A Blondell moment may provide offensive spark

Vancouver Whitecaps (3-3-1, 3rd West) vs. Sporting Kansas City (4-1-2, 1st West), 6 p.m., Children’s Mercy Park, TSN2, TSN 1040 AM

The Whitecaps will be happy if they get booed Friday night.

The Caps, losers of two straight games, were booed off the field after their 2-0 loss to LAFC at B.C. Place Stadium last week, but get a little reprieve from the pressures of playing at home when they travel to Kansas City to take on Sporting. It’s no easy task, though, as SKC lead the Western Conference and are unbeaten in six games.

THE BIG MATCHUP

Anthony Blondell vs. Ike Opara The Whitecaps’ big Venezuelan signing will likely get the call in place of the injured Kei Kamara. He hasn’t done much in his limited action, with low-res YouTube videos from his time in the Primera División Venezolana — he led the league with 24 goals in addition to six assists in 2017 — providing most of what we know. He’ll be up against Opara, the 2017 MLS Defender of the Year who anchored a defence that conceded just 29 goals in the 2017 regular season, eight fewer than any other team.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Eliminate the incommunicado Defensively, the Whitecaps have played fairly solid this season, limiting shots to outside the 18-yard box—36percent—for the most part. But in their last two losses they’ve given up four goals, all of which came off defensive lapses. It wasn’t more apparent than the second goal last week, where Stefan Marinovic and Kendall Waston got their wires crossed, the ball popped loose as they collided and Diego Rossi punched it home. Coach Carl Robinson called it “schoolyard stuff.”

2. Riddle in the middle With Kamara out, they lose a player who was adept in holding up the ball in the centre of the field in the attacking zone. Robinson says Blondell has that ability, but if that doesn’t materialize, the Caps will struggle to do much more than the crosses and long balls.

3. Go wide, young man Alphonso Davies is electric. If he was a Tesla, he’d be the car running on Ludicrous Mode. His charges down the wings have been exciting — he leads MLS with 35 completed dribbles — but haven’t yet borne the fruits of success.

4. A Sporting chance The Caps can be encouraged by Seattle’s 2-2 draw with Sporting last week. The Sounders came into the game winless and scoreless, but took a 2-1 lead into the 73rd minute, despite seeing just 41 per cent of the ball overall.

5. Simulation stimulation In last week’s loss to L.A., Felipe spent plenty of time on the ground, being fouled six times while committing zero fouls. If he can earn a free kick in a threatening position, it would help the Caps find away to generate some scoring.

STARTING XIS

Whitecaps (4-3-3)

Shea — Blondell — Techera Davies — Felipe — Juarez

De Jong — Aja — Waston — Nerwinski

Goal: Marinovic

Sporting KC (4-3-3)

Salloi — Shelton — Russell Croizet — Sanchez — Espinoza Medranda — Besler — Opara — Zusi Goal: Melia

SICK BAY

Whitecaps: Jordon Mutch,

Kei Kamara

KC: Felipe Gutierrez