Vancouver Whitecaps head to Houston looking to regain their winning form

Winnipeg Free Press

15-07-2025

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps are looking to put their Major League Soccer season back on the rails.
After enjoying one of the best starts in team history the Whitecaps have lost two MLS matches in a row and four of their last five.
The Whitecaps (11-5-5) hope to get back on track Wednesday when they face the Houston Dynamo (7-10-5) in Texas.
The 'Caps will then play their fourth game in 11 days when they battle San Diego FC Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
The game in San Diego will be Vancouver's third consecutive road game after dropping a 3-0 decision to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.
'We know that we haven't really been as strong as when we started the season,' forward Daniel Rios said after training this week. 'It's part of every team. We don't panic.
'The way we approach these two (games) is try to get the most possible points. We'll do our best.'
Back on May 24 the Whitecaps used a 3-2 road victory over Real Salt Lake to extend their unbeaten streak to 14 games across all competitions and nine matches in MLS play. At the time, Vancouver led the league with a 9-1-4 record for 31 points.
Vancouver is 3-4-3 in the 10 MLS games since. The Whitecaps sit third in the Western Conference with 38 points, four back of conference leading San Diego, and have slid to eighth overall in the league standings.
In their last four losses the Whitecaps have been outscored 13-4 and have given up three or more goals three times, including a 5-3 defeat by San Diego at BC Place Stadium on June 25.
'Colorado wasn't our best,' defender Tate Johnson said. 'We've got time to fix it.
'We know things have got to be better. We're looking forward to putting together two good games next week.'
On a positive note, Vancouver used a goal in the 90th minute July 9 to beat Canadian Premier League side Valour FC 2-1 to win their Telus Canadian Champions quarterfinal.
The Dynamo are 2-4 in their last six games and sit 10th in the Western Conference with 26 points.
'We know they're a great team,' said Johnson. 'We know they have a lot of threats, they're very well organized.
'We're going to have to make sure we're able to step up and put together a good performance.'
Head coach Jesper Sorensen said his team doesn't need an overhaul, just some tinkering.
'We have to perform at a better level than we've done,' said Sorensen. 'It not just regarding structure and discipline. We have to be tougher and get into the game and start them better.'
A question facing the Whitecaps is the status of Ecuadorean midfielder Pedro Vite.
The team and Vite had agreed on a contract extension through the 2029 season. But Axel Schuster, Vancouver's chief executive officer and sporting director, said the deal included an agreement the team would take into consideration any offers for Vite from other clubs.
It has been reported Mexican side Pumas UNAM have approached the Whitecaps about Vite, who is second on the team with four goals and leads with six assists.
'We have received an offer that we are at least considering,' said Schuster. 'We're focusing on the job that is ahead of us. We have a few days where we will go over this.
'It's a little bit unfortunate but it's also what the business is.'
Pumas was one of the teams the Whitecaps beat on their journey to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, which they lost to Cruz Azul 5-0.
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VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (11-5-5) at HOUSTON DYNAMO (7-10-5)
Shell Energy Stadium, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET
MAKE IT A DATE: The game will be the Whitecaps' fifth midweek visit to Houston since 2021.
COMFORT ZONE: The Whitecaps are 3-0-2 in their last five games in Texas.
LAST GAME: The Whitecaps and Dynamo battled to a 1-1 draw in a Sept. 18, 2024, match in Houston.
KEEPING IT CLEAN: Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, an MLS all-star, leads the league with nine clean sheets.
BACK IN THE LINEUP: Forward Jayden Nelson is back after serving a suspension for receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time for kicking the ball into the stands in frustration during Vancouver's 3-0 loss to the L.A. Galaxy on July 4.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.