PLAYOFF PICTURE
For the first time in several weeks, Whitecaps FC have dropped below the red line in the Western Conference. Interestingly, 21 points is the same total they had after 15 matches last year.
It’s certainly no time to sound the alarm bells, however.
As you can see below, the ‘Caps have at least a game in hand over every other team in the conference – and three games in hand over first-place Sporting Kansas City, third-place Portland Timbers, and seventh-place Seattle Sounders FC. And when you look at points per game, they're actually fourth behind KC, Dallas, and Houston. I think we can safely say it's going to be one heck of a playoff race down the stretch.
THE STREAK CONTINUES
As Luke Wileman pointed out on Saturday’s broadcast, Whitecaps FC have never lost an MLS game in which Cristian Techera has scored a goal.
Their record is now 10W-0L-4D.
Coincidence? Maybe. But The Bug, who is now tied with Fredy Montero for the team-lead with five goals on the season, is clearly becoming one of Vancouver’s most important players.
WALKING WOUNDED
Have you ever seen a team with this many injuries?
There are eight players on the shelf at the moment, including Kendall Waston and Christian Bolaños, which has certainly tested Vancouver’s depth as of late. And Alphonso Davies played with a left hand fracture on Saturday (though it didn't stop him from causing havoc on the Minnesota back line and playing an indirect part in both of Vancouver's goals).
It's absolutely wild.
But Christian Dean, Erik Hurtado, and Yordy Reyna are all back to full training, which has certainly been a welcome sight. If his performances during the preseason were any indication, Reyna is a player who brings a lot of creativity and attacking flair to the game – and Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said the Peruvian could start getting some minutes in the next few weeks.
Watch this space.
RED-HOT FIRE
Next up for Whitecaps FC are the red-hot Chicago Fire, who are coming off a dominant 4-0 win over Orlando City SC thanks to a hat-trick from David Accam. The Fire are now unbeaten in nine matches (7W-0L-2D), outscoring their opponents 20-5 in that span.
Not bad for a team that finished dead-last in MLS the last two seasons.
Chicago will be without Accam and influential midfielder Dax McCarty this weekend due to international duty, so the ‘Caps caught a little bit of a break there. But they’ll still have to deal with MLS Golden Boot leader Nemanja Nikolic and someone by the name of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
You may have heard of him.
The ‘Caps visit the Fire on Saturday at Toyota Park (4 p.m. PT on TSN1 and TSN 1410).
CANADA CALL-UPS
In the next few days, Canada will name its 23-man roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, which starts next Friday, July 7.
Alphonso Davies, Marcel de Jong, and Russell Teibert were all part of Octavio Zambrano’s squad for Canada’s recent friendly vs. Curaçao, who beat Jamaica on Sunday to win the Caribbean Cup. Will they get the call again for the Gold Cup?
And will any of their teammates join them?
Canada opens the tournament on July 7 vs. French Guinea before facing Costa Rica on July 11 and Honduras on July 14. MLS is set to break for the group stage of the tournament.
