Vancouver will face Los Angeles FC without injured midfielder Thomas Muller after a hamstring injury, while LAFC name Xavi Tamarit interim head coach.
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Vancouver Whitecaps will take on Los Angeles FC without Thomas Muller after the German midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the Whitecaps’ 3-1 loss to the Chicago Fire on Tuesday.
Muller’s absence comes as Vancouver hold first place in the Western Conference by a three-point margin over St. Louis City SC and FC Dallas, which sit second and third respectively. The Whitecaps have won two of their last six MLS matches (D1 L3) and are winless in their last two, following a 3-3 draw with D.C. United before the Chicago defeat.
Jesper Sorensen said the club’s depth will be tested without Muller and that the situation is also a chance to respond when things do not go their way.
“That's why we have more than just 11 players,” Sorensen said. “And you know what? This is also a situation where things are not just going our way, and that's also a good challenge.”
He added: “That's what you have to grow from. You cannot always have it your way and then believe you will get stronger.”
On the other side, LAFC have made a coaching change over the international break after head coach Marc Dos Santos was sacked following a run of one win in 10 regular-season matches (D5 L4) dating back to the start of August.
That stretch has pushed LAFC down to sixth in the Western Conference, nine points behind Saturday’s opponents, and they have entered the matchup following three straight matches without a victory.
Xavi Tamarit has been appointed interim head coach and said his focus is on clear tactical concepts and defined roles for players. “First of all, I'm really happy to have this opportunity,” Tamarit told reporters. “I appreciate the club trusted (in) me and the players.”
“What we want to improve is to give very simple but clear concepts in the tactical aspects and give clear roles for each player on the pitch to have a really clear idea and a really clear identity.”
In matchup history, Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga has produced 16 career goal contributions in 15 matches against the Whitecaps in all competitions (nine goals, seven assists), his highest total against any MLS club. Over the last six meetings between the teams in all competitions dating back to November 2024, Vancouver have limited Bouanga to one goal and one assist.
For Vancouver, defender Mathias Laborda scored the Whitecaps’ lone goal in their Tuesday loss to Chicago and has 12 regular-season MLS goals. Since Laborda made his MLS debut in 2023, he is the only defender with more league goals than Anthony Markanich, who has 18.
Vancouver is unbeaten in four straight meetings with LAFC across all competitions (W1 D3), with the lone win coming in the only match played at BMO Stadium during that stretch. That result was a 1-0 Whitecaps victory in June 2025, one of two Vancouver wins in 14 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L8).
Across their recent run, Vancouver have won seven of their last 18 regular-season matches (D5 L6) after opening the season with eight wins in nine (L1). The Whitecaps have not lost consecutive league matches in over a year, since defeats to the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids in July 2025.
LAFC’s recent form has also been a key factor in expectations. The eight points they earned over their last 10 regular-season matches equal their fewest in any 10-match span in club history (June to September 2023), and an Opta win-probability model projects LAFC to win.
Opta projected the following: Los Angeles FC 44.8%, a draw 26.9%, and Vancouver 28.3%.
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