When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
TV/Radio: Altitude, 950 AM
Spotlight on Pedro Morales
The Vancouver captain is off to another strong season, leading the Whitecaps in goals (6) and assists (4). The Chilean playmaker got off to a hot start, notching four goals and an assist in the first month of the season. Colorado has managed to keep Morales relatively quiet in five meetings — he has only registered one assist against the Rapids. Signed as a designated player in March 2014, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound midfield maestro has 22 goals and 20 assists in 69 matches with the Whitecaps.
Notebook
Rapids: Colorado (9-2-6, 33 points) enters the match in second place in the Western Conference in total points, but first in points per game (1.94). The Rapids are riding a franchise-record 12-game league unbeaten streak. Colorado played to a scoreless draw Monday against Portland in goalkeeper Tim Howard’s debut. The U.S. international made two saves en route to his first clean sheet with Colorado. The Rapids have allowed the fewest goals (11) in MLS this season, six fewer than the next closest team. The Rapids will be without center backs Bobby Burling and Sean St. Ledger, and winger Dillon Serna — all three are out with knee injuries.
Whitecaps: Vancouver (7-8-3, 24 points) enter tied for sixth place in the Western Conference, clinging to the final playoff spot. The Whitecaps are coming off a 2-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy over the weekend, but have stepped up their game this season when facing the top teams in MLS. They beat MLS-leading FC Dallas 3-0 at home April 23, and handed Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia its first home loss 3-2 June 25. Striker Blas Perez, acquired from Dallas in the offseason, has burned the Rapids for three goals in nine meetings. Vancouver is without center back Christian Dean (knee), midfielder Russell Teibert (quad), winger Marco Bustos (eye) and fullback Fraser Aird (calf).
Footnotes: These sides are near the top of MLS in shooting accuracy, with Vancouver ranked second (54.36 percent) and Colorado fourth (50 percent). The Rapids lead the all-time series with an 8-5-1 record against Vancouver. Colorado has won six of the last nine meetings since 2013.
