VANCOUVER – Despite there being 10 games left in the MLS regular season, the Vancouver Whitecaps know they cannot afford to let any points slip away at BC Place if they want a shot at making the playoffs.
After a Wednesday to forget on the road, the Whitecaps are back in action Saturday as they return home to entertain the New York Red Bulls.
Coming off an embarrassing 5-2 loss to Toronto FC in the second leg of the Canadian Championship final, Vancouver has no choice but to put all that has occurred behind them. As demoralizing as the result and performance was at BMO Field, Vancouver has to find a way to erase that from their memory and prepare for one of the toughest teams in MLS.
“We talked [after the match] about how important it was to keep our heads up,” captain Kendall Waston said.
“That was difficult because we were so disappointed on Wednesday. We know these are three massive points we need against the Red Bulls if we want to qualify for the playoffs.”
Added Vancouver coach Carl Robinson: “We’re playing against a very good Red Bulls team who have some familiar faces we know. We’ve been on the road for a few weeks now and gotten some positive results in certain league games.”
Those results Robinson speaks of are a big reason why Vancouver remains within striking distance of the playoffs in the Western Conference. A week ago, the Whitecaps ended a 15-game unbeaten streak for the Portland Timbers with a 2-1 victory at Providence Park. Seven days earlier, Vancouver walked away from Yankee Stadium with a 2-2 draw against New York City FC, a club that has yet to lose at home.
The Whitecaps start this weekend two points behind Real Salt Lake for the final playoff spot in the West, and they are also just one point ahead of the Seattle Sounders. The players know they can’t control what others are doing around them and the only way to get to the post-season will be by earning it themselves.”
“We’ve got to focus on ourselves because if we don’t win, it doesn’t change anything,” veteran midfielder Felipe said. “If we keep winning games, we’ll do the math and see where we are. That’s all we can do.”
Saturday’s fixture is definitely one Felipe has had circled on the calendar all year, as he plays his former club for the first time since a pre-season trade to the Whitecaps for defender Tim Parker. Over the last three years, Felipe started every regular season and playoff game for New York, collecting 10 goals and 17 assists along the way.
“It’s going to be a special one,” said the Brazilian. “I’m thankful for everything they did for me. I have many friends there, but I’m a guy who loves to win and I just want to get the three points against them.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Saturday marks the ninth regular season meeting between the Whitecaps and Red Bulls. Vancouver is 3-2-3 against New York, outscoring their opponents 11-10 over those matches. The Red Bulls have shut out the Whitecaps in their last two contests, including a 3-0 victory last year in New Jersey. Bradley Wright-Phillips leads all players in head-to-head scoring with three goals in four appearances.
There are just three active players in MLS who have scored 100 or more goals in their careers. Two of them are set to go head-to-head at BC Place. Whitecaps forward Kei Kamara, who has scored in five straight matches across all competitions, is tied for sixth all-time in league scoring with 108 goals. Wright-Phillips, who has scored in four of his last five games, was the latest player to hit triple digits. He enters the match with 101, three back of former Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario, who sits in eighth place.
Carl Robinson would not confirm the health status of Alphonso Davies heading into the weekend. The last time Davies played a full 90 minutes for Vancouver came in a dominant performance, scoring twice and adding two assists in a 4-2 home win over Minnesota United on July 28. The 17-year-old, who has been dealing with a hip flexor, has 10 assists on the season, just two shy of the club record set by former midfielder Pedro Morales in 2014.
After Saturday’s match, Vancouver will play one more Eastern Conference opponent before the season ends, on Oct. 6 at Toronto FC. The Whitecaps are 4-4-2 against East clubs so far this year.
Erik Hurtado’s next appearance for the Whitecaps will be his 100th in MLS, including playoffs. He has scored twice in five regular season games this year.
New York is on pace for one of their best seasons in club history. They enter the weekend one point behind Atlanta United in the race for the Supporters’ Shield as regular season champions. The Red Bulls also sport the best goals against totals of any team in the league (23). On the flip side, Vancouver has conceded 47 goals so far. They gave up 50 total goals in the 2017 campaign.
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