The Vancouver Whitecaps will look to stretch their unbeaten streak in MLS play to five matches when they play host to Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night.
The Whitecaps (10-7-5, 35 points), sixth in the Western Conference, have not lost since dropping a 2-0 decision to the Timbers in Portland on June 22.
Vancouver won 4-1 at St. Louis City last Saturday.
“The mindset is try to win every game,” Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini said. “We’re in a good moment, we play well, we have options to move players and rotate players. Now we have to push for the next two games at home.
“We need to make points because everyone (in our conference) is making points. It’s really hard. … The only thing we can do is win.”
On Monday, Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld was selected for the 2024 MLS All-Star skills challenge. Gauld has nine goals and nine assists while starting all 22 games this season. Striker Brian White has a team-leading 12 goals and two assists in 21 appearances with the Whitecaps.
Wednesday is the second and final meeting between the clubs this season. Vancouver won 2-1 at Kansas City on May 29.
Sporting KC and the Whitecaps played to a 1-1 draw in their last meeting in Vancouver on June 3, 2023. Kansas City is 13-7-6 all-time against Vancouver, including a 5-4-3 away record at BC Place.
Kansas City (6-13-5, 23 points) enters the match having won its previous two MLS outings and three of four matches.
Sporting KC snapped an eight-match regular-season road losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday. Their previous road victory came over Toronto FC on March 30.
“The mentality has been good,” said Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes. “We found a way to get three points (in San Jose). I had told the guys before we left it would be great if you could get six (points). If you could get four, great. If you can get three or two, OK, but we’ve got to get points on the road.
“Getting three (in San Jose) is a massive result for us moving forward.”
Willy Agada has paced Sporting with seven goals and two assists through 23 matches, and midfielder Erik Thommy has eight goal contributions (five goals and three assists) in 21 appearances this season.
–Field Level Media
