Major League Soccer
Vancouver Whitecaps - Sporting KC
04/18/2026, 02:30 AM
Expected Goals
2.6
3.4
0.7
2:0
12%3:0
11%2:1
9%3:1
8%1:1
8%What influences the xG?
Vancouver Whitecaps
Sporting KC
League
The Lab
- 1Vancouver Whitecaps: first goal in 6 of 7 games (86%)
- 2Vancouver Whitecaps: 6 wins in 7 games with xG above 1.0 (86% win rate)
- 3Vancouver Whitecaps with Oliver Larraz: 10 goals/90 min. Without: 2 goals/90 min (5 of 7 games)
- 4Sporting KC: 4 consecutive games with 3+ goals (last 7 games)
- 5Sporting KC with Ethan Bartlow: 1.3 goals/90 min. Without: 0.5 goals/90 min (5 of 7 games)
Model Probabilities
Match Result
Home Win
77%
Draw
16%
Away Win
7%
Goals
Over 1.5
86%
Under 1.5
14%
Over 2.5
66%
Under 2.5
34%
Over 3.5
44%
Under 3.5
56%
Double Chance
Home or Draw
93%
Away or Draw
23%
No Draw
84%
Both Score
Yes
49%
No
51%
Key Factors
- Pipeline prediction: The model calculates a home win with 77% probability
- League position: Vancouver Whitecaps are league leaders, Sporting KC are in 15th place
- Form trend: Vancouver Whitecaps show excellent form (WWLWW), Sporting KC are in poor form (LWLLL)
- Head-to-head: Vancouver Whitecaps won all 4 recent direct encounters against Sporting KC
Risk Factors
- Away defense: Sporting KC concedes an average of 2.33 goals per away game
- Offensive efficiency: Sporting KC averaged only 3.4 shots on target in their last 5 games
Overview
Vancouver Whitecaps (1st place, 18 points) host Sporting KC (15th place, 4 points) in Major League Soccer. The match takes place on April 18, 2026, 2:30 AM. For the Whitecaps, it's about solidifying their top position. Sporting KC is battling for crucial points at the bottom of the table.
Form
Vancouver Whitecaps are in excellent form with WWLWW in their last five matches. This means 4 wins and 1 loss. They recently secured 2 consecutive wins.
Sporting KC is in a difficult phase with LWLLL from their last five fixtures. This corresponds to 1 win and 4 losses. The team has 3 consecutive losses.
Statistics
Vancouver Whitecaps impress this season with an average of 2.71 goals scored and only 0.57 goals conceded per game. They kept 4 clean sheets and saw over 2.5 goals in 4 matches. At home, they averaged 2.5 goals scored and 0.5 goals conceded. Sporting KC records an average of 1.0 goals scored and 2.43 goals conceded per game. They kept no clean sheets and had over 2.5 goals in 6 matches. Away from home, they averaged 1.0 goals scored and 2.33 goals conceded.
Head-to-Head
In 4 head-to-head matches over the last two years, Vancouver Whitecaps won all 4 encounters. Sporting KC did not achieve any victories. The Whitecaps scored a total of 9 goals and conceded 2. The last meeting ended in a 2-0 victory for Vancouver on September 21, 2025. The Whitecaps dominate recent head-to-head duels.
Key Players
For Vancouver Whitecaps, Brian White is a key player with 6 goals in 7 season appearances, scoring 5 goals in his last 5 games. Sebastian Berhalter contributes with 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games, but recently showed a slightly declining form trend. Mathías Laborda is also important as a defender with 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 games.
For Sporting KC, Dejan Joveljić is the most important scorer with 4 goals and 1 assist in 7 games, although his form has been declining. Jacob Bartlett scored 1 goal in 7 games. Manu García contributed 1 assist in 7 games.
Not nominated for the Whitecaps: AZ Jackson (1G/1A).
Goalkeepers
Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper, Yohei Takaoka, played 7 games this season and contributed to 4 clean sheets. He also provided 1 assist. For Sporting KC, John Pulskamp was in goal for 7 games but recorded no clean sheets.
Influences
Vancouver Whitecaps show a strong home advantage, with an average of 2.5 home goals scored and only 0.5 home goals conceded per game. This underlines their defensive stability and offensive efficiency in home matches.