Whitecaps look to buck road woes against expansion side Charlotte FC

VANCOUVER — After a near-perfect homestand, the Vancouver Whitecaps are once again hitting the road — a road that has not been kind to the club this season.

The 'Caps (3-6-2) have yet to earn a single point away from B.C. Place this year, dropping all five matches they've played away from home.

That needs to change quickly, said head coach Vanni Sartini.

“We need to win points against everyone. And now we need to really, really, really switch gears away because six games home 11 points? It's a playoff run. Five games away zero points? It's ridiculous," he said. "We need to be much better.”

Vancouver is unbeaten in its last four games across all competitions, including a 2-0-1 record in Major League Soccer play and a 2-0 victory that advanced the club through to the next round of the Canadian Championships. But whether momentum from those wins will transfer from the turf at B.C. Place remains to be seen.

The Whitecaps' next chance to vanquish their road demons will come Sunday when the team makes its inaugural visit to expansion side Charlotte FC (4-7-1).

While Charlotte's coming off a 2-0 loss to CF Montreal, the league's newest club has had a solid start and is 4-2-0 at home.

Karol Swiderski leads the team with four goals on the season but the Polish striker hasn't scored in his last four MLS appearances, a slump he'll be eager to dump come Sunday.

Vancouver, meanwhile, will be without its leading scorer. Lucas Cavallini drew his fifth yellow card of the season in the 'Caps 2-1 win over FC Dallas on Wednesday and is suspended from Sunday's game.

It's tough timing for the Canadian striker, who has two goals and two assists in his last three MLS games and earned a spot on the league's "team of the week" on Thursday.