In the final regular season match of the MLS campaign for both clubs, the Vancouver Whitecaps need a victory over Los Angeles FC at BC Place Stadium on Saturday to have any hope of home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Both teams have already assured their place in the playoffs, with Vancouver playing to a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders in their previous encounter, while the reigning MLS Cup champions overpowered Austin FC, winning 4-2.
Match preview
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A year ago, Decision Day was an all-or-nothing game for Vancouver, who missed the post-season with a 2-0 defeat at Minnesota United.
This season, they decided not to leave it so late, clinching a playoff berth on their 32nd match with an impressive 3-0 victory at home to St Louis City, their eighth domestically at BC Place this year.
While they have assured themselves of playing in a best-of-three series in the opening round of the playoffs, the Caps still have an outside shot at claiming home-field advantage for that tie, though they need a victory on Saturday and have the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake lose or draw their respective fixtures.
In their previous encounter, Vancouver had a nine-match MLS scoring run end as they were shut down by the Sounders, who did not yield a single shot on target to their Pacific Northwest rivals.
Their attacking prowess was not nearly as convincing in that clash as we are used to seeing, but Vanni Sartini will be pleased with what this team have shown off the ball lately, without a goal conceded in back-to-back fixtures.
Vancouver have a chance to do something they have yet to do in a single domestic campaign, win back-to-back contests against Los Angeles FC, with the Caps claiming a 3-2 victory when the two sides met at BMO Stadium in June.
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Many were wondering what was wrong with the Los Angeles FC attack for a long while, but the Boys in Gold have answered that question in a big way this month.
Before their 32nd fixture with Minnesota United, Steve Cherundolo's men had failed to score in their previous four matches in all competitions, but they have notched nine goals in their two games played since.
Regardless of how they fare in their regular-season finale, the Black and Gold are assured of having home-field advantage for the opening round of the playoffs, but they may need a victory on Saturday to guarantee a second-place finish in the Western Conference with Seattle just a point back and Houston trailing by two.
The four goals they scored at Austin were one more than they had managed in their previous seven MLS away matches combined, while it was the first road victory for LA in this competition since June (2-1 win at Sporting Kansas City).
LAFC have won half as many regular season road fixtures this year (four) as they did in 2022, but if they can triumph this weekend, they would avoid equalling a franchise-low for away victories in a single campaign (four in 2021).
At the CONCACAF Champions League earlier this year, LA came away with a 3-0 victory away to Vancouver, though they have lost their three previous visits to BC Place in this competition by a single goal.
Team News
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Andres Cubas missed the previous Vancouver match with a right shoulder injury, while Thomas Hasal continues to be sidelined due to patellar tendinopathy.
Yohei Takaoka has faced seven shots in his last two games and stopped them all, putting him at eight clean sheets domestically this season.
Ranko Veselinovic got the Whitecaps off to the perfect start in their previous domestic outing with LA this year, scoring after two minutes of play on a night when Brian White also netted, and Ryan Gauld contributed to all three goals, notching the winner in the second half.
Kellyn Acosta may be questionable for LAFC this weekend as he is dealing with an issue in his lower extremities, while Cherundolo made three changes to his starting 11 versus Austin, bringing in Aaron Long, Ryan Hollingshead and Nathan Ordaz to replace Sergi Palencia, Jesus Murillo and Carlos Vela.
With five goals in his last two games, Denis Bouanga is poised to capture the Golden Boot, leading that race by three goals over Luciano Acosta as his brace, along with goals from Timothy Tillman and Cristian Olivera, were enough to see them past Austin.
Maxime Crepeau will play just his second match for the Black and Gold at BC Place Stadium, with the former Caps goalkeeper losing there in 2022 by a 1-0 score, as reserve keeper John McCarthy shut out Vancouver in both of their Champions League meetings this season with LAFC winning both encounters 3-0.
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Laborda, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Laryea, Schopf, Berhalter, Johnson; Vite; White, Gauld
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Crepeau; Hollingshead, Murillo, Chiellini, Duenas; Tillman, Sanchez, Bogusz; Biuk, Vela, Bouanga
We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Los Angeles FC
Both teams may still have something to play for this weekend, but neither want to risk injuries to their key players, given how valuable Bouanga and Gauld are to their respective sides.
We expect to see a spirited affair, but we do not believe either side will push themselves too hard in this one.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
