The Vancouver Whitecaps will be in a battle to keep hold of the top spot in the Western Conference when they host Los Angeles FC on Saturday night.
The Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) hold matches in hand over LAFC and the San Jose Earthquakes immediately below them, but have returned from the World Cup break in middling form.
After dealing with Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the Canadian Championship — earning a win and a draw in the set — the defending conference champions fell 4-3 at FC Cincinnati and fought Minnesota United to a scoreless draw on the road.
To further complicate matters, the team confirmed the sale of Sebastian Berhalter to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, leaving a hole in the midfield that has yet to be filled.
“It’s not a big surprise for me,” Vancouver head coach Jesper Sorensen said in a press conference that day. “It’s not in the short term strengthening us because Sebastian was playing at such a high level, but we also know that when people leave, it will open up opportunities for others.”
On the flip side, Vancouver has been strengthened by the returns of Designated Player and captain Ryan Gauld and left back Sam Adekugbe from lengthy injury-induced absences — the latter played his first competitive match in 419 days when he subbed on late against Minnesota on July 25.
The Whitecaps also bolstered their depth with the acquisition of Canadian international forward Kwasi Poku from Belgian side RWDM Brussels on Thursday.
In contrast, they will face a Los Angeles team (10-5-3, 33 points) in faultless form since its return. Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga have terrorized opposition defenses, helping the Black and Gold outscore their opponents 10-1 in July en route to three wins.
Both head to Vancouver on three-match scoring runs, Bouanga nabbing a brace and an assist in a 4-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in their last outing. Son netted two goals in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday and was named MVP.
“When he came back from the World Cup, there was a lot of talk of us getting a Sonny that mentally was not in a good place,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “But I always said… inside our bubble here, I never felt him with a lack of focus or confidence.”
The match will mark the two teams’ first encounter since last year’s conference semifinals — won by the Whitecaps — and Dos Santos’ first clash against his former team.
–Field Level Media
