VANCOUVER—Like some anonymous stranger gleefully typing the word “First” in the comments section of an online article he hasn’t read, most of the chatter surrounding the Vancouver Whitecaps this week has focused on the importance of getting out ahead.
In this case, though, the importance of “first” isn’t some weird aspect of online commenting culture, but rather a matter of goals—and the difference between advancing in the playoffs or calling it a season.
As Vancouver gets set to face the Portland Timbers at BC Place for Sunday’s second leg of the MLS Western Conference semifinals, the teams sit tied, the result of a scoreless draw in the first leg on Nov. 1 at Providence Park. The Whitecaps might have been satisfied with a draw on the road, but away goals are the tiebreaker in this series, which means if the Timbers score on Sunday, the Whitecaps will need to net an extra one to advance.
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“We’ll try and get the first goal,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson, adding that “the records have been ominous for both teams when they’ve conceded first.”
Still, as much as Robinson understands the value of taking an early lead, he also knows it isn’t everything.
“If it happens, and we concede the first goal, get on with it,” he said of his team’s approach. “You’ve got to win the game.”
CLEAN SHEET
The Whitecaps reminded fans last week that they can get a clean sheet. Vancouver conceded the fewest goals of any team in Major League Soccer this season (36 goals against), and a key reason for that success was 30-year-old Dane David Ousted, a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, as well as the Whitecaps’ collection of talented defenders, including Kendall Waston, a finalist for MLS Defender of the Year.
Ousted, in particular, kept his team alive during the first leg, making a remarkable save in the 72nd minute to stop a free kick from Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri. The Whitecaps will look for another strong performance from him on Sunday, which would allow them the breathing room to create scoring chances.
The Timbers, meanwhile, are expected to have their No. 1 goalkeeper, Adam Kwarasey, available on Sunday. Kwarasey missed last week’s game after falling ill with the flu; backup Jake Gleeson started in his place. The Timbers were also missing defensive midfielder Diego Chara last week. Chara was felled by a sprained foot but could be available in Vancouver.
HOME-CROWD ADVANTAGE
The Whitecaps and Timbers are evenly matched in a number of ways, with similar defensive records, and home and away results. As Ousted remarked, they “almost cancel each other out a little bit by being defensively very strong.”
The raucous crowd at BC Place, then, could very well tip the scales in Vancouver’s favour. This will be the Whitecaps’ first home playoff match since joining Major League Soccer.
“This is what you play for,” Ousted said. “Full BC Place, just a great atmosphere, and everything on the line.”
With each of the past three matches between these teams ending in a draw, Robinson is hoping the fans can buoy the home team.
“We need them behind us because they’ll be times, periods in the game where things won’t be going our way,” he said.
YOUTH VERSUS EXPERIENCE
The Whitecaps are the youngest team in MLS, and unlike the Timbers, they’ve never made it this far in the MLS playoffs. But according to coach Robinson, this just means the team doesn’t have any past losses at this stage to dwell on.
“We’ve got no experience being at this point of the season before, so we’ve got nothing to fear,” he explained. “We’ll go out and play. We’ll go out and enjoy it.”
While Robinson said the season will have been a success no matter the outcome on Sunday—he pointed to the Whitecaps’ Amway Canadian Championship, alongside their road win versus defending MLS cup champions LA Galaxy (ending the Galaxy’s 29-match unbeaten-at-home streak) as key victories this season—there’s no doubt his young crew will feel some pressure to perform at home. Robinson wants the ’Caps to relax on the pitch.
“I don’t want them to think too much,” he said. “I want them to go and play naturally.”
When it comes to goals, the Whitecaps will be looking to whoever can help, young or not. Striker Octavio Rivero, a 23-year-old MLS newcomer, had the best chance in the first leg. Vancouver could also rely on 30-year-old captain Pedro Morales, who’s been plagued by injuries this season but who could be a factor depending on how Robinson chooses to use him.
Whatever happens, it should be a close match. Even Ousted knows it.
“We do create chances,” he said of his teammates. “We need to put them away now.”
