The Vancouver Whitecaps' two-game homestand will end on Saturday when they welcome Minnesota United to BC Place Stadium.
Last weekend, the Caps extended their unbeaten run in MLS to seven matches with a 0-0 draw versus the Colorado Rapids, while the Loons settled for that same result at home to Dallas.
Match preview
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Another game and another point for Vancouver last Saturday, as this team always seem to do enough to earn a positive result but rarely enough to collect all three points.
Heading into their 10th match of the regular season this weekend, the Caps are unbeaten in seven successive domestic encounters, their longest stretch without a defeat in this competition since picking up at least a point in 10 straight games during the 2021 campaign, a club record.
The zonal marking approach employed by Vanni Sartini has made this group a more compact defensive unit than in past seasons, as the Caps currently hold the longest shutout streak in MLS this year (410 minutes) and have not conceded domestically at BC Place in 355 minutes.
While they are excelling at closing off their opponents' space in the attacking third, the Whitecaps have not created much themselves, without a goal in four of their last five matches in all competitions.
Should they fail to find the back of the net on Saturday, it would be the first time that this team had failed to score in back-to-back MLS home games since 2019, when they were shut out in two of their opening three fixtures of that campaign.
The Caps have not conceded first in any of their league fixtures played at home this year, with their last two victories being by a combined score of 6-0, and they have not trailed an MLS match at BC Place heading into the interval since August 2022 (3-0 defeat versus Nashville SC).
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It was another frustrating match for Minnesota last weekend as they could not find a way through the Toros' backline, extending their goalless run to two games domestically.
As a result, Adrian Heath's men are now winless in four successive league fixtures, two shy of their longest such run from a year ago, missing numerous opportunities to win at home a week ago.
In the early stages of the new campaign, the Loons seemed to be okay even without their big chance creator Emanuel Reynoso, but over the past few weeks, it looks like they are missing his presence more and more, with Minnesota scoring a goal or fewer in six straight MLS affairs.
On the other hand, this team have proven to be well-disciplined and compact defensively away from home, conceding a goal or fewer in each of their road contests played this year, while claiming three road victories in league play.
So far in 2023, Minnesota have yet to score in the opening half of an MLS road fixture, losing their last two away games in this competition versus the Chicago Fire (2-1) and Seattle Sounders (1-0) by a single goal.
After losing their first two visits to Vancouver by a combined score of 7-2, the Loons have adjusted well to the faster turf field, earning points in three of their last four away contests against the Caps, including a 3-1 come-from-behind triumph in 2022.
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Team News
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Max Anchor is expected to miss another match for Vancouver because of a left shoulder sprain, Sergio Cordova remains sidelined with a right hamstring strain, Alessandro Schopf did not feature last week but was on the bench for the first time since sustaining a left hamstring injury weeks ago and Pedro Vite made his first start of the regular season since their 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers.
Yohei Takaoka was massive in between the sticks once again for the Caps last Saturday, stopping Diego Rubio from the penalty spot 11 minutes from the end to collect his fourth successive MLS clean sheet, putting him two behind the Sounders' Stefan Frei for the most this season.
Simon Becher was the hero in their previous encounter with the Loons this season, replacing Sebastian Berhalter for the final 20 minutes of that encounter and scoring in the 98th minute to help his side pick up a 1-1 draw.
Kervin Arriaga and Bakaye Dibassy missed the last match for Minnesota due to thigh issues, Mikael Marques might be sidelined again because of a sore ankle and Ryen Jiba is expected to be out for this encounter with a knee injury.
Dayne St. Clair only had to make two saves on Sunday to preserve his third clean sheet of the campaign, with the two previous ones coming on the road, while we saw three new faces in their starting 11 last week from their previous MLS fixture versus Seattle as Kemar Lawrence, Wil Trapp and Luis Amarilla drew into the lineup in place of Zarek Valentin, Arriaga and Mender Garcia.
In their previous visit to Vancouver, second-half goals from Lawrence, Amarilla and Franco Fragapane helped the Loons erase a 1-0 deficit as they came away with a 3-1 triumph.
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Brown, Veselinovic, Blackmon, Martins; Gressel, Cubas, Schopf; Gauld; Vite, White
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
St. Clair; Taylor, Boxall, Tapias, Lawrence; Trapp, Dotson; Lod, Rosales, Fragapane; Amarilla
We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Minnesota United
Traditionally these teams play each other tightly, and they both have elite goalkeepers who are in fine form right now, so we do not expect either side to find enough to overtake the other on Saturday.
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