Vancouver vs LA Galaxy Prediction

Vancouver vs LA Galaxy Prediction – The Vancouver Whitecaps will host the LA Galaxy in Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday. Kickoff is at 10:30 pm EST and the Whitecaps will look to turn their recent form around. They have lost the last four, giving up a total of nine goals in all four games while only scoring two. The Galaxy, on the other hand, want to push towards the top and catch up to the first place Sounders.

The Galaxy have won three of their last five, so their form is alright. Two of those losses came from the first place Sounders, so they’re not expected, but excusable. The Whitecaps have been in pretty horrendous form, but it’s been like this all season. They are 12th in the Western Conference with seven points over eight games.

Vancouver’s Ways to Win

Vancouver is yet to figure out their issues. Bruno Gaspar and Jakob Nerwinski are both out with knee injuries, adding yet another issue in the defensive third that the Whitecaps will have to deal with. When a team loses this much this badly, fixes and wins come from the backline. Without a solid backline, you cannot build an attack. They need to simplify their game and play with territory. They are not going to come back out and suddenly have a world class attack, tuck three goals away against the Galaxy, and keep a clean sheet.

Play territory. When in doubt, kick the ball out. Put the ball into the other team’s corner and see how their defense can hold up against pressure. Chicharito and co. are experienced and deadly strikers. If you mess around with the ball in the defensive third while your confidence is surely low, you will make mistakes and give up goals. Put the ball into the other team’s half and pressure. Make them cough up the ball and capitalize from there. The Whitecaps are not going to break down this Galaxy side through pretty build up play. They need to make this game about grit, and then beat the Galaxy at that game.

LA Galaxy’s Ways to Win

The Galaxy need to find their rhythm again in attack. The Sounders were a tough matchup, but the Galaxy didn’t create a whole lot of threats in attack. Their one goal came from a penalty kick. Move the ball around these Whitecaps in the back and take them on often with pace and the Galaxy will have a field day and tuck at least a few away. Chicharito should have a fun time in this game. He should have the green light.

On defense, Dajome is just about the only intimidating attacker on the Vancouver side, so the Galaxy could benefit from staying close to him at all times. Pass him off and keep communicating his location, and they’ll be just alright. Vancouver takes shots, but they don’t put them on target well. The Galaxy need to stay tight inside the box and force Vancouver into shots from range.