Here are some storylines and other interesting tidbits to keep in mind ahead of Saturday night’s MLS regular-season contest between the Vancouver Whitecaps and LA Galaxy.
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Red-hot Whitecaps
After a somewhat stuttered start to the season, the Whitecaps are the hottest team in MLS.
Two wins to begin the campaign was followed by a dire seven-game winless streak, as the Whitecaps struggled to keep pace in the Western Conference. But Vancouver (9-5-5) has since climbed to third in the West thanks to a six-game unbeaten run (five wins and one draw).
Boasting a 6-1-1 record since the beginning of June, the Whitecaps have benefited from the outstanding play of Camilo, who has cemented his status as one of the most dangerous goal scorers in MLS.
The Brazilian forward has spearheaded a Vancouver attack that has exploded for a league-best 23 goals in their last 10 matches. Camilo scored two goals six minutes apart in last week’s win over Chicago, giving him nine in his last seven matches. He also leads the league in scoring with 12 goals.
The Galaxy (9-8-3) pose a stern challenge, though.
The two-time defending MLS champions have dominated the all-time series with the Whitecaps, who have historically struggled to earn road wins since entering the league in 2011.
“We’re not over confident, but we are playing with a belief in ourselves,” Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie told the Canadian Press.
“That’s where we need to be, and I think we’re going to need all that confidence to get a win in the next game, which will be a tough game on the road.”
Sending a message
Saturday’s match marks the Whitecaps first time back in LA since losing to the Galaxy in last season’s playoffs.
Vancouver arrives in LA as the third-best team in the Western Conference with 32 points, and could overtake the Portland Timbers (33 points) for second spot.
A loss would allow the Galaxy, who are just two points back of the Whitecaps, to leap frog them in the standings with a win.
But according to midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, a win would not only allow the Whitecaps to stay ahead of LA, it would also force other teams around MLS to stand up and take notice.
“It would be a big result for us. We know how important this game is, and for us it’s about making a statement. We’ve come a long way this season in what we’ve done,” Reo Coker said.
“We could really send out a big message to the league to really take us seriously.”
Teibert returns
Saturday will likely mark the return of Russell Teibert to the Whitecaps’ starting lineup.
The 20-year-old midfielder from Niagara Falls, Ont., has missed the last three games – he was away on international duty with Canada at the Gold Cup but was sent home after one game due to illness.
“The team’s been on a high when I was with the national team,” he said. “So I’m excited to be back in the team.
“It’s a great feeling to see all the guys again after being away for a couple of weeks. It felt like a couple of months, to be honest.”
Although the Whitecaps have hardly missed a beat without Teibert, there’s no doubt they are glad to have the youngster back. After getting little playing time the past two seasons, Teibert has enjoyed a breakout 2013 campaign with two goals and six assists.
The six assists have come in four of his past five games, while the two goals (the first goals of his professional career) came in Vancouver’s 3-1 home win over LA back in May.
“He’s an important player for us. He gives us that different dynamic way of playing. He’s very creative and I’m sure he’ll cause problems (for the Galaxy’s defence),” Nigel Reo-Coker said.
Say what?
“It’s more than just about keeping our (unbeaten) run going. We’ve been playing well and we’ve been in good form. We want to continue to play to that standard.” – Vancouver coach Martine Rennie.
“It’s another six-pointer. We can climb up the standings really quickly. On the reverse side we can fall real quickly. These are big games.” – LA defender Todd Dunivant
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Injury report
Whitecaps striker Darren Mattocks did not make the trip to California, as he is recovering from a knee injury suffered in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Chicago.
Central defender Andy O’Brien is still recuperating from a hamstring injury and will also be unavailable.
The Galaxy will be missing forward Landon Donovan for a fourth straight match as he continues to represent the United States at the Gold Cup.
Facts and stats
Camilo has four goals in a three-match goal-scoring streak on the road, but has failed to find the back of the net in three road games versus the Galaxy.
Los Angeles has conceded nine stoppage-time goals and 15 in the 75th minute or later this season.
The Galaxy have also allowed a goal after the 90th minute in each of their last three losses, including last week’s 2-1 setback in Portland.
Before Vancouver’s 3-1 home win on May 11, Los Angeles had gone 5-0-1 and outscored the Whitecaps 16-3 in their previous meetings.
What’s next
The Whitecaps return to action next Saturday when they host the Philadelphia Union.
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