The Vancouver Whitecaps head to Austin FC looking to snap a four-game winless run after securing their playoff spot earlier this week.
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The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to visit Austin FC with the goal of ending a four-game winless streak in MLS play.
Vancouver sits atop the Western Conference and has already clinched a playoff place, doing so after a goalless draw with second-place St. Louis City SC on Wednesday.
Despite their conference position, the Whitecaps have not won any of their last four games. Their recent run includes a 1-1 draw with Los Angeles FC, in which defender Tristan Blackmon received an early red card, and a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Fire.
Against St. Louis, Vancouver limited the opponent’s attack to eight shots and held them to 0.8 expected goals (xG).
Head coach Jesper Sorensen defended the team’s recent attacking output when asked whether Vancouver’s defensive strengths have come at the cost of chance creation.
“I don't think that's fair to say,” Sorensen said. “I think we generated chances (against St. Louis); it was a difficult team we were up against.”
He added that the team created more chances than expected in their match against Los Angeles. “Also, considering we played 10 against 11 for almost the entire game in LA, I think we actually produced more chances than you would expect to begin with.”
Sorensen said Vancouver’s overall rhythm remains intact. “So, I think the fluidity in our game is okay. We create some good chances; we don't concede much as well.”
Austin FC enters the matchup in 14th place in the Western Conference and is seven points behind playoff positions with five games remaining.
The Verde’s most recent result was a 3-1 loss to LAFC, extending their own MLS winless run to four games.
Looking at individual form, Austin’s Brandon Vazquez has scored in three straight regular-season matches, for the third time in his MLS career. The streak is the first such run since he was with FC Cincinnati in 2022.
For Vancouver, Oliver Larraz led shot volume against St. Louis, recording four shots and the joint-most attempts, while Vancouver recorded 16 attempts in the match but did not find the target. Larraz also had 0.2 xG in the game.
The provided match probabilities list Austin FC at 29.6%, a draw at 24.8%, and Vancouver at 45.6%.
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