Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Nashville SC - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 August 2022, 04:42
Nashville SC will pay their first ever visit to BC Place Stadium on Saturday, needing a win against the Vancouver Whitecaps to ensure they remain above the playoff line in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer.

Vancouver sit eighth in the standings after a 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake this past weekend, just two points behind the Boys in Gold, who defeated Dallas 4-0 in their previous encounter.

Match preview

A solid week of performances has the Whitecaps very much in the thick of the playoff battle in the Western Conference as they beat the Colorado Rapids 2-1 last Wednesday before nabbing a point late at Rio Tinto Stadium.

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 the midfield, as they have been much better when it comes to controlling games and playing on the front foot.

That has enabled some of their stars to thrive, while also remaining confident despite some early setbacks, earning 10 points this year when conceding the opening goal.

In their previous home fixture against the Burgundy Boys, they managed to get off to a quick start, something we have rarely seen them do in front of their fans of late.

They scored in the first half (twice) for the first time since June 4 when a Ranko Veselinovic goal put them ahead versus RSL, in a match they wound up winning 2-1.

They have developed a habit of leaving it late in 2022, scoring 10 goals in the final five minutes plus stoppage time this year, including their previous match against Nashville at the end of July when they equalised in the 87th minute to draw 1-1.

Finally, the Nashville team we all expected to see throughout the season showed up last weekend as they smashed the Toros, equalling a club record for the largest margin of victory.

That performance was a massive relief for manager Gary Smith, who had seen his team struggle since the middle of July, going winless in six consecutive fixtures before that big game.

Three players found the back of the net, which is also an encouraging sign for a side that have depended heavily on their German number 10 to carry them for much of the campaign.

On the back end, they have been shakier than we are used to seeing, allowing more goals already this year (36) than they had ever conceded in any other regular season, though they have scored in 12 consecutive encounters, continuing a club record.

They have not won a regular season road game since the end of June, scoring just once in their last four away matches in all competitions.

Saturday will be their fifth visit to Canada for an MLS affair, where they have only suffered one defeat historically in the Great White North, while maintaining a pair of clean sheets in their two matches played in Montreal.

Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer form:

Vancouver Whitecaps form (all competitions):

Nashville SC Major League Soccer form:

Team News

Ryan Gauld has a goal involvement in three straight matches for Vancouver, notching a first-half brace in their previous home fixture, while he assisted on the equaliser by Julian Gressel at RSL and leading scorer Lucas Cavallini has not found the back of the net since putting home the winner in injury-time at the beginning of August against the Houston Dynamo.

Javain Brown had the only goal in their first-ever meeting versus Nashville, his lone tally of the season, while Thomas Hasal has allowed just one goal in each of his last two matches since returning from a hand injury, replacing Cody Cropper, who conceded five in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Brown is doubtful for this encounter because of a left ankle sprain, Brian White is also unlikely to feature due to a rib cage strain and Deiber Caicedo remains out after undergoing right knee meniscus surgery.

Shaquell Moore has added a ton of width to the Nashville attack, with the American wingback recording the first assist of his career last weekend, while Jacob Shaffelburg collected his first goal since joining them on loan from Toronto.

David Romney scored his third of the season, and Hany Mukhtar notched a brace in their previous encounter, putting him at 16 goals for the year.

CJ Sapong picked up his 35th career MLS assist in their lopsided win over Dallas, 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.

Teal Bunbury, who scored the only goal in their previous match versus the Caps, is out with a left thigh problem, while Ake Loba is expected to miss another game due to a trunk injury.

Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:

Hasal; Blackmon, Veselinovic, Godinho; Raposo, Berhalter, Cubas, Dajome; Gauld, Gressel; Cavallini

Nashville SC possible starting lineup:

Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Romney, Lovitz; Davis, McCarty, Shaffelburg; Godoy; Mukhtar, Sapong

We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Nashville SC

Even though they have won their last two home games, Vancouver have had plenty of anxious moments late in matches, while Nashville do not seem to be able to do much more than earn single points on the road, with six of their nine draws this year coming as the visitors.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England interim manager Lee Carsley has played down Harry Kane's strong words about the withdrawal of many of his teammates, insisting he is looking forward to working with other players who also deserve a chance. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly fearful that Lisandro Martinez could spend an extended spell on the sidelines with the hip injury that has forced him to withdraw from Argentina duty. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon wing-back Maximiliano Araujo has hinted that he hopes to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the near future. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Morocco will be looking to maintain their 100% record in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they visit the Stade de Franceville to take on Gabon on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk San Marino will hope to leapfrog Gibraltar and prevent them from earning promotion from their UEFA Nations League D group when they welcome them to Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In their fifth UEFA Nations League C match of 2024-25, Northern Ireland are set to host Belarus on Friday at Windsor Park, with victory enough to guarantee a place in the top two. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Zimbabwe will be hoping to book their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they face Kenya on matchday five of qualifying this Friday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United could reportedly move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez during next summer's transfer window. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool should arguably be considered favourites for Premier League glory after they took charge of the title race last weekend when they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield and moved five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Burnley could reportedly offer Ruud van Nistelrooy the chance to make a swift return to English football, with the Clarets interested in bringing him in as their new manager. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead Portugal out in Porto when they face Poland in the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has expressed his disappointment at the number of players to have withdrawn from the Three Lions squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures with Greece and Republic of Ireland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi has been handed a call-up to the Spain squad for the national team's November international fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid youngster Marc Cucalon has been forced to retire from professional football at the age of 19 due to a serious knee injury which he suffered in the latter stages of 2022. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have revealed that Ansu Fati has been ruled out for around four weeks with a hamstring injury. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal manager Roberto Martinez is facing a crisis at centre-back ahead of their UEFA Nations League clash with Poland in Porto on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal welcome Poland to Porto on matchday five of the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has said that it is "the right moment" for Ruben Amorim to arrive at Old Trafford, claiming that the Portuguese "did something very special" at Sporting Lisbon. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Ben White has apparently gone under the knife to treat a joint issue in his knee, which will sideline the Englishman for around two months. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have reportedly identified Al-Nassr centre-back Aymeric Laporte and Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro as two of their top defensive targets for 2025. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botswana will host Mauritania in their penultimate 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Francistown Stadium on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has provided a positive injury update ahead of potentially representing Belgium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Scotland's stay in the UEFA Nations League's top tier could be brought to its end on Friday, when they face an almost must-win game against League A Group 1 rivals Croatia. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lamine Yamal is among a number of absentees for Spain, as the national side conclude their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League group-stage campaign with fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Spain will be bidding to secure top spot in Group 4 of League A in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League when they head to Denmark on Friday evening for what is shaping up to be an intriguing affair. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion forward Danny Welbeck has claimed that speculation regarding a potential return to Manchester United is "irrelevant". 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Manchester City winger Jack Grealish as a potential January transfer target. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in joining the race to sign a Benfica defender in 2025.