LAFC @ Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Sunday, Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. PT
🏟: BC Place - Vancouver, BC
After securing a 3-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park last Saturday, LAFC is set to face the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place in a match that had to be resscheduled to this Sunday due to LAFC's run to the League's Cup Final.
Approaching the final two matches of the regular season, the Black & Gold holds a record of 17W-8L-7D in league play, good for second place in the Western Conference with 58 points from 32 matches played. LAFC enters this match needing a win to keep its hopes alive for the Western Conference title. LAFC trails its rival, the Galaxy, by six points.
The Black & Gold will be missing Denis Bouanga, Maxime Chanot, and Cristian Olivera, who are representing their national teams during FIFA’s October international window. Similarly, Vancouver will be without Sam Adekugbe, Ali Ahmed, Andrés Cubas, Ryan Gauld, Fafà Picault, and Pedro Vite, who are also on international duty.
This will be the 20th all-time meeting between the Whitecaps and LAFC, with the Black & Gold holding a record of 9W-6L-4D in the series. The teams last faced each other in Leagues Cup this past July. That match ended in a 2-2 draw after regulation with Vancouver going on to win in PKs.
Whitecaps In Depth:
Coached by Vanni Sartini, the Whitecaps have secured their spot in the 2024 MLS postseason but are fighting to avoid the Western Conference Wild Card game, a single-elimination match featuring the eighth- and ninth-place teams.
Vancouver and LAFC are the only teams in the West with two matches remaining (everyone else has just one). Vancouver (13W-11L-8D, eighth place in the conference) would love to take points from LAFC on Sunday and rise into the 7th position ahead of its final match next weekend.
The Whitecaps come into this match winless in their last five MLS matches (0W-3L-2D). Their most recent outing was a 1-0 defeat to Minnesota United FC last Saturday at BC Place.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It can score first and test a heavily rotated Whitecaps squad that’s missing several key pieces due to international play. LAFC is currently riding a four-game winning streak across all competitions, outscoring opponents 9-2 during that stretch.
Although the team is missing three players due to international duty, LAFC’s depth has played a key role recently. Venezuelan teenager David Martínez has scored in two of the last three matches and centerback Eddie Segura, who has filled in admirably for the injured Jesús Murillo, will likely help fill Chanot’s spot. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has registered back-to-back clean sheets.
Vancouver Can Win If:
They find a way to break through LAFC’s tactically-sound defense without its top goal scorers. With White (15 goals), Gauld (nine goals), and Picault (nine goals) unavailable, Sartini must replace the three men who have scored 33 of the team’s 50 league goals in 2024. He’ll rely on the playmaking abilities of Ryan Raposo (three goals, four assists), Sebastian Berhalter (two goals, five assists), and Damir Kreilach (two goals) to pick up the slack.
