It's a short week as LAFC are in Vancouver on Friday for a match with the Whitecaps. In the Club's first trip north of the border, Bob Bradley's men will be looking to get back to winning ways after dropping three points in consecutive matches.
Kei Kamara and the second-place Whitecaps are undefeated in their last 11 home matches. And Friday's match marks LAFC's first broadcast on YouTube TV, so let's get right into it:
When & Where to Watch/Listen
LAFC at Vancouver, April 13 at 7pm PST
TV: YouTube TV (30-minute pregame show starting at 6:30p), UniMás 46
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form Guide
Like LAFC, the Whitecaps started the season with consecutive victories, only to have mixed results in their last four matches. They return home on the back of a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake. Kei Kamara leads the way for the 'Caps with three goals and two assists this season.
What The Players Are Saying
Jordan Harvey on moving past the last two matches: "I think it’s a huge moment for us as a team to get back to the foundation that we started upon early in the season. I don’t think the last game is indicative of the personalities and character that we have in this locker room. We have quality in this locker room, not just on the pitch but off of it. That’s what we’re going to bring into this game. Just that character and never-say-die attitude, and really battle. But really focus on our foundation, the style of play that we want to put on the pitch. And do that for 90 minutes."
Mark-Anthony Kaye on the intensity in training leading up to Vancouver: "It's been good. Everyone has responded with the right attitude. I think the intensity has gotten much higher, but that's expected. I think we are going in the right direction. If you look at it right now, we have six points from four away games. It's not bad, it's not great. But we're not in the worst position right now. So, I think everything is ok."
Bob Bradley on what his team took away from the Atlanta defeat: "We've had very good week of training. Of course, when you lose 5-0, there's a hard look at many different things. There were positives, so we understood that. But we also realized that, especially late in the game, we just lost our way. And that that has to be something we take personally, and to ensure that is not going to be the way we go about things."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1) Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Laurent Ciman, Walker Zimmerman, Steven Beitashour; Mark-Anthony Kaye, Benny Feilhaber; Diego Rossi, Carlos Vela, Latif Blessing; Marco Ureña.
What To Watch For
Finding The Back Of The Net: 240 minutes into the Club's inaugural season, LAFC were flying with nine goals. But in the last 120 minutes, the Black & Gold have failed to score while conceding nine times. Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi each have three goals apiece. Forward Marco Ureña has yet to find the net, but has been a focal point of the attack opening spaces for his teammates. LAFC's best form of defense is with the ball at their feet, they'll need to attack and find openings in a Vancouver team that tends to drop low and look to hit on the counter.
Jordan Harvey Returns To Vancouver: With João Moutinho suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the previous match, Jordan Harvey will likely get the start for LAFC. The UCLA alum played seven seasons for the Whitecaps, winning Player of the Year for the team in 2016. His 199 appearances in all competitions is still a Whitecaps record.
Mind The Counter Attack: Vancouver comes into the LAFC match with the lowest possession percentage in MLS at 44.1 percent. But that's exactly the way Carl Robinson's team likes it. The Whitecaps prefer not to have the ball. Instead, they defend deep, drawing opponents out of position, and counter through target man Kei Kamara. LAFC were undone by Atlanta's counterattack on the second goal last match. While the Whitecaps don't boast Atlanta's technical ability, they'll need to have a close eye on Kamara, as the Sierra Leonean has a knack for getting on the end of crosses in the opposing penalty area.
