
No panic for Vancouver Whitecaps following three straight draws
Real Salt Lake's Justen Glad (15) and Vancouver Whitecaps' Ali Ahmed (22) vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Vancouver Whitecaps knew their hot streak wouldn't last forever.
While the club is undefeated in its last 13 games across all competitions (6-0-7), Vancouver doesn't have a win since May 3 when the 'Caps downed Real Salt Lake 2-1.
'I don't think there's concern,' striker Brian White said of the team's recent run of form. 'It's normal. It's a long year, we play a lot of games, we travel a lot. There's ups and downs to every season. You can't always win every game 3-0, 4-0.
'There's going to be tough moments, but it's important for the group, and I think we have a group, that can respond well.'
Vancouver (8-1-4) will have another chance to get back in the win column Saturday when the team heads to Utah to once again face RSL (4-8-2) in Major League Soccer action.
Salt Lake heads into the weekend matchup following a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
Vancouver battled Canadian Premier League side Valour FC to a 2-2 draw to kick off the Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday.
'We have addressed with the players that we have maybe not been at our best the last couple of games,' said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen.
'We would like to perform at our best every time — it's not possible. But a couple of things we have been headlining to the players is we have to do something about it right now before it's too late.'
The 'Caps have been road warriors this season, posting a 3-0-3 record away from B.C. Place. The only other MLS team still without a road loss are the Columbus Crew.
Wins have been hard for the Whitecaps to come by in Utah in recent years, though, and Salt Lake has taken five consecutive home victories over Vancouver.
'We always struggle going there and getting results,' White said. 'It's going to be important that we come in with the right mentality and do everything we can to come away with three points.'
The last time the 'Caps faced RSL, Vancouver dominated much of the game. Salt Lake's lone goal came on a penalty kick in stoppage time.
'I think it was a decent game overall,' said Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. 'I think there's still more you can improve on. And hopefully we go down there and do that.'
Getting wins is getting trickier for the Whitecaps as the season continues.
When you face a team multiple times across the campaign, the opponents get a chance to change up their tactics, Sorensen said.
The Whitecaps need to respond by making adjustments of their own, he said.
'All games are kind of chess matches, but it's very rare that you just go out and then you play in one straight line the entire game,' the coach said. 'It's 90 or maybe 100 minutes where small things can influence the momentum of the game, and it normally does, and it happens. So you have to be prepared for that.'
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (8-1-4) AT REAL SALT LAKE (4-8-2)
America First Field, Saturday
INS AND OUTS: Vancouver is still without attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld (knee). The Whitecaps will also miss defensive midfielder Andres Cubas, who will serve a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Salt Lake won't have midfielder Matthew Bell (hamstring), goalkeeper Zac MacMath (back) or defender Javain Brown (knee), while midfielder Diogo Goncalves (heel) and defender Kobi Henry (hamstring) are listed as questionable.
HISTORY BOOKS: Salt Lake holds a 15-14-5 record in regular-season meetings with Vancouver. The last five games between the two clubs have ended in 2-1 scorelines, with RSL victors in four of the matchups.
CALLED UP: Six Whitecaps players have been called up to their national squads for next month's international break. Defender Giuseppe Bovalina is set to join Australia's U-23 team, while midfielders Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed, and defender Sam Adekugbe are all headed to camp with the Canadian national men's program ahead of the Gold Cup. White and Berhalter will spend time with the U.S. team, marking Berhalter's first callup to the senior squad. 'It's honestly probably the proudest moment of my life,' he said. 'This has been a dream since I was probably literally one year old. So it doesn't get much better than this.'
This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published May 23, 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Bell Canadian Swimming Trials: Day 4
Watch the preliminaries from day four of the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials at Saanich Commonwealth Place in Victoria, B.C.


The Province
4 hours ago
- The Province
Whitecaps 3, Sounders 0: Jeevan Badwal scores 1st MLS goal in rout
Vancouver (10-1-5) is the points leader in all of MLS with 35 and averages a league-high 2.19 points per game. Published Jun 08, 2025 • 1 minute read Vancouver Whitecaps' Jeevan Badwal celebrates his goal against the Seattle Sounders during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns / THE CANADIAN PRESS Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Jeevan Badwal scored his first career goal in the 40th minute, Daniel Rios added his first goal of the season and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 on Sunday night to extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Nouhou Tolo — known simply as 'Nouhou' — and Jon Bell were shown red cards in the 51st and 55th minutes and Seattle (7-6-5) played two-men down the rest of the way. Vancouver (10-1-5) is the points leader in all of MLS with 35 and averages a league-high 2.19 points per game. Badwal, a 19-year-old homegrown in his second MLS season, poked in a first-touch finish to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead. Rios slipped a rising shot from outside the area between two defenders and inside the left post to make it 2-0 in the 70th and 36-year-old Damir Kreilach came on in 74th minute, his first appearance of the season, and converted from the penalty spot to cap the scoring in the 88th. Vancouver Whitecaps' Damir Kreilach (19) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Sounders with Daniel Rios, left, and Edier Ocampo (18) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns / THE CANADIAN PRESS Seattle had 54% possession but was outshot 13-7, 5-0 on target. Stefan Frei had two saves for the Sounders. Read More Vancouver Canucks Sports Vancouver Canucks Local News Sports


Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sports scoreboard for Sunday, June 8, 2025
Sunday's Scoreboard NBA Final Oklahoma City 123 Indiana 107 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1) — WNBA Washington 104 Connecticut 67 Minnesota 81 Dallas 65 — Canadian Elite Basketball League Vancouver 101 Saskatchewan 76 Niagara 94 Brampton 80 Calgary 107 Ottawa 93 — AHL Western Conference Final Abbotsford 4 Texas 2 (Abbotsford wins best-of-seven series 4-2). — MLB American League Minnesota 6 Toronto 3 Cleveland 4 Houston 2 Kansas City 7 Chicago White Sox 5 Athletics 5 Baltimore 1 Seattle 3 L.A. Angels 2 Boston 11 N.Y. Yankees 7 National League San Diego 1 Milwaukee 0 Pittsburgh 2 Philadelphia 1 Cincinnati 4 Arizona 2 L.A. Dodgers 7 St. Louis 3 N.Y. Mets 13 Colorado 5 San Francisco 4 Atlanta 3 Interleague Detroit 4 Chicago Cubs 0 Tampa Bay 3 Miami 2 Texas 4 Washington 2 —- MLS Vancouver 3 Seattle 0 Portland 2 St Louis City 1 Los Angeles FC 3 Sporting Kansas City 1 — Canadian Premier League Forge (Hamilton) 2 Wanderers (Halifax) 1 Cavalry (Calgary) 2 York United 1 —