Our prediction for this MLS match:
Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps face each other at BBVA Compass Stadium in what is expected to be a lively contest. The start of the 2021 MLS campaign has been a mixed bag for Houston, who are eyeing their third win of the process. Experienced attacker Christian Ramirez, who opened his goalscoring account in the 3-1 loss to Colorado Rapids, is pushing for a start.
Vancouver, on the other hand, suffered a dip in form, with the team losing to both Minnesota United and Sporting Kansas City in the previous two league fixtures. The Canadian outfit have been struggling in front of goal of late, and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Houston’s party at BBVA Compass Stadium. Ryan Raposo, who suffered an injury at the weekend, is unlikely to feature for the visitors in Sunday’s clash.
Highlighted Player (Mauro Manotas):
Born in Sabanalarga, Colombia on July 15, 1995, Mauro Manotas is a 178-cm tall attacker who plays for Houston Dynamo in MLS. Manotas is a product of the Uniautonoma football school, and he made 25 appearances for the club at senior level.
He made his Uniautonoma debut in a 3-2 win over Valledupar FC on May 29, 2013. Manotas scored his first goal for the club on August 13, 2014 in a Copa Colombia loss to Valledupar. In 2015 he decided to take a step forward in his career, with the Colombia international joining the Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo.
Mauro Manotas made his MLS debut in a 2-0 loss to Dallas on June 27, 2015, while scoring his first goal in the league in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota United on April 16, 2017. Manotas has yet to receive a call-up for the Colombia national football team, but he has three caps with the U20 team. He scored his first international goal in a 2-1 loss to Brazil on January 23, 2015.
Highlighted Team (Vancouver Whitecaps):
Vancouver Whitecaps are yet another Canadian side that compete in Major League Soccer. Vancouver began play in the USA top flight in 2011 and one year later they became the first Canadian outfit to book their place in the MLS Cup play-offs. However, star-studded Los Angeles Galaxy proved to be a big catch for the Whitecaps in the knockout round. Vancouver, though, did remarkably well to win the Canadian Championship in 2015, with the team beating Montreal Impact in the title game.
In 2016 they made it to the final of the tournament as well, but Toronto FC eventually won the trophy. The Whitecaps are owned by Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Steve Nash, the former NBA star, and they play their home matches at BC Place. Speaking of MLS games, the capacity of the venue is 22.120 and you should know that the stadium was opened back in 1983. The Caps wear white shirts and white shorts when playing at home, while the colour of their away kit is blue.