Match Preview - Vancouver Whitecaps
Game Info
Kickoff: 7:39pm CT
Watch: Apple TV
Location: Q2 Stadium - Austin, TX
All-Time H2H Record
Austin has a disgusting 1W-2D-6L record against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The most recent contest between these two was an absolute dismantling of the Verde and Black by a 5-1 scoreline back in April, which equaled the worst loss in Austin FC history and was the beginning of what has been a brutal run of play for ATX over the last five weeks.
The scoring was started by Brian White via a stunning flick from Daniel Rios. White, who scored four times and drew a penalty kick that he handed off to Rios in that matchup, dominated Austin’s backline.
Austin’s lone win against the ‘Caps came back in 2022 at Q2 Stadium. Maxi Urruti netted a first half brace and Sebastián Driussi added the finishing touches with a gorgeous second half header. Austin has secured a measly two points from games against Vancouver since then, both coming in the form of 0-0 draws – and even in those two games, Austin gave up a whooping 37 shots combined.
Vancouver Whitecaps Recent Form
Clearly, history is not on Austin’s side in this one. Nor is the present, as Vancouver has established themselves as the hottest team in MLS. They sit atop the Western Conference table and are just a point behind FC Cincinnati in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. Oh, and they’re in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final after dispatching Saprissa, CF Monterrey, Pumas and Inter Miami this spring, all in two-leg matchups.
There’s not much else to say about Vancouver right now except that they’ve been the best team in MLS all season long. They have dominated league play with a 8W-3D-1L record, they are gearing up for the CCC final against Cruz Azul on June 1st.
Ever since I posed the question, “who has Vancouver beat?” prior to the first meeting this season, Vancouver has crushed Austin FC 5-1, beat Inter Miami twice by a 5-1 aggregate scoreline and throttled a talented Minnesota United team 3-1 in their house while rotating heavily to start the match. Last weekend, they clawed back from a 2-0 hole at home versus a highly motivated LAFC club to earn a point. With the best goal differential in the league, the ‘Caps are getting contributions from every single player on their roster at the moment.
Clearly new head coach Jesper Sørensen has earned the trust of his players. The ‘Caps roster is completely bought in to playing his preferred style of soccer and have been from the start of this run back in February. The team emphasizes possession and structurally sound defense, as can be seen by their 55.9% possession figure and their league-best 10 goals conceded that is backed up by a league-best 12.7 xG conceded.
Coming into that April match, both teams were considered to be two of the elite defensive teams in the league. Vancouver has solidified themselves as the best defense in MLS while Austin has seen their defensive metrics take a nosedive – a downturn that Vancouver played a large part in. Vancouver had 4.22 xG, EIGHT big chances, a penalty kick, and 27 total shots. It was as thorough of an ass whooping as this Austin club has ever endured.
Paced by Brian White and his eight league goals, Vancouver is flying high. But this is far from a one man show, as Vancouver has 11 different players with at least one goal in MLS this season. Getting everyone involved is something that Vancouver excels at and is a big reason why they are very difficult to contain.
To make matters worse, Vancouver welcomes back speed demon Jayden Nelson, who is as good as advertised. After opening the season with a three assist game, Nelson has continued his solid play after returning from injury and sits with six goal contributions on the season. The counting stats don’t do Nelson justice as his mere presence alone is enough to crack the structure of a back line. His straight line speed is a sight to behold and when he is bearing down on a defense, players have to react quickly, oftentimes compromising their defensive responsibilities to provide support to their comrades in the back.
The Whitecaps have not lost a game since March 22nd and will visit Q2 as hot as the Texas sun. A tall task lies before the Verde and Black.
Austin FC Recent Form
Things aren’t going great, that’s for sure. Austin is now on a four game winless streak and have only secured five points in MLS play from their last seven games. After sitting in 2nd place for a few weeks in early April, Austin FC finds themselves in the 8th spot in the Western Conference with just a point separating them from being below the playoff line.
If you’re an avid listener, then you know we had a healthy level of apprehension about the month of May, the grueling pace of the schedule, and the formidable opponents Austin was matched up with. But this has gone worse than anticipated through the first half of the month, and it does not get any easier with Vancouver coming to town on Saturday.
Looking ahead, the Verde and Black will host Houston in the US Open Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday the 21st, then travel to red hot Minnesota on the weekend, return home to face Real Salt Lake in the midweek, and then complete the month of May with a road visit to talented and surprising expansion side San Diego FC. There is a very real possibility that Austin drowns this month and the avenues to securing a playoff spot dwindle before our eyes.
Despite the poor form, there has been some promising play from the likes of Brandon Vazquez, Owen Wolff, Brad Stuver, Guillerme Biro, and Jon Gallagher. But as a whole, the team is getting next to nothing out of a makeshift starting XI that is being tweaked every game while missing key contributors Mikkel Desler and Dani Pereira. After suffering a hamstring injury in the El Paso Locomotive game, “sight for sore eyes” Robert Taylor has found himself on the injured list as well. If alarm bells are not going off for you, then I don’t think you are paying close enough attention.
While navigating injuries is a journey that all teams in professional sports must undergo at one point or another during a season, the other components of this team are in dire straits as well. The chemistry between the “DP 3” is nowhere to be found, the team still cannot score wide open chances, and the product is flat out putrid at present. Calls for Nico Estévez to be fired have already begun to circulate certain corners of the fan base and after an embarrassing performance against El Paso, which saw Austin barely escape with their US Open Cup lives, it is abundantly clear that the team has either not bought into or haven’t picked up on Nico’s preferred style of play.
To make matters worse, Nico has had some incredibly questionable decision making as of late. After busting out a five-back formation against FC Cincinnati, then not utilizing the formation again when Austin was up 1-0 on Atlanta, it’s appears that Nico does not have confidence in how he can consistently earn results.
Arguably the most curious of all the decisions as of late is the complete and utter mismanagement of Osman Bukari, who Nico has singled out, benched, and in my eyes outright refused to support. Frankly, as a big believer in the player, I am furious at the way the staff has handled Buka. In the beginning of the season, the coaches decided it was a good idea to have Bukari, who is 5’7” and about 145 pounds, focus his efforts on the defensive side of the ball. At times he’s been forced back into the defensive structure to provide support to the fullbacks to a degree that he was unable to be an option for counter attacking opportunities. But that was somewhat swept under the rug as the team was winning at the time, albeit ugly, but three points is three points. Now that they’re struggling, I’m taking issue.
Now Bukari is continuously being played out of position, sometimes in favor of Jáder Obrian. No offense intended to Obi, but let that sink in for a moment. A designated player who we spent north of $7 million dollars on was being asked to play out of position so that we could accommodate a former re-entry draft pick that plays the same position. On top of that, Bukari has not played a full 90 since the April 26th game against Houston and has only logged 194 minutes across the last four fixtures, with more than 100 of those minutes coming exclusively on the left side of the formation.
On Wednesday versus Atlanta, as we sat in The North End from our “perch of judgment” and no less than 10 people pointed out Buka once again being out of position and on the left side of the formation. We are clearly not the only ones baffled by this.
We got an answer from Coach Estévez in the postgame press conference and I became even more confused. Nico mentioned that he wanted to “stretch the line” on the right side of the pitch. Huh??
So, the fastest player on the team, a man who logged a top-10 speed in the fucking Champions League last year is somehow not the guy we want to be the line stretcher? I don’t buy it.
In my guy-in-the-stands opinion, Nico is outsmarting himself. He’s looking for creative answers when the actual solution is more simple. Bukari is our fastest player, he’s wildly talented in space, has the ability to win one-on-one matchups, draws double teams consistently and has provided consistent goal-scoring opportunities for others when he is lined up in the right position.
Regardless, the team is at the direction of the coach, and to his credit, Osman has played with effort despite the frustrating circumstances he finds himself in.
If there was ever a game where the team should be highly motivated to seek revenge, this is it. After the 5-1 thrashing Vancouver handed Austin, the boys repping the 512 have a chance for some get back. Brandon Vazquez has found his form and has scored in three consecutive matches. It’s time to ride the hot hand and find him as much as possible in hopes that he can continue his good form.
I speculated on Episode 224 that the struggles and mismanagement of Bukari have provided some cover for the absolutely dismal play of Myrto Uzuni, who has been flat out awful. I seem to have fallen victim to that narrative as well, as I just dedicated five paragraphs to the Bukari situation before even mentioning Myrto’s name.
Once again, Uzuni found himself with a touch inside the box within the first five minutes of the game versus Atlanta. Once again, Myrto found himself one-on-one with the keeper in the later stages of the first half against The Five Stripes. Once again, Austin walked away with nothing.
This is no longer an aberration. This is who Myrto is right now. He has zero confidence in his shot, he is hesitant and indecisive, and his form is unacceptable for the expectations that come with his position, not to mention the expectations he put on himself during his welcome press conference. If Uzuni does not figure this out, then we are going nowhere but down from here.
Securing even a point in this game should provide the boys with some confidence, but when you’ve watched this team play all year, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Austin, who will be playing their third game in eight days, outperforms a rested Vancouver side who had a bye in the midweek.
Injury Report
ATX:
Robert Taylor (Out - Hamstring)
Mikkel Desler (Out - Hamstring)
Dani Pereira (Out - Hip Flexor)
VAN:
Ryan Gauld - Knee (Out)
J.C. Ngando - Not Due to Injury (Out)
Bjørn Inge Utvik - Not Due to Injury (Out)
Daniel Ríos - Foot (Out)
Vancouver Whitecaps Players to Watch
Jayden Nelson - Austin fans did not get to see Nelson in the first matchup, but he will be a full go come tomorrow. Nelson, who has had stints with Toronto FC and most recently Ulm, has carved out a significant role in this lineup. He possesses top-end speed and consistently pressures defenses when he’s on the ball. He will be a very difficult matchup for Austin, especially when you take into account how much attention has to be directed at fellow attacking player Brian White.
Andres Cubas - Cubas is constantly overlooked in this league, but to not understand his impact is to not understand this Vancouver team. They have guys who know their roles and do their jobs – Cubas embodies that. He is their calming presence in the midfield and plays box-to-box with an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. This allows the attacking trio Vancouver rolls out to focus on the offensive side of the ball. Cubas can dispossess you, turn, and find players with leading passes into space that ignite Vancouver’s offense. He may not pop up on the score sheet tomorrow, something he has yet to do all season in league play, but his presence cannot be overlooked. If you want an example of how good he is, go find the replay of either of the CCC semi-final legs against Inter Miami. He gave Lionel Messi the business.
Austin FC Keys to the Game
Play Bukari on the Right - We are HEAVY underdogs in this matchup and I would not be shocked to see some equally heavy rotation with the Houston game looming on Wednesday. Bukari, who has not played nearly as much as the other two DPs of late, should start and start in his natural position. The position he has played his entire career, on the right wing. I could see Myrto and BV both not starting this game, which could provide Buka with an opportunity to step up and be the chance creation engine we think he can be. Give the man a fair chance to prove himself and start turning this thing around. Stop getting cute with your formations and lineups and roll with the guys who we know possess the skills to score goals. PLAY HIM ON THE FUCKING RIGHT!
Revenge - While it may be a dish best served cold, there’s no way to not present this platter to Vancouver chilled under the summer sun of Texas. We have home field and we must protect home field. X’s and O’s, stats and figures only go so far, sometimes you need to go out and play with a nasty mentality. The Whitecaps embarrassed our entire franchise in the last matchup and have dominated these contests since our inception – we owe them. I hope Austin brings the fight to Vancouver and if they do that, I’ll live with the results.
Predictions
ZG - 2-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
E - 1-0 Austin FC
