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Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Inter Miami CF Preview
Inter Miami will look to keep their place atop the Eastern Conference when they travel to face the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on May 25. Miami sits just one point ahead of FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference standings with Cincy holding a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Vancouver will look to stake a firmer hold on a place in the final series. They sit 7th in the Western Conference standings, with the Houston Dynamos and St. Louis City SC breathing down their necks. The Herons will enter this fixture without their three strongest players. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets have not travelled to Vancouver. Our online sportsbook has the Whitecaps as favourites following the news.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Inter Miami CF Head-To-head and Key Stats
Inter Miami have established themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the MLS this season. Legendary striker, Luis Suarez, arrived in December, linking up with former Barcelona teammates: Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The Uruguayan’s effect is plain to see and his 11 goals puts him joint-second in the league’s scoring charts.
He and Messi formed two-thirds of one of the most feared attacking line-ups in the history of soccer. Along with Neymar, they netted an astonishing 364 goals between them along with 173 assists. Although the two South Americans may be in the twilight of their career, class is permanent. As he has lost his pace, Suarez has adapted his game to become a wily marksman in the box.
Messi has continued to be The Heron’s talisman, chipping in with 10 goals and 12 assists. His 22-goal contributions are more than any player in the league and the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner already looks out of reach in that metric. He broke an MLS record on May 4 when he notched five assists in Miami’s dismantling of the New York Red Bulls. He also found a way to get on the scoresheet in the 6-2 victory. Incredibly, this meant he was involved in every Miami goal. Miami’s 36 league goals are more than any other team in the MLS.
Tana Martino’s men will go to Vancouver following a 1-0 win over D.C. United. Despite DC having more shots on goal, Miami dominated possession. Most of DC’s shots came from range. A quiet first half saw just one effort on target from each side with Miami struggling to break down DC’s highly structured defence.
Miami came out after halftime looking to continue dominating possession but struggled to turn it into goalscoring opportunities. They found themselves frequently frustrated by a determined DC defence. Jared Stroud should have put DC ahead in the 51st minute when he found himself in space from a cross in the six-yard box. His effort on the volley went wide, squandering his side’s best chance at a goal. Substitute Cristian Dajome had another in the 92nd minute. His low, driven effort from 10 yards forced a good parry from keeper Drake Callender.
Not even a minute later, Substitute Leonardo Campana scored spectacularly to snatch a win. The forward had only been on the field for seconds when he latched on to Sergio Busquets’ looping ball over the DC defence. The Ecuadorian international brought it down before smashing the ball into the underside of the crossbar, taking all three points.
There was equal drama but less luck for Vancouver when the Whitecaps travelled to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Sounders. They salvaged a tie by way of a 94th-minute Ryan Gauld penalty.
Sounders forward Jordan Morris opened the scoring early, slotting in Obed Vargas’ saved shot from close range. Despite the early setback, the Whitecaps responded well. They put heavy pressure on the Sounders’ goal to force a string of fine saves from Stefan Frei before halftime.
Vancouver struggled to build on that strong end to the first half, failing to test Frei again for much of the game. A string of fouls from both teams saw a stop-start half where neither could build momentum. It took Vanno Sartini’s side 30 minutes to register another shot on target. The Caps looked doomed to suffer their third defeat in as many games.
However, drama struck late in the day when VAR determined that Sounders’ defender Nouhou Tolo blocked the ball with his arm in the box. After much deliberation, Tolo was handed his second yellow and Vancouver had a lifeline. Captain Gauld stepped up in the 94th minute and made no mistake. He was cool from the spot and found the top right corner. The Caps were able to snatch an important point, but the winless run in the league has stretched to five.
That's how we do it 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NR9CHv9pBP
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 19, 2024
The Whitecaps welcomed Cavalry to BC Place midweek in the Canadian Championship tournament. They entered the game 2-1 up on aggregate, losing the second leg 1-0 but advanced via away goals. With games coming thick and fast for Vancouver, Coach Sartini rested key players in the fixture. Just two of the starting 11 from the tie in Seattle started in the 1-0 loss. Gauld, Allesandro Schopf, and Ryan Raposo featured from the bench.
Vancouver vs Inter Miami Predictions
Correct score prediction: Vancouver 1-1 Inter Miami
We are predicting yet another draw for the Whitecaps. A tie is priced at 3/1 according to our MLS Betting and a 1-1 correct score at 7/1. Vancouver has been handed a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s fixture. The Whitecaps released a statement on May 23 revealing that the trio of Messi, Suarez and Busquets did not travel and will not appear at BC Place.
The reasons for their omission are unknown, but Caps fans won’t care for the why. The two South American forwards have 21 goals between them this term. Miami’s next two top scorers, Campana and Matias Rojas, share six. To lose that kind of firepower will affect even a team of Miami’s calibre.
NEWS | Vancouver Whitecaps FC issue an official statement regarding the upcoming match against Inter Miami CF this Saturday, May 25 at BC Place. #VWFC | #VANvMIA
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 23, 2024
Rojas has been in fine form since joining The Herons in April. The Paraguayan international has scored three goals in four games including a brace in his last match. He will be their main goal threat on Saturday. Although Miami has conceded more goals than Vancouver this season, The Caps lack firepower up front. With Vancouver forwards struggling to find the net and Miami missing their two best scorers, we predict a lowkey affair.
Vancouver has conceded most of their goals in the second half this season. If things are goalless at halftime, it would be worth checking the live betting odds on goals in the second half. It is also worth noting that Vancouver has a midweek game in the Canadian championship. They will play Canadian Premier League side Cavalry, having beaten them 2-1 in the first leg.
There is a worry over fatigue at BC Place. This was the third week in a row where Vancouver played multiple games. Inter Miami will look to take advantage of any tired legs among The Caps’ ranks. However, after Sartini rested key players on Wednesday, Vancouver should have enough in them to see the game through.
Vancouver vs Inter Miami Betting Tips
Our online sportsbook has Vancouver as the favourite for this clash at 5/6. Messi, Suarez and Busquets’ omissions have affected Miami’s chances. However, it is hard to ignore the Whitecaps’ form. They have not won a league game in their last five outings with three draws. Miami is unbeaten in nine.
This will not be business as usual without their two main goal threats and a great playmaker in Busquets. With that in mind, a bet on under 3.5 goals is a good play. This has landed in six straight games for Vancouver. The Whitecaps have been relatively strong in defence, particularly in the first half of games. Under 1.5 goals in the first half is currently priced at 4/7.
Making soccer bets on goalscorers may be tougher without Messi and Suarez. However, Matias Rojas has been in fine form in front of goal. He will be the man they turn to for goals. A Rojas anytime goal is priced at 7/2. Betting on Vancouver to hold off the Inter firepower seems unlikely.
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🐐+ 🌧️= 🤩😮💨 pic.twitter.com/NV3FmuOSr5
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) May 21, 2024
Inter Miami Team News and Predicted Line-Up
The omission of the ex-Barca trio is the biggest news out of the Inter Miami camp. With no reason given at the time of writing, we do not know when they will return. The Herons will also be without veteran centre-back Nicolas Freire. He sustained an ACL injury against DC United, ruling him out for the rest of the season. The Argentinian defender has been enjoying a loan spell in Miami from Mexican side Pumas, starting in nine of his 10 appearances. He joins midfielder Facundo Farias, another Miami player expected to miss the season through injury. Coach Tata Martino will turn to Sergi Aviles and Sergii Kryvtsov as his new defensive partners.
Midfielders Diego Gomez and Federico Redondo are still out but could return soon after lengthy spells on the sidelines.
- Inter Miami Predicted Line-up: Callender, Weigandt, Aviles, Kryvtsov, Alba, Gressel, Cremaschi, Ruiz, Taylor, Campana, and Rojas.
Vancouver Whitecaps Team News and Predicted Line-up
Midfielder Andres Cubas picked up a knock in the Seattle Sounders games but is expected to return in time for Saturday.
Sam Adekugbe and Damir Kreilach both missed the Sounders game. Canadian international Adekugbe spent some time on the sidelines with tendonitis in March and now has a calf injury. He has been absent since being forced off in the 0-0 tie with Austin FC on May 5 and will not return on Saturday.
Kreilach has not featured in the squad since the tie with New York Red Bulls at the end of April. The versatile veteran has been nursing an ankle injury and is questionable for a return against Miami.
- Vancouver Whitecaps Predicted Line-up: Takaoka, Blackmon, Veselinovic, Utvik, Brown, Schopf, Vite, Ahmed, Picault, White, and Gauld.
