The past month offered few highlights for the Chicago Fire, but this one could start on a more positive note.
The Fire will try to snap their five-game winless drought Saturday night by topping the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps, who haven't won in seven straight and have yet to earn a point on the road.
Chicago entered April following a home win over Sporting Kansas City but earned just two points in their next five games.
The Fire opened the month with three straight losses, including a 4-2 defeat at expansion Portland, before recording a pair of 1-all ties over the past two weeks. Chicago (1-3-3) blew leads in each of those draws.
Marco Pappa scored his third goal of the season in the 43rd minute last Saturday at Colorado, but the Fire gave up the equalizer six minutes later on a shot that went off goalkeeper Jon Conway's fingertips.
"It's the same over and over again," forward Diego Chaves said. "We're making stupid mistakes. We have to get more goals because it's not enough."
The Fire could get offensive help from signing 20-year-old Colombian striker Cristian Nazarit on Wednesday. Nazarit is eligible for Saturday's game, but it's unknown if he'll make his debut.
"He's a good player - strong, smart, witty," defender Cory Gibbs told the team's official website after Nazarit's first practice Thursday. "I think he'll be a key asset for us in the future."
Chicago might need his help with forward Patrick Nyarko battling an illness and captain Logan Pause dealing with a strained right hamstring. Defender Josip Mikulic (bruised collarbone) is also questionable, but Gibbs is expected to return after missing consecutive games with an injured hamstring.
Gibbs will look to help extend the scoring woes of the Whitecaps (1-4-3), who have four goals in their last five MLS games.
Vancouver has scored twice in three road games this season - all losses - and is 0-4-3 in seven league matches overall since winning its first MLS game March 19 against Toronto.
Omar Salgado, the No. 1 overall in this year's SuperDraft, scored his first goal in league play last Saturday, but Vancouver fell 2-1 to Columbus.
The Whitecaps, though, might have received a boost of confidence after advancing to the Canadian championship final Wednesday. They prevailed 2-1 in the two-game series with Montreal when Mouloud Akloul scored in his first home game since fracturing his ankle last April, when the team was in the USSF's Division 2.
"We needed to dig deep and show some character," midfielder Terry Dunfield told the team's official website. "Sometimes in soccer, you need that little bit of luck to get you through. Hopefully, we didn't use it all up."
