Nashville SC will pay their first visit to BC Place Stadium on Saturday, needing a victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps to keep them above the playoff line in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer with kickoff at 5 am.
The Whitecaps have been very much in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference, having beaten the Colorado Rapids 2-1 last Wednesday before earning a late draw at Rio Tinto Stadium against Real Salt Lake.
The task down the stretch of the regular season will only get harder for Vanni Sartini and his side, who have seven games remaining, six of which will be against teams either in a postseason position or in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Some in-season transfers have turned them into a much more formidable side to contend with in midfield, as they have been much better at controlling games and playing on the front foot.
Nashville last weekend equalled a club record for the largest margin of victory as they smashed Toros, a team that had been struggling since the beginning of July. Three players found the back of the net, which is an encouraging sign for a side that depended heavily on their German number 10 to carry them for much of the campaign.
Vancouver vs Nashville Head to Head
Both sides have one game against each other that ended in a draw. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Real Salt Lake 1-1 Vancouver
- Vancouver 2-1 Colorado
- LA Galaxy 5-2 Vancouver
- Vancouver 2-1 Houston Dynamo
Away
- Nashville 4-0 FC Dallas
- Nashville 1-2 Minnesota
- Nashville 3-4 Toronto
- Portland 1-1 Nashville
Vancouver Team News
Vancouver striker Ryan Gauld has scored in three consecutive matches for the Whitecaps, including a first-half brace in their previous home fixture. And midfielder Julian Gressel scored against Salt Lake while leading scorer Lucas Cavallini hasn’t scored since netting the game-winner in injury time against Houston on Aug. 5.
Nashville Team News
In their lopsided win over Dallas, CJ Sapong collected his 35th career MLS assist, Joe Willis earned his 46th career clean sheet and 28th with the Boys in Gold, while Sean Davis leads this team in minutes played by outfield players with 2,244 in 2022.
Prediction and Odds
Vancouver has won two of their last three at home, but still has trouble closing out matches, while Nashville’s road form has been better than their home record.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 3.5
