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The Vancouver Whitecaps head into the weekend on a three game winning streak. Since taking their foot off the pedal in the second half of their season opener against Toronto FC, everything has been coming up roses for Carl Robinson’s squad.
The Whitecaps will now look to make it four in a row for the first time in their history, with the team standing in their way from achieving that being the defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy. While Vancouver will have the home pitch advantage for this match, as well as being the team in better form, the Galaxy will still have the psychological advantage over a fellow west coast club that he almost always managed to get the better of.
Keep thinking
With the international break now over, Carl Robinson will have plenty of options to choose from as he tries to select the right squad to take apart the Galaxy. Midfielder Russell Teibert and striker Darren Mattocks have returned from stints with Canada and Jamaica respectively and lighting quick forward Kekuta Manneh will also be available for selection after serving a one game suspension.
The Galaxy will enter Saturday’s fixtures winless in three matches. However, they will like take plenty of confidence from their historical dominance over the Whitecaps. Bruce Arena’s squad have enjoyed an all-time record of 8 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws against Vancouver.
If they are Galaxy are to continue that mastery, they will need to find a way to shut down one of the hottest players in the league in March MLS Player of the Month Octavio Rivero. The Uruguayan marksman has not taken long to settle into the league and is currently tied for the league lead in goals with 3.
On the flipside of that equation, even with the retirement of Landon Donovan, the Galaxy still possess a plethora of attacking riches lead by strikers Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes. That duo will severely test the Whitecaps back line, putting the spotlight on Pa-Modou Kah and Kendall Waston and their abilities to deal with two of the most mobile and smart strikers in the league. Vancouver’s fullbacks and midfielders will also need to be top of form if they are to dilute the danger that Stefan Ishizaki and Jose Villarreal, two of the best wide players in MLS, will bring to the proceedings.
In the end
Even with the home field advantage and the better form coming into this match, it is hard to see the Whitecaps shutting down the Galaxy completely. Even though they have not been winning over the last several weeks, Los Angeles has been creating plenty of chances and earning plenty of possession. These two sides played to a 2-2 draw at BC Place last season. With both sides fielding so much offensive firepower, the potential for this to be a match with plenty of goals is certainly there.
Prediction
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 2 Los Angeles Galaxy
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