Minnesota United can close the gap between themselves and the Vancouver Whitecaps for first in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer when the two teams meet at Allianz Field on Sunday.
Both sides claimed a 0-0 result in their respective matches last weekend, putting the Loons in third, four points below the Supporters' Shield-leading Whitecaps.
Match preview
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Week after week Minnesota United have racked up the points, though lately their draws have felt more like defeats in the big picture.
It feels as though teams have started to figure out how to handle Eric Ramsay's side in recent weeks, and the Loons have not been able to adjust, playing to consecutive 0-0 results.
At the same time, they are second in the league regarding big chances per FotMob (30) and third in MLS for big chances missed (21).
That said it has been a while since this team came away with nothing, currently on an eight-match unbeaten run in this competition, their longest stretch without a defeat in MLS since 2020 (eight games).
After four MLS matches at Allianz Field this season, Minnesota have yet to suffer a single defeat, posting three clean sheets over that stretch.
The Loons have claimed at least a point in six of their seven home fixtures against the Whitecaps all-time, though their last victory at Allianz Field versus Vancouver occurred on Decision Day 2022 (2-0).
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Everything is going the way of the Caps right now, as they boast the best record in the league and are 90 minutes away from an appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, after upsetting Inter Miami 2-0 in the opening leg of that tie on Thursday.
Jesper Sorensen has inherited many of the players that Vanni Sartini developed and taken their game to another level, with 10 different players finding the back of the net for this team in the 2025 regular season.
The Whitecaps are conceding an average of 0.7 goals per match in the league this year, tied with St Louis City for the lowest rate in MLS.
In just 10 regular-season affairs, Sorensen has racked up 20 points, a mark that his predecessor Sartini did not reach until matchday 15 in 2024.
While they have scored the second-most goals in MLS this season (17), Vancouver have not been quite as potent away from home, failing to score in their last two domestic affairs as the visitors, with both encounters ending in 0-0 draws.
Two of their previous three meetings with the Loons in this competition have gone the Caps' way, including a 3-1 triumph at Allianz Field last year, their first-ever away victory against them.
Team News
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A leg issue kept Kipp Keller on the Minnesota sidelines versus Dallas, Owen Gene sat out due to a sore ankle and Hassani Dotson was unavailable because of a knee injury.
Dayne St. Clair stopped all four of the Toros targeted efforts last week, giving him five clean sheets on the campaign, the joint-most in MLS.
Last weekend, Vancouver were missing Ryan Gauld due to a knee injury, Sam Adekugbe was on bench Thursday but did not play having previously suffered a quad strain, while Mathias Laborda is questionable with a hamstring issue, with Jayden Nelson returning to the lineup against Miami despite having that same problem before.
Yohei Takaoka made three stops to collect his joint league-leading fifth clean sheet of the MLS campaign last week, while Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter scored in their mid-week triumph over the Herons.
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
St. Clair; Hlongwane, Diaz, Boxall, Duggan, Rosales; Lod, Trapp, Pereyra; Oluwaseyi, Yeboah
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Ocampo, Halbouni, Veselinovic, Adekugbe; Berhalter, Cubas, Priso; Sabbi, White, Nelson
We say: Minnesota United 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Minnesota are creating plenty of chances and should be able to take advantage against a fatigued Whitecaps side that could be susceptible to a letdown following an emotional victory in the Champions Cup days ago.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
