Both clubs are short-handed for this midweek game, but not in the same places. Chicago are missing the backbone of their side, from the goalkeeper through the middle to the front line. Vancouver's gaps are mostly in defence and midfield, and the two players who make their attack go are still there. That difference in who is missing is what this pick turns on.
Chicago's list is long: first-choice keeper Chris Brady, centre-back Noah Allen and holding midfielder Anzor Mekvabishvili are all out, and so are Robert Lewandowski and Robin Lod up front. That is a goalkeeper, a centre-back, the No. 6 and two forwards gone at once.
Vancouver are without Edier Ocampo, Mihail Gherasimencov, Ralph Priso, Jeevan Badwal and Kenji Cabrera, which thins out the back line and midfield. But Brian White, with 17 goals, and Thomas Muller, with five goals and four assists in his last ten, are not on the absence list.
Away from home is where the Whitecaps have looked their best lately: three straight road wins, eight goals scored and none conceded. Their slips have come at home.
Chicago, meanwhile, haven't been imposing themselves. They lost 0-3 at Nashville and 1-2 at home to New England. Their last win, 1-0 at Charlotte, came from an own goal in a game where the expected goals were roughly even. Put a stand-in goalkeeper behind a reshuffled spine against White and Muller, and the matchup leans one way.
