The Vancouver Whitecaps will attempt to continue their delicate balancing act between continental and league play, returning home to take on Austin FC Saturday.
So far, the Caps have been able to find success in both MLS and CONCACAF Champions Cup, though they started to look leggy on Wednesday. This of course didn’t stop them from knocking off Pumas UNAM to advance in continental competition but one imagines the dwindling depth, altitude away in Mexico City and having to play twice a week more often than not is starting to catch up.
Local media have reported that Sam Adekugbe is back training with the team, though it is unclear if he will feature Saturday. And while Ryan Gauld, Jayden Nelson and Mathias Laborda seem some ways off from full fitness, it remains to be seen whether Belal Halbouni will be available to provide a rotation options.
Tactically, this will be a fascinating matchup. Austin has jumped out to a solid start this season, sitting fourth in the West, three points off Vancouver.
They have done this largely on the back of excellent defending — this is the league’s best defensive side. That confounds expectations a bit, after Austin pumped millions into their attack to sign Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni in the offseason.
Instead, Brad Stuver looks like an early front-runner for MLS goalkeeper of the year and this team has conceded the fewest goals per match of any team in the league. There has perhaps been a slight bit of luck involved when you look at the expected goals, but not much. Suffice to say, this is a formidable team to break down.
It isn’t just Stuver. Jon Gallagher and Guilherme Biro have been top quality fullbacks, who help fuel Austin’s attack, which is based on long balls and crosses within a direct style of play, rather than possession.
That hasn’t seemed to matter much, however. That is particularly true as some of their vaunted youngsters have taken a step forward, notably Owen Wolff, son of former manager Josh Wolff, who has been one of the most effective attacking engines in the league, pinging in lots of crosses from the left hand side. Dani Pereira has also been solid from a ball progression and passing standpoint in the centre of the park.
Austin have tweaked how best to get their attacking pieces in the game, going from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2, depending on availability. Their three DPs (Uzuni, Vazquez and Osman Bukari) have combined for three goals to date. This team ranks nearly last in terms of possession and has a below-average attacking output, with Uzuni in particular struggling to break through.
That all presents a unique contrast with the Caps who have naturally been ball dominant and have generally coped well with crosses and long balls into the box this season. Austin are effective when they do break forward and, with plenty of tired legs in this Vancouver side, you wonder if their strategy will hinge on waiting for an individual error from the home side.
This is a fairly low stakes match for the Caps, as they have already stockpiled some points and will likely instead be looking to rest some bodies after Wednesday’s away trip. Ralph Priso seems a good bet to slide back into the rotation, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Bjorn Utvik does likewise, assuming he is fit for a full 90 minutes. Brian White and Emmanuel Sabbi, meanwhile, came off the bench and should be able to go the distance in this one, providing the Caps some fresh, dangerous attacking options.
But this will likely hinge on whether Pedro Vite, Sebastian Berhalter, Sabbi and/or Ali Ahmed will be able to pick the lock that is Austin’s backline. It will be an interesting challenge for a midfield that has been elite at creating chances this season, though they haven’t had a challenge quite like this.
We also had the chance to speak with Phil West from Verde All Day to learn a bit more about Austin FC. Here is our conversation:
Third Sub: From the outside looking in, it seems like Austin has played extremely low-event football for most of the season. That’s not necessarily what we’ve seen from Austin historically, so what has facilitated that change, and why is it working?
Phil: If by low-event football, you mean goals scored, then yes, Austin’s only allowed three goals through seven matches and have scored five. That’s not for lack of trying; new head coach Nico Estévez has been quite pragmatic in his approach, and on the whole, play looks more positive than what we saw for a lot of Josh Wolff’s last year at the helm in 2024, which I like to call “cross it and hope.” They’ve actually played very exciting soccer in holding onto a one-goal lead for 233 minutes of the season so far, and though it’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Verde fans to watch those slim leads being defended, they’ve committed to putting in the work to preserve those leads and keep the excellent Brad Stuver from being tested. Also, as you’re familiar with a high-profile coach’s son coming into his own, be sure to keep an eye on Owen Wolff, who is making The Leap this season.
Third Sub: Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni were big attacking weapons added recently. How have they looked so far, and what is the chemistry like up front?
Phil: Austin’s wildly underperforming xG so far (8.04 per FBref vs. five actual goals scored), and a lot of that has to do with Vázquez (2.7 xG) and Uzuni (1.9 xG) continuing what’s largely been a Sisyphean journey in front of goal. Their talent is evident. Also, they’re still new arrivals, especially Uzuni —who also has his wife back in Spain about ready to bring their child into the world, but barring the miracle of life and possibly not even that, he’s opted to play on Vancouver’s weird turf rather than welcome new life. (“The baby will be there!” he might be reasoning. “The opportunity to score against the current best team in the West won’t after Saturday!”) They are working on their chemistry, and there’s a general feeling that a dam holding back goals is about to burst, but there’s also concern that the new-to-Austin two-forward system might not be the best idea. It’s a developing narrative that is still more satisfying than last year’s, when Verde was struggling to create chances and looked absolutely moribund in front of goal.
Third Sub: After missing the playoffs the last two seasons, where were expectations set going into 2025, and what would make for a successful season?
Phil: Playoffs were the expectation last season, and Wolff was fired the instant Verde were out of the playoffs, though it was evident well before they were officially out that playoffs weren’t in the cards. Playoffs is always going to be the baseline goal for an MLS team, even the rebuilding ones, given the low bar it takes to qualify. Given the talent that Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell has assembled, just getting into the playoffs doesn’t feel like it’s enough. It’s hard to project how far they’ll go in the post-season once they get there, as Verde’s offense is a plane being built while it flies, but the defense has been much better than anticipated. I projected they’d be fourth based on the talent they’ve acquired and the overall decline across the conference. (I knew the Galaxy were going to be in trouble, but I also expected much more from Seattle.) Given how it’s shaking out, Austin could win a couple of rounds and even luck into MLS Cup if the offense performs to its potential. But that’s a big if.
its going to be a real test of the maturity of this Team after the emotional high of their win over Pumas – watching this Team, i think they will be ready to perform- fatique is my only concern, so jesper will be doing his magical subs
Salty