Sunday afternoon at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps will host Minnesota United, as they look to bounce back from a disappointing and frustrating result in the first leg of their Champions Cup matchup against the Seattle Sounders.

Nonetheless, Vancouver’s MLS form has been very good to start the season, with three straight wins, including an impressive 4-1 victory over Portland last weekend. Even with the midweek struggles, this Whitecaps team still appears to be on a similar trajectory to last season, but it will be important for them to re-establish their quality in front of the home crowd.

The Loons have had a decent start to their MLS season, going 1-1-1 through their opening three matches. They are coming off a 3-1 loss to Nashville SC last weekend, so they’ll be eager to get back on track.

After a strong 2025 campaign, finishing fourth in the Western Conference and reaching the conference semifinals, Minnesota enters 2026 having lost several significant pieces in Robin Lod, Hassani Dotson, Joseph Rosales, and Dayne St. Clair. In response, the club made a splash by adding James Rodríguez, while also bringing in goalkeeper Drake Callender.

Rodríguez is, of course, the headline addition, bringing elite...