VANCOUVER WHITECAPS vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Saturday, Sept. 24 | Week #29 | MLS Game #297
7 pm ET (TSN in Canada | MLS LIVE in the US)
A pair of clubs chasing different aims meet in a crucial match in the Western Conference playoff push as Vancouver Whitecaps FC play host to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday afternoon at BC Place. Whitecaps FC are trying to stay alive in the hunt for a postseason spot, now sitting six points below the red line following their 1-0 loss at Seattle Sounders FC last Saturday afternoon. The Rapids are still in the chase for the conference lead and the Supporters’ Shield, nearing their first playoff berth in three seasons following a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park last weekend.
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- Whitecaps FC were blanked at the attacking end for a seventh time in their last nine league games, falling 1-0 to Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field.
- The Rapids remained undefeated on their home ground for the season – now one of two teams without a home defeat this season – following their scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening.
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Marlon Hairston scored one goal and set up the second as the Rapids took a 2-0 win Aug. 6 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Rapids center back Axel Sjoberg scored deep in second-half stoppage time, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw July 9 at BC Place.
- The Rapids have won the last six meetings between the teams at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Whitecaps FC won there in 2012 for their lone triumph on the Rapids’ home ground. The Rapids win April 5, 2014 in Vancouver was their second victory ever at BC Place, now in eight visits all-time.
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Eduardo Mariscal; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Baboucarr Jallow
MLS Career: 220 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 76; pens: 77
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Axel Sjoberg, Micheal Azira
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Blas Perez, Fraser Aird, Andrew Jacobson, Kendall Waston … COL: Jared Watts, Jermaine Jones, Shkelzen Gashi, Sam Cronin, Marc Burch
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Whitecaps FC 5 wins, 18 goals … Rapids 9 wins, 21 goals … Ties 2
AT VANCOUVER (8 meetings): Whitecaps FC 4 wins, 13 goals … Rapids 2 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2
(MLS):
7/9: VAN 2, COL 2 (Waston 10; Techera 87 – K. Doyle 59; Sjoberg 95+)
8/6: COL 2, VAN 0 (Hairston 44; Badji 60)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Marlon Hairston scored one goal and set up the second as the Rapids took a 2-0 win Aug. 6 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Rapids center back Axel Sjoberg scored deep in second-half stoppage time, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw July 9 at BC Place.
- The Rapids have won the last six meetings between the teams at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Whitecaps FC won there in 2012 for their lone triumph on the Rapids’ home ground. The Rapids win April 5, 2014 in Vancouver was their second victory ever at BC Place, now in eight visits all-time.
- Coaches record: Carl Robinson vs. COL: P8 W2 L5 D1 … Pablo Mastroeni vs. VAN: P8 W5 L2 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
- The Rapids opened the scoring just before halftime. Marc Burch received the ball on the wing from Hairston, skipped past a defender then drove in a low cross which was smashed in by Marlon Hairston after he continued his run into the goalmouth.
- Colorado then extended its lead at the hour mark. Eric Miller slotted the ball through Marcel de Jong's legs on the wing setting up Hairston for a low cross which Dominique Badji hammered into the goal from close range.
- COLORADO RAPIDS (4-2-3-1): Tim Howard - Eric Miller, Bobby Burling, Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch - Dillon Powers, Sam Cronin - Marlon Hairston (Marco Pappa 84), Shkelzen Gashi (Jared Watts 90), Dominique Badji (Sebastien Le Toux 74) - Kevin Doyle.
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-2-3-1): David Ousted - Tim Parker, David Edgar, Kendall Waston, Marcel de Jong - Andrew Jacobson (Nicolas Mezquida 60), Matias Laba - Christian Bolanos (Masato Kudo 78), Pedro Morales, Cristian Techera (Alphonso Davies 60) - Giles Barnes.
