Overview
- Saturday’s penultimate regular-season match in Orlando was rescheduled from Aug. 30 after the Lions’ Leagues Cup semifinal run.
- Vancouver has clinched a playoff berth and sits on 60 points with San Diego, which leads on the wins tiebreaker as the Whitecaps hold a game in hand and boast a league-best +28 goal differential from 63 goals scored.
- The visitors are without Ali Ahmed, Jayden Nelson and Andrés Cubas due to national-team duty, with Brian White sidelined by a hamstring issue and Ryan Gauld still being eased back after a knee sprain.
- Orlando also misses regulars on international call-ups — Marco Pašalić, Alex Freeman, David Brekalo and Tyrese Spicer — as it seeks to improve Eastern Conference positioning in its home finale.
- Thomas Müller has sparked Vancouver since August with goals and assists and recently captained a fourth consecutive Canadian Championship win as he targets a deep playoff run.