Coach Jesper Sorensen says the Vancouver Whitecaps need to move away from “flipping the coin” after the “Wild West” nature of their recent matches.
Vancouver sits atop the Western Conference in MLS, but was held to a 3-3 draw by DC United in their last outing.
The Whitecaps came from behind to take the lead but then pulled back before going ahead again through Thomas Muller.
However, Sorensen’s side conceded another equalizer in the 80th minute, meaning they have now won just two of their last five league games.
And Sorensen wants his team to return to a more compact, tight-knit approach when they face the Chicago Fire on Tuesday.
“We’re going to have some players, and they’re going to bring some players out,” he said.
“Let’s see how it plays out. Normally, we would have the same approach as how we want to play.
“Hopefully we can play a better connected and less wild game. We have to be more in control and not be so open and it’s not like the Wild West.
“How we’ve been playing the game and how we’ve played lately.
“We conceded 10 turns, that’s not normal for us. It’s very unusual. We had a coin toss last time and we don’t usually do that. Again, we have to get away from that.”
We already missed the sounds of BC Place. This absolute rocket comeback from Thomas Müller #VWFC x @RecycleBC
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) October 3, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Johan Gomez
On September 26, Gomez scored the only goal in Chicago’s win over Charlotte FC.
It was the first regular-season goal (excluding own goals) by a Fire player other than Robert Lewandowski or Maren Haile-Selassie since the pair combined for Chicago’s previous nine league goals (since Aug. 19).
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
White has scored seven goals in his last seven MLS appearances, including a goal in each of his last four.
It is the fifth time White has scored in at least four consecutive league games for the Whitecaps, including a club-record five in 2025 (also Camilo Sanvezzo in 2013).
PREDICTION OF THE MATCH: SATELLITE
The Whitecaps have won their last three regular season road games without conceding a goal, making it the first time Vancouver has won three straight on the road.
The only teams in MLS history to win four straight in a season are LA Galaxy in 2010 and DC in 2007.
Chicago snapped a seven-match winless streak in all competitions (D4 L3) last time out with a 1-0 away win over Charlotte FC.
Unbeaten in just three of their previous 12 home matches (D1 L2), the Fire have now failed to win at home three times in a row (9 D0 L3).
Chicago and Vancouver have alternated wins in four meetings since 2020, with the Fire winning 3-1 in the last away match in March 2025.
The only time either team won back-to-back meetings with the other was a pair of Whitecaps victories over the Fire in 2015 and 2016.
OPTA WIN probability
Chicago Fire – 38.9%
Win – 23.4%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 37.7%