The best team in Major League Soccer is back in action on Saturday when the Vancouver Whitecaps visit St. Louis City SC. Jesper SĆørensenās Whitecaps have found success with an incredble 6-1-1 record in MLS while also earning a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
The Whitecaps’ blistering start to the campaign has been more impressive when factoring injuries to key players Ryan Gauld, Sam Adekugbe, Jayden Nelson, and Mathias Laborda.Ā
Vancouverās 17 MLS goals scored are a league best. That includes Brian Whiteās four-goal performance against Austin FC that has him tied for the MLS lead with six goals scored.
Ryan Gauld injury update
Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld was helped off the field on March 8 versus CF Montreal with a left knee capsule sprain. Gauld has progressed to the stage where he is able to run laps around the training pitch, but there is currently no timeline as to when the Scottish midfielder will return to training.Ā
SĆørensen said he hoped Gauld would have “turned a corner” by now but the club is remaining patient.
āWe cannot risk him,ā Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster told Daily Hive on Thursday. āIt wouldnāt make sense to risk him for one game and then heās out again. Heās such an important player for us that we have to make sure that if he comes back, heās fully ready and playing without any risk.”
“Does it take another 10 days or 20 days? We donāt know. We are optimistic that he will return within a month’s time, but when exactly in a month, itās impossible to say.āĀ
Attendance down so far
Top of the table has not resulted in top level attendance for MLS matches at BC Place this season, at least not yet.
Announced attendance has dropped in each Whitecaps MLS home match:Ā Ā
- Sunday, March 2 vs LA Galaxy: 21,124.
- Saturday, March 8 vs CF Montreal: 19,531.
- Saturday, March 22 vs Chicago: 18,717.Ā
- Saturday, April 5, vs Colorado: 17,993.
- Saturday, April 12, vs Austin FC: 17,931.
Schuster believes the dip in attendance is due to several factors.
āThe Austin game was heavily impacted by the Miami game and the success (Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal win) in the middle of the week,ā Schuster said. āThereās also only so much money that people can spend on tickets.
“I would say that our numbers overall are okay. We compare with what we had last year. Traditionally games in the summer, later in the season sell better in Vancouver. The hockey season was also still on. I have a good understanding why our numbers are where they are.ā
The Whitecaps won’t have any trouble filling seats when Miami comes to town, regardless of if Messi shows up. Ticketmaster is already showing a sellout crowd for the April 24 match. Expect 54,500 in attendance for the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final.
Schuster said the match sold out in minutes.
āIām clearly expecting that the stadium is sold out,ā Schuster said. āThatās what all the trends in our platforms show, that the game will be sold out. All tickets that we could make available have been sold out within minutes.ā
Whitecaps looking to add in transfer window
A new player could be joining the Whitecaps before the MLS primary transfer window closes on Wednesday. The terrific start to the season has meant that Schuster is looking at adding a depth piece that will compete for minutes instead of an immediate starter.Ā
āWeāre very actively speaking with a target,ā Schuster revealed. āThe team has made us rethink the way some players have stepped up. We were thinking before that we needed another starter for a certain position. We now donāt think that way anymore. We now need a player that comes in with respect for what the team has done.ā
Pedro Vite transfer rumours
South American outlet Bolavip has reported that Italyās AS Roma could have their sights set on Vite. The 23 year-old midfielder was linked to Greek side Panathinaikos last month. The Ecuadorian international is out of contract following the 2025 season.Ā
āRumours are not a bad thing,ā Schuster said. āThey also tell you a story about how good players are doing. There wouldnāt be a rumour if a player wasnāt doing well. Lately, Iāve seen a lot of rumours that are quite surprising, for the player and the agent. This is true for Pedro.āĀ
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