ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC coach Bradley Carnell feels it is time to make a move.
His struggling side has gone winless in its last eight matches as it travels to Canada to face Vancouver in a key Major League Soccer Western Conference match at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
City SC (3-6-10, 19 points) will play three times over the next nine days as it faces a turning point in the 34-match season. City SC is six points (two victories) out of ninth place, which is the final playoff position.
With more than three months left on the schedule, there is time to recover, but each missed opportunity digs a deeper hole.
“It’s 15 finals,†Carnell says of the remaining games on the regular-season schedule. “We’re just thinking how we can have a push and drive mentality for 15 games.â€
City SC might have to make that push without its top offensive weapon.
People are also reading…
Forward Joao Klauss suffered what Carnell called “a knock on his knee†during training on Wednesday.
Klauss, who has scored five of his team’s 24 goals this season, was slated to get an MRI. The results will not be released until closer to match time Saturday.
Carnell would not speculate on the status of Klauss for Saturday’s game, but he said the group is prepared to forge ahead, with or without its scoring leader.
“We have a good plan, we have full trust in our roster,†Carnell said.
Newcomer Brendan McSorley, a call up from City2 of the MLS NEXT Pro league, has shown promise in training.
Indiana Vassilev, with three goals, and Nokkvi Thorisson will have to step up should Klauss be out for an extended period of time.
“It’s good to see guys coming in and grabbing opportunities,†City SC defender Tim Parker said. “Obviously, we’re just waiting for those goals to start falling.â€
City SC, which sits in 12th place in the 14-team Western Conference, snapped a 342-minute scoring drought when Vassilev converted in the 50th minute of a 1-1 tie with Atlanta United on June 22 at CityPark.
The chances have been there. City SC has amassed 136 shots during the eight-match winless streak, five of which have been losses. That includes a 24-shot effort in a 2-1 loss to Seattle on May 25.
Parker, who anchors the back line, believes the team is in position to finally hit its stride.
“The summer starts to get hot and we’re trying to find a run of form,†Parker said.
Scouting Vancouver
The Whitecaps (7-7-4) have struggled after an impressive 4-1-1 start to the campaign.
Vancouver sits in ninth place in the conference with 25 points. City SC and Vancouver will meet again July 13 at CityPark.
“At some point we need to catch up,†Carnell said. “And it starts with the game against Vancouver. Those three points are vital.â€
Ryan Gauld (nine goals) and Brian White (five goals) lead the Whitecaps’ attack.
Carnell coached White as an assistant with the New York Red Bulls.
“It’s really good to see the way he’s kicked on and become a real valuable U.S. player in this league,†Carnell said. “He makes good runs off the ball, he’s unassumingly good in the air.â€
Last season, City SC beat Vancouver 3-1 at CityPark on May 27, 2023, but Vancouver won the rematch 3-0 on Oct. 4, 2023, in Canada. That started City SC’s four-game losing streak to end the season, including the playoffs.
The Whitecaps play their home matches on turf at BC Place, which played host to the Women’s World Cup final in 2015 and is scheduled to play host to seven games in the Men’s World Cup in 2026. In anticipation of a faster surface, City SC practiced on the turf field at its complex Friday before leaving for Canada.
“This is going to be a good challenge for us,†Carnell said.
College rivalry
CityPark will be the host site of the annual Bronze Boot college soccer matches between ºüÀêÊÓƵ University and SIU Edwardsville again on Sept. 8.
The women’s game will begin 3:30 p.m., followed by the men’s match at 6:30 p.m.
The traditional rivals will face off at CityPark for the second season in a row in a rivalry that symbolizes the rich soccer tradition in the area.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University is 23-6-3 in the Bronze Boot series. SIU Edwardsville won last season’s men’s game 2-0 to claim its first win over the Billikens since 1982. SLU won the women’s game 5-1.
“The matchup not only honors the esteemed tradition of collegiate soccer in our region, but also shines a spotlight on the vibrant culture that CityPark is dedicated to nurturing,†City SC president and general manager Diego Gigliani said.