A defiant Vanni Sartini believes Vancouver Whitecaps are on the right track, but called for more confidence and courage when St. Louis City visit in MLS.
The Whitecaps endured a disappointing two-game road stretch, culminating in their 2-0 defeat to Portland Timbers last time out.
That loss saw Vancouver drop to ninth in the Western Conference standings, only clinging onto the final playoff spot by way of a superior goal difference over Seattle Sounders.
Sartini acknowledged the frustrations of the last two showings, though suggests the Whitecaps can get back on course at BC Place.
"The concerns are always there, even if you win," Sartini said at pre-match media availability.
"It sounds very easy to say, but we just need to be a little better. That means a lot of things, however. Our performance hasn't gone down dramatically.
"The efficiency of our performances has gone down dramatically, though. We need to be better at finishing our chances, and being mentally stronger.
"The last couple of games before the break, we had two strong mental performances [in Kansas and Colorado]. Even though we weren't playing amazingly, we weren't making mistakes.
"The last two games away, we created more chances than in the games before, but we have been too easy to beat, we get a little flat when we hit the first trouble of those matches.
"We need to be more confident, courageous and more like: 'let's focus on the task'. If we are doing this, then the margin to make a lot of points is shorter."
Bradley Carnell's visitors are winless in their last eight domestic outings following a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United in their most recent fixture.
St. Louis are just three places behind the Whitecaps, though, with this the chance to strike a blow to their hosts' playoff hopes.
Carnell must arrest a poor spell in front of goal, however, as St. Louis have scored the second-fewest goals in the West this season (24).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Ryan Gauld has followed up his 11-goal 2023 with nine goals already this season.
With one more goal, Gauld will become the third Whitecaps player with multiple 10-goal seasons (Camilo Sanvezzo, Brian White) and the first to do so in consecutive campaigns.
St. Louis City – Indiana Vassilev
Indiana Vassilev scored his fifth regular-season goal for St. Louis on Saturday, becoming the sixth different player to hit the mark for the club in league play.
Only three teams have more players with five or more regular-season goals than St. Louis since they joined the league in 2023 (Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United, FC Cincinnati – seven each).
MATCH PREDICTION – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
The Whitecaps are the likely favourites for a narrow victory in this one, owing to St. Louis' woeful away form.
Carnell's side have managed only three wins in 26 games on the road in all competitions (drawn eight, lost 15) since winning their first three away matches in club history between February and March 2023.
Yet, it will be by no means straightforward for Vancouver.
They have lost consecutive matches following the defeat to Portland on Saturday, but Vancouver have not suffered three straight defeats within a single regular season since August-September 2022.
There is little to split these two teams in terms of the head-to-head record, with each side recording a home win against the other in two meetings between Vancouver and St. Louis City last season.
The hosts scored three goals in each game, while Brian White scored in both outings for the Whitecaps.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps win – 51.1%
Draw – 24.8%
St. Louis City win – 24%
Jamaica exits Copa America with 3-0 loss to Venezuela
Jamaica bowed out of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America with a 3-0 defeat to Venezuela in their final Group B match on Sunday at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. This loss marked Jamaica’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament, concluding their participation without a win.
The match started with a glimmer of hope for Jamaica as Michael Hector, making his record-extending ninth Copa America appearance, struck on target in the sixth minute. However, the early optimism quickly faded as Venezuela began to assert their dominance.
Jamaican goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made a crucial save in the 42nd minute, deflecting a powerful shot from Darwin Machis to keep the score-line level at half time. Despite Waite’s efforts, Venezuela broke the deadlock early in the second half. Eduard Bello headed home a cross in the 49th minute to give Venezuela the lead.
The South American side doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Salomon Rondon found the back of the net with a precise hit inside the box. Jamaica continued to search for their first goal of the match, with Kaheim Dixon coming close in the 77th minute, but his attempt was off target.
Venezuela sealed their victory in the 85th minute as Eric Ramirez scored their third goal, ensuring their place at the top of Group B. Jamaica had one final attempt from Alex Marshall in stoppage time, concluding their eight attempts on goal for the day.
Despite a valiant effort, Jamaica exits their third Copa America participation at the bottom of their group. The Reggae Boyz managed to score their first goal of the tournament on the second matchday through Michail Antonio but could not secure any points in their three group matches.
Jamaica exits Copa America with 3-0 loss to Venezuela
Jamaica bowed out of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America with a 3-0 defeat to Venezuela in their final Group B match on Sunday at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. This loss marked Jamaica’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament, concluding their participation without a win.
The match started with a glimmer of hope for Jamaica as Michael Hector, making his record-extending ninth Copa America appearance, struck on target in the sixth minute. However, the early optimism quickly faded as Venezuela began to assert their dominance.
Jamaican goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made a crucial save in the 42nd minute, deflecting a powerful shot from Darwin Machis to keep the score-line level at half time. Despite Waite’s efforts, Venezuela broke the deadlock early in the second half. Eduard Bello headed home a cross in the 49th minute to give Venezuela the lead.
The South American side doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Salomon Rondon found the back of the net with a precise hit inside the box. Jamaica continued to search for their first goal of the match, with Kaheim Dixon coming close in the 77th minute, but his attempt was off target.
Venezuela sealed their victory in the 85th minute as Eric Ramirez scored their third goal, ensuring their place at the top of Group B. Jamaica had one final attempt from Alex Marshall in stoppage time, concluding their eight attempts on goal for the day.
Despite a valiant effort, Jamaica exits their third Copa America participation at the bottom of their group. The Reggae Boyz managed to score their first goal of the tournament on the second matchday through Michail Antonio but could not secure any points in their three group matches.
Euro 2024 Data Dive: England scrape through after late drama, Spain make statement
It was another dramatic day in the Euro 2024 knockout rounds, as two more teams booked their places in the quarter-finals.
England fought back from the jaws of defeat as they secured an extra-time win over Slovakia to set up a meeting with Switzerland in the last eight.
Meanwhile, Spain broke Georgia hearts with their comeback victory, and will play Germany in an eye-catching last-eight tie.
Here, we round up the best Opta statistics from the second day of the last 16.
England 2-1 Slovakia (aet): Bellingham, Kane prove late heroes
It looked like England were going to make an embarrassing early exit from the tournament, until Jude Bellingham stepped up with a spectacular overhead kick in stoppage time before Harry Kane netted the winner.
Timed at 94 minutes and 34 seconds, Bellingham's goal was the latest ever for England in normal time at the Euros, coming from the Three Lions' first shot on target after a largely toothless performance.
Kane, on his record-breaking 79th competitive appearance for England, got the timing right too, heading home just 50 seconds into extra time for the fastest goal scored in that period in the competition's history.
The England captain has now scored 14 goals at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros), with only four European players netting more than him – Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Miroslav Klose (19), Gerd Muller (18) and Jurgen Klinsmann (16).
It marked the fourth game that England have won from a losing position at the European Championships as well, after losing their first six such matches.
Only France (five) have ever won more matches when conceding first in the competition, and that late, late show left Slovakia stunned after being just moments from a famous victory in Gelsenkirchen.
Ivan Schranz's third goal at this Euros seemed set to take the headlines, with only Robert Vittek (four) at the 2010 World Cup ever scoring more at a single major tournament for Slovakia, but the forward will not get a chance to equal that record.
Spain 4-1 Georgia: La Roja march on with comeback win
Spain are the only team in the tournament to win all of their games so far, and survived an early scare to come out on top in Cologne thanks to second-half goals from Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.
Robin Le Normand's 18th-minute own goal saw Luis de la Fuente's side concede for the first time at Euro 2024, only for Spain to rally to the biggest margin of victory by a team that conceded first in the competition.
Spain amassed 17 shots on goal in the first half but only Rodri's first major tournament goal hit the net. It is the most on record (since 1980) by a team in the opening half of a European Championship knockout game.
Indeed, La Roja's 35 shots overall were their most in a single match at either the World Cup (since 1966) or the Euros.
It was the youngsters who stole the spotlight once more as Lamine Yamal got his second assist at the Euros, with Cristiano Ronaldo the last teenager to tee up multiple goals at a single edition (Euro 2004 when he helped Portugal reach the final).
Williams, meanwhile, became the first player on record at the European Championships (since 1980) to score a goal, assist another and complete 100% of his passes (46/46) in a game he started.
Georgia's fairytale was ended by a familiar, formidable foe as they have now lost all seven of their competitive meetings with Spain, conceding 23 goals and netting just four of their own.
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