whom will be keen to see Muller up close and personal.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.