Minnesota United FC versus the Vancouver Whitecaps 

2pm EST/Noon PST, TCF Bank Arena, (Minneapolis, Minnesota) CTV, ESPN +, TSN1

On Saturday the Vancouver Whitecaps will hope to continue their winning ways in the Twin Cities as they take on Minnesota United FC.

Consistency seems to be at the top of the agenda for both sides. Minnesota and Vancouver are coming off of weekends in which they won, but also snapped losing streaks (Vancouver at three and Minnesota at four). After nine matches, the Whitecaps find themselves in third (4-4-1, 13 points) in the Western Conference while Minnesota are in seventh (3-5-0, 9 points).

Building towards a goal seems to be at the top of the agenda for both sides. For the Whitecaps that goal is an MLS Cup. Since joining MLS they have made the playoffs four times but have yet to get beyond the Conference Semifinals. Head Coach Carl Robinson’s decision-making has come under fire from supporters who are looking for a bit more from the club. That three of their chief rivals (the Portland Timbers, the Seattle Sounders, and Toronto FC) are the last three winners of the Cup certainly doesn’t help ease the tension.

As for Minnesota, they are just looking to build. While The Loons history dates back seven years and includes several pieces of silverware from their time in the North American Soccer League, this is a very different side in a very different league. Although their record was 10-18-6 record on 36 points they did earn points in six of their last ten matches (4-4-2, 14 points). The hope was that coach Adrian Heath could use that positive run in 2017 to build a better 2018. Thus far the results have been inconclusive.

Confidence early in the season is a very tricky thing and with both sides looking to improve on their current standing, this match may go quite a long way towards determining their fate in 2018.

Last Time Out

Vancouver Whitecaps 2-Real Salt Lake 0

After a series of close calls and near goals in the first half Robinson brought in 18 year old Homegrown Player Alphonso Davies to stir things up on the attack.

The move worked as Davies assisted on Anthony Blondell’s goal in the 79th minute and gave Vancouver their first win in four matches. His work down the outside forced the normally compact RSL defense out of position which in turn led to more opportunities inside the box.

Robinson also experimented with the back four, adding in ten-year veteran Sean Franklin at right-back and former Whitecaps FC 2 defender Brett Levis at left-back. The two worked well at keeping RSL centralized and helped goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic earn his second clean sheet on the season.

Minnesota United 2- Houston Dynamo 1

After losing star forward Christian Ramirez due to a hamstring injury, Heath opted to go with forward Mason Toye up top serving as a holding forward. That allowed Designated Player/midfielder Darwin Quintero to move freely throughout the attacking third. Quintero was fouled leading up to his penalty kick goal in the 40th minute.

In the 70th minute The Loons took the lead with Ibson finishing off a cross laid in by Miguel Ibarra.

While the goals will certainly please Heath the change in form in goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth may make him even happier. Shuttleworth’s four saves were critical to preserving the advantage late. More importantly was his demeanor. After every play he could be seen talking to his defenders, giving them little instructions to stay organized. That attitude shift from the normally reserved Shuttleworth is something Heath will hope to see more of on Saturday.

Vancouver Whitecaps Lineup

 

Vancouver did not sustain any major injuries in last week’s match so look for Robinson to field a similar side against Minnesota. The one major change is in the midfield with Davies coming in for Techera, who will be serving a suspension. Forward Kei Kamara is currently listed as doubtful with an adductor strain.

Minnesota United FC Lineup

 

With Ramirez likely out due to the hamstring strain that he sustained last week, Toye will get the start up top for Heath. The other major change is at right midfielder. On Wednesday the club traded Sam Nicholson to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for defender Eric Miller. In place of Nicholson Heath will likely use Collin Martin.

Key Battle: Alphonso Davies (Whitecaps) versus Rasmus Schuller (Minnesota)

With both teams playing in a 4-5-1 it comes as no surprise that they like to use their outside midfielders to creating attacking chances from distance. For the Whitecaps that responsibility falls on Davies, one of the most exciting young players in North American soccer. At just 17 years old he leads the club in assists (3) and has one goal on the season. His blinding speed down the flanks has given club troubles all season. Moreover his passing and quick decision-making has created opportunities for his teammates. Yes, he is very young and Robinson can at times be a bit too cautious with him. But in flashes over the past four seasons he has shown that the hype is real.

Rasmus Schuller will work in tandem with Carter Manley to drive Techera towards the corner flag. While that might open some space for Quintero it will force Minnesota to go with a more direct approach something that they are not always comfortable with.

Talking Points

How many minutes will Eric Miller receive?

Miller, 25, was a linchpin of the Rapids defense for the past three years, making 53 starts in 56 appearances for the club. But he has yet to see any playing time this season, something that will certainly weigh heavily on Heath as he makes his defensive decisions  for Saturday’s game. He can play pretty much any position along the backline, a level of versatility that The Loons have sorely lacked over the past two years. But with Francisco Calvo and Michael Bozall firmly entrenched in the center-back positions, look for him to be mostly used in the outside back positions.

If he is to play against Vancouver he will likely go towards the left. Miller doesn’t quite have the speed to keep up with Davies but against Brek Shea he can use his expert tracking ability to keep a close watch on the U.S. international. Still, given that match fitness may be an issue don’t expect more than a few minutes late for the Woodbury, Minnesota native.

Can Blondell keep up the pace?

Last week Anthony Blondell made his presence known against RSL, tearing open their defense in the second half for a goal. With Davies pulling off an additional defender it opened up space for the Venezuelan international to operate in the attacking third with impunity. In particular his diagonal runs criss-crossing through the defensive midfield and back four should give Robinson something to think about when Kamara does return.

Prediction: Minnesota United FC 1-Vancouver Whitecaps 2

While both sides will certainly feature some excellent pieces in the midfield it is what’s up top that will prove the difference. Blondell seems to have developed a rapport with Davies, a player who can match his speed and seems able to pick up all of his passes. But the injury to Ramirez leaves Minnesota thin up top with Toye, a rookie from the Indiana University with just six professional appearances under his belt. Quintero will certainly cause some problems for the Whitecaps defense. But Marinovic and their back four showed last week that they can handle attack-minded midfielders if they avoid giving him chances directly on target. They might not need a Wonderwall but another consistent effort would go a long way towards securing the three points.