The Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps take a 14-match unbeaten streak into arguably their most challenging week of the season beginning with a Wednesday night contest against visiting Minnesota United.
Vancouver (9-1-4, 31 points) holds a one-point lead over the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union (9-3-3, 30 points) in the race for the MLS Supporters’ Shield. The Whitecaps are 7-0-7 in the past 14 contests in all competitions.
Minnesota United (7-3-5, 26 points) sits third in the West and is unbeaten in its last three matches in all competitions (2-0-1).
After opposing the Loons, the Whitecaps will head to Mexico City to take on Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on Sunday.
“We have this huge game coming up in Mexico,” Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen said. “That’s something in the back of the mind of the players, and also for me and the coaching staff. It’s a tough period right now where we have to balance a lot of things instead of just go out and attack things.”
Vancouver nearly took its first loss since March 22 against the Chicago Fire on Saturday when it had to rally from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 road victory at Real Salt Lake.
RSL scored twice in the first four minutes, but Vancouver tied it later in the first half on a brace by Brian White. Midfielder Pedro Vite scored the game-winner in the 90th minute.
“Definitely a good result for us,” said White, who hit the 10-goal mark for the third consecutive season. “Hopefully, we can take that confidence and the learning lessons in the game into Minnesota and then Cruz Azul, and keep on ticking from there.”
Minnesota comes in off a 1-1 draw with visiting Austin FC on Saturday. Defender Michael Boxall scored in the 16th minute, but the Loons, despite outshooting Austin 17-8, couldn’t add on while giving up a first-half equalizer to Zan Kolmanic.
“We were for sure, undeniably the dominant team, the team that had the foot on the opponent’s neck for large portions of the game,” Minnesota coach Eric Ramsay said. “In terms of the completeness of the performance, it’s a step forward, and we’ve been wanting to look like that more.”
This is the second meeting between the two teams. Vancouver, behind a pair of goals by Vite, won the first one 3-1 in Saint Paul, Minn., on April 27.
–Field Level Media
