It's back to BC Place for Jesper Sørensen and his Vancouver Whitecaps as focus shifts back to their excellent MLS start.

After exiting the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup to the Seattle Sounders in Spokane, the Whitecaps take on the San Jose Earthquakes, who have had a steady start to 2026 under Bruce Arena.

Here's everything you need to know.

For Vancouver

Despite the rough Champions Cup exit, Vancouver's start in MLS action has been perfect, with their most recent game ending in a 6-0 win over Minnesota United at home.

Sitting at 4-0-0 with 14 goals scored, Vancouver's record-breaking start owes much to Brian White, with the USMNT striker netting an impressive five goals in just four games, including his brace against Minnesota United.

Spirits remain high in Vancouver despite the early Champions Cup exit, as the club continues to push for a first MLS Supporters' Shield.

For San Jose

Written off by many following the departures of Cristian Arango, Josef Martínez, and Cristian Espinoza, Bruce Arena has gotten the best out of his San Jose Earthquakes side when it has mattered. Currently sitting at 3-0-1, marquee signing Timo Werner has been a bright spark for the California side, already contributing two assists in three games.

Despite their sole defeat coming against Seattle in MLS play, San Jose and their fanbase have plenty of reasons for optimism as they head north of the border for this clash.

Head-to-head

The last meeting between these two sides came in October of last year, with the Whitecaps claiming a 4-1 win at BC Place. Rayan Elloumi and Thomas Müller both got on the scoresheet before a late Sebastian Berhalter brace sealed the three points for Vancouver.

Across 38 matches, the series favours Vancouver with 14 wins and 12 draws, while San Jose has claimed 12 victories of their own.

Vancouver's largest win came in a historic 2017 playoff match, a 5-0 steamrolling of the Earthquakes at a packed BC Place, marking the Whitecaps' first-ever MLS Playoff win. San Jose's biggest victory in the fixture came in 2020, a 3-0 win at PayPal Park against a Whitecaps side reduced to nine men.

Players to watch

When Vancouver announced the six-month loan of American attacker Aziel Jackson, few across the league took much notice. He was brought in to provide cover on the wing following captain Ryan Gauld's injury, with the Scotsman ruled out until April at minimum. Fast forward to the end of March, however, and Jackson has arguably been Vancouver's signing of the window, contributing a goal and an assist while also winning two converted penalties for the Whitecaps. His dynamic, electric style of play has seen him push for a starting role under Jesper Sørensen and win over fans in the process. With his loan set to expire at the end of June, Vancouver may look to trigger a purchase option, and while it is early days, the man they call AZ has been a revelation in 2026, forcing the club to ask some serious questions about his long-term future at BC Place.

San Jose may have lost much of their attacking firepower, but they moved quickly to bring in German star Timo Werner from RB Leipzig. Questions lingered over both his form and the quality of those around him, but club and player have combined to shock the league, going a perfect 3-0-0 before last week's defeat. Werner is yet to find the net, but he has been creating chances, registering two assists in three games, both setting up Ousséni Bouda. If Vancouver switch off defensively, Werner is more than capable of punishing them and potentially opening his account as an Earthquake.

Availability

For Vancouver, Sam Adekugbe, Ryan Gauld, Belal Halbouni, and Ranko Veselinović all remain sidelined with long-term injuries, and Andrés Cubas has now joined them after picking up an adductor injury. The positive news is that reigning MLS Defender of the Year Tristan Blackmon is fit and available after missing the last two games with calf tightness.

San Jose, meanwhile, have no injury concerns of their own, just as they did last week. Bruce Arena will have a full squad to choose from ahead of tomorrow's match and looks likely to name a strong starting eleven.

Projected XIs

Vancouver (4-2-3-1): Yohei Takaoka; Édier Ocampo, Tristan Blackmon, Ralph Priso, Mihail Gherasimencov; Sebastian Berhalter, Oliver Larraz; Emmanuel Sabbi, Jeevan Badwal, Kenji Cabrera; Brian White (c)

San Jose (4-2-3-1): Daniel; Benji Kikanović, Daniel Munie, Reid Roberts, DeJuan Jones; Ronaldo Vieira (c), Beau Leroux; Ousséni Bouda, Niko Tsakiris, Timo Werner; Preston Judd

Game information and how to watch

📆 Saturday, March 21, 2026
⏰ 10:30 pm ET / 8:30 pm PT
📺 Apple TV
👤 Chris Penso
🏟 BC Place, Vancouver, Canada