On Saturday night, Vancouver Whitecaps continue their quest to finish top of the Western Conference when they travel to Colorado Rapids for the final match of their five-match road trip.
Despite still leading the pack, Vancouver have been through a rocky patch in recent weeks. But points at LAFC when down to ten men and against in-form St. Louis City FC showed signs of improvement, before Yadaly Diaby’s wondergoal saw Vancouver finally snap their winless run at Austin FC. That result means Vancouver now travel to Denver with some momentum as they prepare to play a Rapids side who have only won once in eight and are desperately clinging on to the final playoff place in the West.
The return fixture at BC Place saw the Whitecaps win 3-1 thanks to an early opener from Cheikh Sabaly and Brian White’s brace.
Rafael Navarro scored for the Rapids that day but was transferred to St. Louis over the summer. However, it would be naïve to diminish Colorado’s attacking threat despite his departure, with former Middlesbrough attacker Morgan Whittaker a particular problem for the Whitecaps to worry about. Whittaker isn’t the only English influence in former Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells’ team, with Arsenal academy graduate Rob Holding a key fixture of their defence, although former Manchester City keeper Zach Steffen misses out due to injury.
We’re at the stage of the season where the team practically picks itself for Jesper Sørensen, with just a couple of considerations for the Dane as he looks to get his players into form ahead of the playoffs. In defence, the back four will likely remain the same, depending on how close Ralph Priso is to full fitness, while either Aleksa Cvetkovic or Oliver Larraz will get the nod alongside Cubas at the base of midfield, with both players impressing in recent outings. Further forward, Diaby’s goal has given Sørensen an extra consideration on the wings alongside Bruno Caicedo or Emmanuel Sabbi, with Ryan Gauld set to occupy the attacking midfield role and top scorer White likely to lead the line.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park has not historically been a happy hunting ground for Vancouver, with the Whitecaps only winning four of their 17 visits there in MLS play. The last such win came back in 2019, when Andy Rose (what a throwback) scored a late winner in a 3-2 thriller.
For Vancouver, the picture is clear. They sit four points clear at the summit of the Western Conference with four games to play. Three wins and they win the West, securing the top seed and home advantage through to MLS Cup.
Although they will be taking it one game at a time, Vancouver know their destiny is in their hands. Victory over Colorado would be a huge step towards bringing them one step closer to their goals. I personally can see them coming into this one with momentum, having been inspired by their victory over Austin to get the job done and bring themselves a game closer to a first-ever first-place finish in the Western Conference.