Vancouver Whitecaps v Colorado Rapids: Armas wants high-flying visitors to keep raising the bar

Chris Armas is relishing the challenge that Vancouver Whitecaps pose to Colorado Rapids as they prepare to face off in MLS.

The Rapids are currently fifth in the Western Conference, while a win over Vancouver on Saturday would see them leapfrog their opponents.

They have lost just one of their six matches so far but are unbeaten on the road, only dropping points on the opening day at St. Louis City SC.

Armas is excited by the prospect of facing the West leaders, with his team in fine form coming into the game.

"We're excited for the weekend and to pick up where we left off," he said. "That's the challenge to the team to try to raise the bar and what the standard is for us in games.

"We want to pick up where we left off and test ourselves against a first-place team. Could you imagine, we're a few points off, and we're not talking about it internally, but as the coach, we like what we're looking up at.

"It's a big test. They're off to a great start, and they're a good team."

Vancouver, meanwhile, won their first four MLS matches of the season but have since gone winless in their last two, though they still sit top of the table.

They come into this match winless in three outings, having also been pegged back by a late goal from Pumas UMAN in their 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final.

One thing head coach Jesper Sorensen has been particularly pleased with so far is Vancouver's set-play ability, something he is keen to keep working on.

"We haven't given up many set-plays at all, which is a good thing because then you don't give up many goals on set-plays," he said.

"You always want to say that you shouldn't concede on them, but then you can turn it around and say, well then, how can you score on them? Because then the position says the same thing.

"We've been good this season so far, and that's because we haven't given many set-plays against us."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vancouver Whitecaps – Yohei Takaoka

The Whitecaps have faced an MLS-low 44 shots this season, with just 14 of them hitting the target, also the fewest in the league. Only four teams, since Opta began detailed data collection of MLS in 2010, have allowed fewer shots through six matches of a season.

Yohei Takaoka has prevented 0.8 goals according to the expected goals on target model (xGoT) and conceded just five goals. Only two teams across MLS have let in fewer goals.

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

Djordje Mihailovic scored both Rapids goals in their win over Charlotte FC on Saturday and now has 27 goal contributions (13 goals, 14 assists) since joining Colorado last season, more than any other American international in MLS in that time.

MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The Whitecaps won their last match against Colorado 2-1 in June 2024. There have been consecutive wins by one team over the other just once in this series since 2016 (Whitecaps – two straight in 2017-18).

Vancouver won their first four games of the season, becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to record four straight wins to start a season, but have taken just one point in two matches since. None of the previous six teams to win their first four matches of a season went winless in their next three.

Meanwhile, with 11 points through six matches (W3 D2 L1), Colorado have equaled the best start to a season in club history (11 points in 2014). The Rapids have never taken 14 points from their first seven matches of a season before.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Vancouver Whitecaps – 51%

Draw – 24.9%

Colorado Rapids – 24.1%