Do We Have To Pay A Tariff For This Match?

North Cascades National Park, just across the border from Vancouver

Colorado faces a big test tomorrow as they take on conference leaders Vancouver on their home turf.  The whitecaps are coming off a mid-week CCC game and have some injuries, but we shouldn't overlook them as they've been on fire to start the season.  4 wins in the first 6 games while also advancing in CONCACAF play.  The good news is that they have a lot of miles in their legs.  Kickoff tomorrow is at 7:30 Denver time, an hour earlier than you would expect for a West Coast game.

Also there's one bit of roster news today.  The Rapids signed American youth international winger Bryce Jamison from Orange County SC, then immediately loaned him back to Orange County for the rest of the season.  He's signed though 2027 with team options in 2028 and 2029, so this is a long-term project.

Availability Report:

OUT: D Reggie Cannon (Not injury related), D Jackson Travis (hand), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Connor Ronan (appendix)

The Cannon absence is odd.  Hopefully nothing is wrong in his personal life.  It could also be something with his paperwork given the border crossing, but he was recently playing in England and has been a member of the Nats so you think that all would be sorted.

This is a hopeful lineup but also the lineup that had the great success against Charlotte and Armas has been fairly good about seeing those type of things.  Obviously if he sticks with Cabral and Bassett in the 10 we'll see Mihailovic as the other wing and Larraz in the 8.  Sam Vines is back but I can't see him getting that much time on the turf in BC.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Mihailovic.  I'm hedging my bets here as it really depends on what kind of lineups both teams put out there.  The lineup I laid out above against a rotated Whitecaps lineup can absolutely win this one.  But the lineup with Cabral against Vancouver's best should be happy to get a draw.  Its a bit of a chess game between the managers this week.