Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LA Galaxy | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LA Galaxy
2018 MLS Regular Season – Week 4
BC Place — Vancouver
10:00 pm ET – March 24, 2018
WATCH: MLS LIVE | TSN1

Both Western Conference foes are looking to bounce back from losses — Vancouver Whitecaps FC fell to Atlanta United FC, 4-1, on Saturday, while the LA Galaxy lost 2-1 to New York City FC in their last game two weeks ago.

But the bigger question is roster depth. Vancouver will look to fill the void left by Kendall Waston, who is with Costa Rica on international duty, while Sigi Schmid’s squad might come to BC Place minus 10 players because of suspension, injury and call ups.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

A 13th-minute red card to Waston, one the club appealed on Tuesday, changed the course of a game and provided an easier path in Atlanta United FC’s 4-1 win Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Erik Hurtado scored the lone goal five minutes from full time for a Whitecaps FC team that will be without Waston (Costa Rica) and young striker Myer Bevan (New Zealand) to international duty, while Kei Kamara is questionable with a groin injury.

Thankfully for Vancouver fans, Alphonso Davies wasn’t selected for John Herdman’s first Canadian team and he’ll be at BC Place to face the Galaxy rather than taking on New Zealand in Spain.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: D - Kendall Waston, F - Myer Bevan
Injury Report: OUT: M - Aly Ghazal (left hamstring strain), D - Justin Fiddes (right ankle sprain); DOUBTFUL: D - Doneil Henry; QUESTIONABLE: D - Marcel de Jong (rib contusion), F - Kei Kamara (groin)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Marinovic — Jakob Nerwinski, Jose Aja, Aaron Maund, Marcel de Jong — Russell Teibert — Alphonso Davies, Felipe, Efrain Juarez, Yordy Reyna — Kei Kamara

Notes: Kamara has scored twice in 10 appearances against the Galaxy, tied for his lowest goalscoring output against any MLS foe (min. two appearances). … Vancouver have gone unbeaten in their last 10 home games (incl. playoffs), posting a record of 6W-0L-4D and averaging 2.1 goals for and 0.9 goals against per game.

LA Galaxy

Help wanted — healthy professional soccer players. That could have been the ad Schmid needed to place as his decimated squad looks to rebound from a Week 2 loss at NYCFC. In that match, Ashley Cole was sent off for a second bookable offense and is serving a one-game suspension and Giovani dos Santos and Michael Ciani left the match with injuries. Since, Jonathan dos Santos tweaked his hamstring, the same injury Romain Alessandrini and Joao Pedro are recovering from, while Chris Pontius is out with a lower back problem, Perry Kitchen has an MCL injury and Bradford Jamieson IV is recovering from a concussion.

And oh yeah, Ola Kamara (Norway) and Emrah Klimenta (Montenegro) are with their national teams.

Schmid is left trying to piece together a starting XI with what’s left and praying for no additional injuries.

Suspended: D - Ashley Cole
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: F - Ola Kamara, D - Emrah Klimenta
Injury Report: OUT: F - Giovani dos Santos (hamstring), M - Jonathan dos Santos (hamstring); M - Romain Alessandrini (hamstring), M - Joao Pedro (hamstring), F - Bradford Jamieson IV (concussion); QUESTIONABLE:, M - Chris Pontius (lower back), D - Michael Ciani (groin), M - Perry Kitchen (MCL)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)

GK: David Bingham — Rolf Feltscher, Daniel Steres, Jorgen Skjelvik, Dave Romney — Baggio Husidic, Servando Carrasco— Ema Boateng, Efrain Alvarez, Sebastien Lletget — Ariel Lassiter

Notes: David Bingham has averaged 3.5 saves per game against the Whitecaps since 2015 (inc. playoffs), his sixth-highest average against any team he has faced more than once. … With last weekend’s away defeat, the Galaxy are winless in their last 10 road games (8L-2D). LA has been outscored 28-12 over that span.

All-Time Series

Overall: Whitecaps FC 5 wins, 16 goals … LA Galaxy 9 wins, 27 goals … Ties 4
At Vancouver: Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 13 goals … LA Galaxy 2 wins, 12 goals … Ties 3
Last meeting at Vancouver: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4, LA Galaxy 2 (April 1, 2017)