Whitecaps, Rapids seek to end slumps

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids will set out to reverse some recent poor form in MLS play when they meet Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.

The Whitecaps (11-4-5, 38 points) have dropped three of their last four games to lose their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference to San Diego FC. But Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen is well aware of the toll a busy, largely successful season has taken on his club.

After reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on June 1, Vancouver spent most of the month without leading scorer Brian White and wingers Jayden Nelson and Sebastian Berhalter, who were all on international duty.

That trio was back for Wednesday's 2-1 win over Valour FC in the Canadian Championship quarterfinals and should be available on Saturday. Playmaker Ryan Gauld remains out with a knee issue.

"I think that we'll be picking up again," Sorensen said after that win. "Right now, we've also been relying a lot on a lot of the same players performing, and it's normal that it's not just a straight line, that it's up and down in the season, and we'll pick up again."

Meanwhile, the Rapids (7-10-5, 26 points) have lost five of their last seven games in the league to slide out of the playoff places after a promising start.

Most recently, Colorado fell 3-0 Wednesday at Los Angeles FC -- a match in which Jackson Travis was issued a red card for violent conduct in the sixth minute and Denis Bouanga put the hosts in front by halftime from the penalty spot.

The Rapids have scored multiple goals only twice in their last 13 MLS games while going scoreless in five. Djordje Mihailovic has eight goals and Rafael Navarro seven, but the rest of the squad has only nine combined.

"The main thing for us is that we have to understand that there's going to be no easy games, and this is a huge opportunity for us, at home, against a good team," Rapids coach Chris Armas said during a Thursday interview with Denver's Altitude Sports Radio. "But we're a good team, and we welcome the challenge. We've got to focus on the controllables. ... You can't look externally for solutions."

--Field Level Media