Whitecaps, Galaxy battle to see who’s best in west

GAME DAY: L.A. GALAXY AT VANCOUVER, 7:30 P.M.

VANCOUVER — Last week, the Vancouver Whitecaps climbed to the top of Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.

This week, they’re fighting to stay there. The Whitecaps (4-1-1) will host the L.A. Galaxy (3-13) today in a matchup sure to impact the standings. Going in, the two sides are separated by a single point.

Vancouver is on a high after taking a decisive 4-0 victory over Canadian rivals Toronto FC last week, and head coach Vanni Sartini said they’re lucky to be facing a tough opponent this weekend.

“You don’t have to motivate the players or something. It’s No. 1 against No. 2,” he said. “So everyone, hopefully, is going to be on top of their game.”

Galaxy is coming off their first loss of the season, having dropped a 2-1 decision to Los Angeles FC last week.

“It’s how MLS is. It’s a very tight league. So we cannot relax,” Sartini said.

The Galaxy is an exciting club, he added, with weapons including striker Dejan Joveljic, who is tied for second in the league with five goals.

Sartini said the Whitecaps will need to try to win the ball high in order to stop Joveljic and the Galaxy’s other stars from getting chances in dangerous areas.

Vancouver’s defence has been a strength so far this season, conceding just six goals across its first six games and leading the league in goal differential (+8).

Continuing that defensive structure today will be key, said Whitecaps striker Brian White.

“It’s just sticking to the principles,” he said. “They’ve worked well for us so far, so it’s not getting away from that regardless of what happens.”

Vancouver has been an offensive force, too, early in the 2024 campaign. The club is tied with the Galaxy and the Portland Timbers for most goals in the West (14) and leads the league in goals per game (2.3).

Instead of relying on a single star to find the back of the net, the ’Caps have a league-leading nine players who’ve scored.

That’s no surprise to White, who’s put up two goals.

“I think we emphasize putting a lot of numbers in the box and getting guys up the field. So, I think there’s a bigger chance that you’re going to have multiple goal scorers,” he said. “And hopefully we can continue that.”