Surging Whitecaps chasing critical points at Sporting KC

The Vancouver Whitecaps continue their late push for the Supporters' Shield with a visit to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

The Whitecaps (15-6-7, 52 points) have clinched a Western Conference playoff spot and enter the weekend five points behind the Philadelphia Union in the Supporters' Shield race. Vancouver has six matches remaining, two more than Philadelphia.

The Whitecaps are 2-0-1 with 11 total goals in their past three MLS matches, and coach Jesper Sorensen continues to look for finishing touches from strong scoring opportunities.

"We have to execute a little bit better because it's been a problem for us," Sorensen said.

A loss or draw for Kansas City (7-17-6, 27 points) along with some other results would eliminate the team from postseason contention. The team has lost both matches this month by 2-1 scores.

Interim coach Kerry Zavagnin has called it an "incredibly volatile season" because of disappointing results.

"We see a group of guys who went out and gave everything," he said.

Kansas City fell 3-0 on July 26 at Vancouver. Sporting was missing Manu Garcia in that match, though he returned from injury last weekend.

"You could see just in those limited minutes how the game changes," Zavagnin said.

Dejan Joveljic has compiled a team-high 17 goals for Kansas City, including four across the past five matches.

Vancouver won't have defender Tristan Blackmon, who sustained a sprained knee ligament Tuesday night against Forge FC as the Whitecaps won a semifinal as part of the Canadian Championship, so he'll miss time.

The Whitecaps rewarded midfielder Sebastian Berhalter by naming him captain for the Forge FC match.

"I'm wearing the armband doesn't mean that there aren't other guys stepping up all over the field," Berhalter said. "So it did mean a lot."

The endorsements of Berhalter have been on the rise. He responded with a goal and an assist in Tuesday's match.

"He's added to his game throughout the season and he's a player that's a marquee player for us and he's been doing very well," Sorensen said. "He's becoming a player that can do a lot of things on a football pitch."

The Whitecaps have had striker Brian White (14 goals) at practice this week for the first time since his late-August injury, but he won't be in action this weekend.