It's some Sunday afternoon action for the Vancouver Whitecaps, with Jesper Sørensen's side hosting Austin FC at BC Place Stadium.

Here's everything you need to know heading into the game.

How the Vancouver Whitecaps enter this match

The Whitecaps are coming off a good bounce-back after last week's loss.

The 'Caps took down the LA Galaxy with ease, earning a 3-0 win after goals from Brian White, Ryan Gauld and Bruno Caicedo, who scored one of the crazier spot kicks seen in recent history.

Currently top of the MLS Western Conference, the Whitecaps will look to find steady form as they head into the business end of the 2026 season.

How Austin FC enters this match

It's been a decent run for Los Verdes; under interim head coach Davy Arnaud, they've been unbeaten in their last five MLS matches, although three of those games have ended in ties.

In their most recent outing on Wednesday, Austin registered a 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, with Facundo Torres' second-half header making the difference.

Currently sitting in fourteenth place, they are only four points from a wildcard playoff spot, so the season is far from over for the Green and Black.

Head-to-head

The last meeting between the two sides was uneventful. At Q2 Stadium, it was a 0-0 draw with very little to report; the game lacked a big chance apart from an early miss from Austin FC striker Brandon Vázquez.

The last meeting at BC Place Stadium was completely different — Brian White headlined the match with four goals in a 5-1 win for the Whitecaps, while Emmanuel Sabbi scored the other goal and Dani Pereira scored a late stunner. Daniel Ríos also saw a penalty saved by Brad Stuver in the second half.

Overall, the Whitecaps have dominated the series against the expansion side, registering six wins and three draws, while Austin have only managed one win, which came back in 2022 at home.

Could it be a historic day for Los Verdes, or will the 'Caps continue their dominance?

Players to watch

A player who has made an immediate impact after recovering from a long-term knee injury is club captain Ryan Gauld. In their most recent game against the LA Galaxy, it was a particularly fine performance from the Scottish international. After quickly taking a throw-in that led to Brian White's opener, Gauld intercepted a loose pass and was tiptoeing inside the box before beautifully placing the ball into the bottom left corner for his 50th goal as a Whitecap. With Thomas Müller set to miss the match due to a dead leg injury, Gauld is projected to start as the attacking midfielder behind Brian White, and if there's anyone on the 'Caps that can fill the Müller gap in terms of quality, Gauld is the man for the job.

One of the standout players for Austin has been 18-year-old midfielder Ervin Torres. A technical young player who can cover several positions, Torres became the first-ever Austin FC player to score with the academy team, second team, and the first team, with that first-team goal being an absolute stunner against Texas rivals FC Dallas. Primarily a chance creator, Torres signed a homegrown deal with Austin back in late 2025, but hasn't gotten a serious chance with the club until after this year's FIFA World Cup; after registering two late assists against the Seattle Sounders, he's been given more opportunities and hasn't looked back. Projected to start this afternoon, Ervin Torres will be a threat that Vancouver's defence must shut down to prevent Austin from snatching a result.

Availability

For Vancouver, Kenji Cabrera, Belal Halbouni, Kwasi Poku, and Ranko Veselinović remain unavailable due to injuries, while Thomas Müller will also miss the match due to a quad injury but should be available for Vancouver's second leg against CF Montréal in the Canadian Championship. It's not all bad news for the 'Caps: young midfielder Jeevan Badwal is set to return after missing Wednesday's clash against LA Galaxy due to a hamstring injury, while fellow Canadian Ralph Priso has seen his status upgraded to questionable as the international window is upon the corner.

For Austin, they only have one absence, but it is a huge one. Top scorer Myrto Uzuni is set to miss this game due to a lower-body injury.

Projected XIs

TrueNorthFoot projects the following line-ups for each side.

Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-3-1): Yohei Takaoka; Tate Johnson, Tristan Blackmon, Mathías Laborda, Édier Ocampo; Andrés Cubas, Oliver Larraz; Cheikh Sabaly, Ryan Gauld (c), Emmanuel Sabbi; Brian White

Austin FC (3-4-2-1): Brad Stuver (c); Guilherme Biro, Oleksandr Svatok, Mikkel Desler; Žan Kolmanič, Ervin Torres, Besard Šabović, Joseph Rosales; Jorge Alastuey, Facundo Torres; Christian Ramírez

Game information and how to watch

📆 Sunday, September 13, 2026
⏰ 3:30 pm PT / 5:30 pm CT
📺 Apple TV
🧑‍⚖️ Víctor Rivas
🏟 BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, Canada