Rolling Whitecaps set for tough test against surging Rapids
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VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps have been on a roll to start the Major League Soccer season.
The Whitecaps (4-1-1) head into the weekend sitting atop the Western Conference standings and tied for the league lead in points (13) with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.
But the club's toughest test is yet to come.
On Saturday, Vancouver will host the Colorado Rapids (3-1-2), who are chasing them for the No. 1 spot. A win would vault the Rapids over the 'Caps into the top of the table.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen isn't dwelling on positioning early in the campaign.
“We just started the season and every game could mean a lot. I'm focusing on the way we play," he said Friday. "And if we want to, be a team in the top of the table, we have to play like a team in the top of the table. And if we do that, then we'll get the results. And then every game has its own life."
For Whitecaps midfielder Ralph Priso, the match is an opportunity to go up against some familiar faces.
The 22-year-old Canadian appeared in 32 regular-season MLS games for the Rapids across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and previously played for Rapids head coach Chris Armas when both were with Toronto FC.
Colorado's early season success hasn't surprised Priso.
"I think Chris has done a good job of building a group that buys into who he wants them to be. And Chris has a clear idea of how he wants to play," Priso said.
"So when you get the players to buy in and do what he wants, I think it works well. And you can obviously see that by the start of the season.”
Vancouver knows the visitors boast an array of threats, starting with midfielder Djorde Mihailovic, who scored twice in Colorado's 2-0 victory over Charlotte FC last week.
"They're a good team. Even last year we had really tough games against them," said 'Caps defender Ranko Veselinovic.
“I expect really a hard game tomorrow against an experienced team. They know what they want, and they’ve had a good start. They have confidence right now.”
The 'Caps are riding their own wave of confidence after starting the season 4-0-0, and are looking to get back in the win column following a loss to the Chicago Fire and a draw with TFC.
Vancouver is coming off a mid-week CONCACAF Champions Cup game where they battled LIGA MX side Pumas to a 1-1 draw to open a two-legged aggregate quarterfinal series.
Key to the club's early season success has been its defensive stability. The Whitecaps lead the West in goal differential (+5) and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka has three clean sheets on the season, tied for most in MLS.
The stats come as the team continues to deal with a host of injuries to defenders, including Canadian star Sam Adekugbe, who's been sidelined with a quad injury.
“The entire team is working extremely hard against the ball," Sorensen said. "So I think it's not just the defence, but they are doing very well as well. We’re well organized and we know how we would approach the different situations we end up in.”
COLORADO RAPIDS (3-1-2) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (4-1-1)
B.C. Place, Saturday
INS AND OUTS: Defensive midfielder Andres Cubas is expected to be available for the Whitecaps after missing Wednesday's game with a dislocated shoulder. The team is still missing captain Ryan Gauld (knee), defenders Adekugbe (quad), Mathias Laborda (hamstring) and Bjorn Utvik (quad), and midfielder Jayden Nelson (hamstring).
CRAMPED CALENDAR: The 'Caps are in the midst of another busy stretch, with five games in 14 days between March 29 and April 12. Next up, the team heads to Mexico City to face Pumas again on Wednesday.
HISTORY BOOKS: This will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two clubs. Colorado holds a 13-11-8 edge in the series, but Vancouver won the last matchup 2-1 back on June 1, 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2025.