Match Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs FC Dallas – trying to avoid the scheduled loss

One of the casualties of Leagues Cup is that while it means the MLS regular season can happily be paused for over a month in the middle of the summer, it can’t afford to take a break during a FIFA international window. For a team that has a decent number of players representing their national teams, that’s not a great situation.

Sadly, it’s the situation the Whitecaps currently find themselves in for Saturday’s clash with FC Dallas. They’re down five of their top players due to international duty (Ryan Gauld, Andrés Cubas, Pedro Vite, Fafa Picault, and Ali Ahmed), Brian White remains out with his concussion, and the health of Sam Adekugbe remains a big question mark.

That all means the ‘Caps don’t even have enough available players to fill out a full gameday roster without call-ups from WFC2, which has led to both Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau and Jeevan Badwal getting tapped for a spot on the bench. The former could potentially get some real minutes given the lack of forward depth!

The silver lining is that some reinforcements have arrived, with three new (or newly returned) players available for selection. They are familiar face Déiber Caicedo, intriguing young talent Édier Ocampo, and most exciting of all, new DP Stuart Armstrong. It wouldn’t be too surprising if none of the three end up playing more than half an hour or so off the bench, but an injection of new life into the squad is a good thing with how many people are out of the lineup.

This isn’t a game the ‘Caps can afford to drop either, as they take on a Dallas team looking to squeeze their way into the playoff race. Lose, and the ‘Caps are just five points ahead of 10th place in the West. Win, and not only are they ten points clear of the playoff line, but they also draw level on points with Colorado for 4th in the conference.

For this all-important game the ‘Caps are really going to need to lean on the more proven performers who are still available for selection. The backline at least is still basically intact, and after a shutout against Austin last weekend (the first in nearly four months for Yohei Takaoka), a strong defensive performance is paramount this Saturday.

Further forward, the likes of Ryan Raposo, Sebastian Berhalter, Alessandro Schöpf, and Levonte Johnson all need to put in a good shift if the ‘Caps are going to be able to create anything offensively. Perhaps the trio of new additions can provide a spark off the bench, but with the firepower of the team so stunted this week, it could be tough sledding.

Looking at the visitors, Dallas is also down a half dozen or so players due to international duty and injury, although they do have all three of their DPs available. That includes Petar Musa who is tied for 5th in MLS in goals with 14, and former club record signing Alan Velasco, who made his first appearance of the season off the bench last week after suffering an ACL tear ten months ago.

The Texan side is in a battle to try and avoid missing the playoffs for what would be just the second time in the last seven years. They currently sit 11th, just one point back of Austin and three back of Minnesota, who currently hold the final postseason berth. They’re coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 home loss to Colorado where they gave up a 93rd minute winner, and have just one road win this season.

These two teams played all the way back in mid-March, when the ‘Caps went into Frisco and walked out with a 3-1 victory. Unfortunately, two of their goalscorers in that match (White and Picault) aren’t around this time. The ‘Caps have lost just one of their last nine meetings with Dallas, with five wins and three draws.

It’s really quite impossible to predict how this one might go, but if the Whitecaps can get a win that would be an absolutely massive boost, especially considering how the rest of the schedule looks. After this week and next where they play Dallas and San Jose, the final seven MLS matches are all against teams currently in a playoff spot. The battle for seeding will be intense, and the ‘Caps can put themselves in a much better spot with a result on Saturday.