Our prediction for this MLS match:
Buoyed by a 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo will be aiming to give fans yet another reason to celebrate when they take on Vancouver Whitecaps on Thursday morning. The Orange Crush have been improving their game week by week and, as a result, they are seen as favourites to win the midweek clash. Hector Herrera suffered an injury in the last league match, with Poland international Sebastian Kowalczyk likely to step up.
The Canadians, on the other hand, aim to build on a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes, but given their ups and downs on the road, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw this time out. You should bear in mind that both sides managed to find the net in each of their last five meetings in the Major League Soccer. The likes of Cubas, Bendik, and White should miss out with injuries for the away team.
Highlighted Player (Hector Herrera):
Mexico international Hector Herrera is a 26-year-old midfielder playing for Portugal giants FC Porto. Herrera began his career with Pachuca in 2010 and spent three years at the club before being sold to Porto. During his first season with the Dragons Herrera struggled for playing time, but he went on to cement his place in the starting eleven, becoming one of the most valuable players for the club.
Herrera has since them racked up over 110 performances for the Portugal side, scoring over 20 goals in the process. Full Mexico international since 2012, Hector Herrera represented his country at the 2014 World Cup.
During the summer of 2016 Herrera was heavily linked with a move away from Porto and was reported to have made a personal agreement with Italian side Napoli, but the €25 million asking price proved to be a stumbling block that ended up ruining the deal.
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.