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.