VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs. MINNESOTA UNITED FC
BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia
10.26.21 | MLS Week No. 31 | MLS Game No. 32
9:00 p.m. CT (Bally Sports North+, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)
2021 Regular Season Records (W-L-D):
VAN: 11-9-11 (9-4-2 at home)
MIN: 12-10-9 (3-6-6 on the road)
Minnesota United's Saturday night game against LAFC was another close match that ended in yet another tie between the two Western Conference foes. LAFC took the lead in the 32nd minute off of a Cristian Arango free kick that slipped through the arms of Tyler Miller. The Loons pressed on and eventually equaled in the 65th minute on a strike from Osvaldo Alonso. The Loons will need to make yet another quick turnaround to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday at BC Place. For a while now, the Whitecaps have been nipping at the heels of the Loons in the standings with only one point separating the two teams. Three points for either team would be simply massive at this point in the season. The Loons will need to play in Vancouver with the same intensity they’ve shown in Saint Paul to secure their fourth road victory of the season.
THE OPPOSITION
The Vancouver Whitecaps’ recent run of form closely parallels that of MNUFC. The Caps have two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five, while the Loons traded one of those losses for a draw across the last five. Now, Vancouver trails Minnesota in the standings by a single point. Perhaps unsurprisingly, each team left with a point in their most recent meeting after a late penalty awarded to Vancouver made it 2-2. Since parting ways with Head Coach Marc Dos Santos in late August, the team has gone 6-2-3, including big wins over SKC and Portland. Forward Brian White has come alive since being acquired from Red Bulls, with 11 goals since the move. A win for Vancouver could push them as high as fourth — but the same goes for MNUFC.
Head Coach Adrian Heath on the vibe of the group knowing there’s only three games left of the season…
“They’re good. We all know what’s at stake. It’s not going to be easy, it’s never easy in Vancouver. Plastic pitch and the way that it is. I think it’s their first full house or the first time it’ll be open to the public. They’re on a great run. Vanni [Sartini] has done a really great job since taking over. We know it’s tough and it’s a huge game for them as well, where we all are in the standings. As I’ve said over the last few weeks Cal, it seems to me that every game that we play is the old six-pointer. It’s like snakes and ladders. You win, so you go up a couple. You lose and you go down three spots. All to play for.”
Midfielder Emanuel Reynoso on being the third most fouled player in the league and if he’s expecting more of that against Vancouver…
[SPA]: “Mira, la verdad es que si me hacen falta y es bien para el equipo de tratar de hacer gol de pelota parrada es muy bueno. Entonces, sí creo que va hacer difícil en la cancha de ellos, sintético, cancha sintética. Entonces ellos están acostumbrados, van a jugar de local. Difícil y ojalá que hagamos gran partido, como te dije recién, y podemos sumar y pensar en los Playoffs que es el objetivo que queremos ahora y adelante.”
[ENG]: “Look, the truth is that when they foul me and it’s good for the team, we have the chance to try to score a goal on a free kick, it is very good. So yes, I think it's going to be difficult on their field, synthetic, synthetic field. They are used to it, they are going to play at home. Difficult, and hopefully we will have a great game and, as I just told you, we can add points and think about the Playoffs, which is now the objective and onwards. " MORE.
FIRST TOUCHES
- Minnesota United have taken 453 shots on the year, the fourth most in MLS. Vancouver have taken 330, the third fewest. MORE
