The Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami will clash at BC Place Stadium on Saturday for the first time ever in the MLS regular season.
A converted penalty in second-half stoppage time last weekend enabled the Caps to salvage a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders, while the Herons had some late drama of their own, defeating DC United 1-0.
Match preview
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Over the first eight matches of the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season, Vancouver appeared to be one of the teams to beat.
At that time, they were second in the Western Conference table, with just one defeat, but things have taken a turn for them in recent weeks.
Vanni Sartini's men enter this match sitting seventh in their conference and winless in four successive matches in all competitions.
Vancouver had found the back of the net in each of their opening nine MLS affairs but have only scored once in their previous five matches in all competitions.
Since their 3-1 defeat to the Chicago Fire in July 2022, the Caps are undefeated at home versus Eastern Conference sides in this competition, including an emphatic 4-0 triumph over Toronto earlier this year.
The Whitecaps have never lost a match played at BC Place Stadium versus a side based in Florida, defeating Orlando City 5-2 in 2018.
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Over the past couple of games, we have seen a different version of Inter Miami that has rarely been noticeable throughout the 2024 campaign.
Tata Martino's men enter this contest having gone two consecutive matches in this competition without conceding while posting four clean sheets in MLS this year.
Entering this fixture, the Herons have put together a seven-match unbeaten run in MLS play, their longest in any of their regular-season campaigns, walking away with maximum points in six of those fixtures.
They have points in their previous four domestic contests away from home, which is their longest run ever without a defeat in a single MLS campaign, with the Herons losing just once on the road this year (4-0 versus the New York Red Bulls).
With 31 points after 15 domestic contests, Inter Miami have improved by 16 points from where they were at this stage a year ago, and they continue to lead the Supporters' Shield standings, currently a point above FC Cincinnati.
Miami have not lost an MLS away fixture versus a Western Conference opponent since July 2023, when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at St. Louis City.
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Team News
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Last weekend, the Caps were once again without Sam Adekugbe due to a calf strain, and Damir Kreilach was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Bjorn Inge Utvik is eligible to return from suspension on Saturday, while the club signed Cyprian Kachwele to a short-term contract this week and Giuseppe Bovalina is seeking his first MLS appearance after starting in their 1-0 defeat versus Cavalry at the Canadian Championship on Tuesday.
An own-goal by Ranko Veselinovic sent them to defeat against Cavalry, though they still advanced on away goals, while a 95th-minute penalty converted by Ryan Gauld enabled them to claim a single point in Seattle.
Miami will be without numerous star players this weekend as neither Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez or Sergio Busquets travelled with the team to Vancouver and it has been confirmed that none of them will play on Saturday.
The Herons could also be missing Shanyder Borgelin this weekend due to a hamstring ailment, Diego Gomez is dealing with an ankle sprain, while Federico Redondo remains sidelined with an LCL injury.
Robbie Robinson has a knee issue, Facundo Farias is out for the year with a torn ACL, Ian Fray is nearing a return from that same issue and Jordi Alba got his first start since injuring his hamstring in their victory over Sporting Kansas City (3-2) in mid-April.
Leonardo Campana had the only goal for Miami last weekend, his third of the MLS campaign, while Drake Callender stopped three shots for his second successive clean sheet and fourth of the regular season.
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Laborda, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Brown, Cubas, Vite, Raposo; Picault, White, Gauld
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Freire, Alba; Gressel, Cremaschi, Ruiz; Campana, Afonso, Rojas
We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Inter Miami
In light of Thursday's news that Messi, Suarez and Busquets will not be available our prediction has changed dramatically for this match.
Those three have been the catalysts for Miami throughout the campaign, and the Herons do not look nearly as dynamic or potent without them, which will be a break for a struggling Whitecaps team.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
