Match Preview

Preview: Sporting KC takes on Canadian champs Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

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Sporting Kansas City at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 24
Saturday, July 26 | 9:30 p.m. CT (9:40 kickoff)
BC Place | Vancouver, Canada

Sporting Kansas City will travel north of the border to visit the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at BC Place in British Columbia, Canada.

The Western Conference match-up will be available to watch with an MLS Season Pass or Apple TV+ subscription in addition to local radio coverage on 810 AM and 103.7 FM. Pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show all of the action, including a watch party at Jefferson's (14944 W. 87th St.) in Lenexa, Kan., starting at 9 p.m.

Sporting Kansas City will take on a Vancouver Whitecaps side that leads the Western Conference in points per game this season and finished runners-up in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup last month. The hosts had four players -- goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and forward Brian White -- feature in the 2025 MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday as White became the first Whitecaps player to score in the summer showcase event.

White, who was part of the U.S. Men's National Team that reached the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final earlier this month alongside Berhalter, leads Vancouver with 17 goals in all competitions this year. The Whitecaps attack will be bolstered by the addition of U-22 Initiative signing Kenji Cabrera this week -- after Vancouver transferred Pedro Vite to LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM last week -- while Takaoka anchors the defense in net as the league leader in goalkeeper shutouts (10).

Both teams enter Saturday's contest coming off 1-1 draws last weekend. Vancouver wrapped up a stretch of five straight regular season away matches with a 1-1 stalemate in San Diego, however centerback Ranko Veselinovic suffered a torn ACL in the first half. Sporting Kansas City came from behind to earn a point against New York City FC. Daniel Salloi, who ranks second on the team in both goals (six) and assists (four), scored the second-half equalizer on his 29th birthday and is now one goal away from moving up to second on the club's all-time chart.

Most Goals in SKC History (all competitions)
1. Preki (81)
2. Johnny Russell (67)
2. Dom Dwyer (67)
4. Daniel Salloi (66)

Saturday's showdown is a match-up of first-year MLS head coaches as Sporting's Kerry Zavagnin and Vancouver's Jesper Sorensen each lead clubs that have won four domestic cup competitions. SKC are four-time winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup while the Whitecaps have won four Canadian Championships, including each of the last three editions of the tournament.

The fixture will also feature two of the top rookies in Major League Soccer as Sporting centerback Jansen MIller and Vancouver defender Tate Johnson go head to head. The duo have played the most minutes of any 2025 MLS SuperDraft picks this season as Johnson -- the son of former Kansas City Wizards midfielder Brian Johnson (1997-2001) -- has logged 1,345 minutes and Miller -- who has played every minute in each of Sporting's last 18 games -- has recorded 1,755 minutes.

Sporting KC midfielder Zorhan Bassong will return to BC Place, a host venue for FIFA World Cup 26, after taking the field there last month in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for the Canada Men's National Team. Bassong represented his country alongside Whitecaps defender Sam Adekugbe, midfielder Ali Ahmed and winger Jayden Nelson this summer. Adekugbe (Achilles) and Ahmed (ankle) have both been out with injuries since the tournament, while the Whitecaps have also been without Designated Player Ryan Gauld since March.