James Rodriguez to debut for Minnesota United in Vancouver

Colombian star James Rodriguez is expected to make his long-awaited MLS debut Sunday afternoon when Minnesota United travel to Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps.

Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after scoring six goals while leading Colombia to the quarterfinals, signed with the Loons on Feb. 6 after a stint with Club Leon in Mexico. In a video posted on X by streamer Pelicanger, Rodriguez said he plans to play Sunday.

"Yes, with the grace of God," said Rodriguez, who sat out Minnesota's 3-1 loss on March 7 at Nashville with a contusion. "Against (Thomas) Muller's team. I don't know what it is called. Vancouver, I think."

Muller, the 2010 Golden Boot winner after leading Germany to a third-place finish, and Rodriguez were teammates for two seasons at Bayern Munich from 2017-19.

Head coach Cameron Knowles said Rodriguez returned to training on Tuesday for Minnesota United (1-1-1, 4 points).

Vancouver (3-0-0, 9 points), which entered the weekend in a four-way tie for first place in the Western Conference with San Diego, San Jose and Los Angeles FC, has outscored its opponents 8-1 in MLS play. However, the Whitecaps are coming off a 3-0 home loss to the Seattle Sounders on Thursday in the first leg of CONCACAF Round-of-16 action.

Paul Arriola scored two goals in the first 58 minutes to lead Seattle. Vancouver lost despite finishing with huge edges in shot attempts (16-10) and possession (64.2%), but managed just three shots on goal. The second leg is Wednesday in Spokane, Wash., while Lumen Field undergoes preparations to hold World Cup matches this summer.

"We had a lot of shots and a lot of opportunities, but we did not hit the target," Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen said. "That's where we have to be a little more cool in the moment and be able to get a quality shot instead of rushing it in the moment."

Now the Whitecaps face a quick turnaround to host the Loons.

"It's tough, but we have two days for recovery," goaltender Yohei Takaoka said. "We have a game in two days against Minnesota, and we need to react in a good way."

--Field Level Media