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Whitecaps FC-Rapids Preview

The Vancouver Whitecaps have surged since a puzzling loss to the Western Conference's worst team. They'll try to avenge that defeat Saturday night when they visit a Colorado Rapids club looking to turn its season around.

Vancouver (10-6-2) leads the West and enters the final game of a five-game trip with the first three-match road winning streak in club history, which includes victories over 2014 MLS Cup finalists Los Angeles and New England. A 2-1 win last Saturday ended the Revolution's 17-game home unbeaten streak.

Vancouver has set a club record for road victories with a league-best 6-1-3 record away from home.

The Whitecaps have gone 4-1-0 since a 1-0 loss at Colorado (2-6-9) on May 23. Vancouver has lost five of the last seven meetings and the Rapids are 5-1-0 all-time at home in the series.

"We've had a tough go of it there," Whitecaps left back Jordan Harvey told the team's official website. "And I think we recognize that. So we need to go in with the right mindset just like we have these last three games. I thought we had a good performance there last time we played away but didn't come away with the points we thought we deserved. So hopefully we can this time."

The Rapids have been blanked four times and in two consecutive matches during an 0-4-2 slump. Their 12 goals are five fewer than the total of the league's next-lowest scoring team.

"It's a bit of bad luck," midfielder Dillon Serna said. "We've had a lot of opportunities ... We just have to be a little bit more focused on that last touch and last pass in front of goal. We have to do a better job, especially when we are at home."

Colorado managed two shots on goal in a 2-0 road loss to Sporting Kansas City last Saturday, and midfielder Sam Cronin had an own goal in the 64th minute.

Exacerbating the Rapids' offensive woes is the absence of scoring leader Gabriel Torres, who is with Panama for the Gold Cup. Colorado has two goals in its last six matches, one by Serna and the other by Cronin.

"We are all confident," Serna said. "Things haven't gone our way up until this point, but we are still going to keep pushing and fighting. There is no other time than Saturday."

Vancouver coach Carl Robinson said Pedro Morales could be available to play for the first time since June 6 due to a calf injury. Robinson, who has three goals and four assists, had a goal disallowed in the first meeting with the Rapids.

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