Now is the Time for the Whitecaps to Turn Things Around

To say the Whitecaps have struggled since the World Cup break would be like saying Lionel Messi is pretty good. Major understatement.

Since the break, they have only one win in eight matches and have lost all three in the Leagues Cup. While Vancouver is struggling, the upcoming schedule shows that now is the time to turn this season around.

Whitecaps' Schedule Softens Up 

Ok, so the Whitecaps do face a couple of good teams in their next few matches, with FC Dallas next and St. Louis CITY SC two matches after that. Those teams sit fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Western Conference. However, both of those matches are at home, and they beat Dallas earlier this season on the road.

After the Dallas match, the Whitecaps are on the road facing Sporting Kansas City, who are in the basement of the Western Conference. Then they face St. Louis CITY SC and, after the LA Galaxy, Austin FC, and Real Salt Lake, who are 10th, 14th, and eighth, respectively, in the West. Five of their next seven matches are at home, and in the last of those matches, they host a DC United team that sits ninth in the Eastern Conference.

As you can see, the next several matches give Vancouver a good shot to right the ship.

Currently, Sports Interaction Sportsbook has the Whitecaps with the third-best odds to win the MLS Cup at +400, trailing Nashville SC (+110) and Inter Miami (+185).

Woes of the Attack 

Since the World Cup break, Vancouver's main struggle has been on the attack. Their first match after the break was a 4-3 loss to FC Cincinnati, and in their last seven matches, they have totaled only five goals.

The Whitecaps have been handed three clean sheets in their last seven matches. That includes the costly 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in their last match, which saw the Dynamo overtake them for first place in the West.

Vancouver has enjoyed a solid season and still sits No. 3 in ESPN’s MLS Power Rankings. However, that was published before their loss to Houston. They haven't looked like the great team they were before the World Cup break, and maybe the pretty soft upcoming schedule can change that.