The Vancouver Whitecaps are the team no one is probably focusing enough on right now in MLS. Three weeks into the season, the Caps are one of the only undefeated teams left standing, with a perfect 3-0-0 record.
Last weekend they extended their hot start thanks to a shutout win over fellow Canadian side CF Montreal, after putting in a full shift against Mexican side Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Caps will come to Dallas after their Wednesday night return leg in Monterrey. So, will Dallas get a team fresh off a massive upset in the CCC? Or one that is gassed from all of the travel? Let's dive into Saturday's opponent to learn more.
Key Player: Brian White
Ryan Gauld was going to be the key guy to focus on for the Whitecaps going into the weekend, but he picked up an injury in the first half against Montreal last weekend. Now, I think the focus shifts to White. The veteran attacker has one goal to his name already this season and is the type of striker that can poach goals in the penalty area (something Dallas has been leaky with already this year).
Key Matchup: Andres Cubas vs Lucho Acosta
Cubas is one of the more underrated players in MLS right now for me. He'll likely be tasked with doing what Chicago did last weekend with Acosta, find ways to clog up the middle of the field and limit what Acosta is able to do with the ball in progression forward up the field.
Availability Report1:
Suspended: none
Out: Ryan Gauld (knee), Sam Adekugbe (quad), Jayden Nelson (hamstring), Emmanuel Sabbi (ankle)
Questionable: none
On Loan: none
International duty: none
Quick Notes:
Last season against FCD: The Caps had little trouble finding success in Frisco in 2024, as they downed FC Dallas 3-1 in a mid-March trip. The two sides then squared off in September in Vancouver, when Jimmy Maurer stood on his head in goal and preserved a 0-0 shutout.
Recent run against FCD: The Caps have been a thorn in the side for FC Dallas in recent years. In their last ten meetings, Dallas has only won once (a May 2023 match), going 1-5-4.
Last year’s record for the Caps: 47 points, good for 8th in the Western Conference. The Caps lost out in the playoffs due to not being able to actually host their wild card game with Portland.
Potential Lineup:
The Jesper Sorensen era has gotten off to one of the best starts of any new coach in MLS history. Sorensen has had to do a fair amount of rotation with their double work in the CCC.
Takaoka, Johnson, Veselinovic, Blackmon, Laborda; Cubas, Vite, Berhalter, Rios, White, Ahmed
Keys To Three Points over Vancouver
- Start strong: Given the tired legs that Vancouver will have in this one, starting off with a bit of a fire under their skin is the way to go. I can see Eric Quill and his staff motivate the club this week to move past the Chicago collapse and push to write that wrong a bit with the fans by going after things early. The Caps are going to be tired and a bit beaten in terms of injuries, so make this one count out of the gates.
- Find the width: While we want to see Acosta get on the ball early and often in this one, it may actually come down to Dallas winning the wings in this one. The speed of guys like Anderson Julio could come into play well here with the tired legs that the Caps will have coming into this one.
- Don't fall asleep at the wheel: This one may be more on Quill and how he subs players into the match, but we can't afford another home game like last weekend where the team looked good for long stretches of the game only to give it up in the final ten minutes. Vancouver has proven enough already this season that they'll capitalize on team's mistakes and get results. I'd urge Quill to sub a bit sooner if he needs to in this one, especially if the team begins to play a bit flat.
1 Note: MLS has a new injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. I will put last week’s report in these scouting reports and update where I can ahead of the weekly release from the league.
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