VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps faint hopes of clinching a playoff berth remain alive this week as they return to BC Place on Wednesday night to entertain Sporting Kansas City.
The math is simple: three straight wins over their final three matches of the regular season will guarantee the Whitecaps a spot in the playoffs. That task may be too difficult, as Vancouver has not been able to put together a three-game winning streak all season. Don’t tell that to the players, though, who have yet to give up hope.
“We hold our own destiny, which is pretty cool,” defender Jake Nerwinski said. “If we win out, we know that we’re in. That gives us motivation to keep going.”
At 12-12-7, Vancouver starts the week in eighth place in the Western Conference with 43 points. The Whitecaps are three points back of Real Salt Lake who hold down the sixth and final playoff spot, and just two behind LA Galaxy.
“It’s not just about the word ‘believe’… but it’s about having that feeling inside you,” striker Kei Kamara offered. “We can still make a run for it and get into the playoffs.”
Kamara’s efforts have played a huge role in keeping the Whitecaps within striking distance of the playoffs. With a club-leading 14 goals on the season, Kamara has scored in six of Vancouver’s last 10 matches, including the game winner in a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC in their last outing on Oct. 6.
Kamara may need some help from unfamiliar faces Wednesday, as the Whitecaps had six players away on international duty this past week.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for the other players who haven’t been involved the last two games,” said interim coach Craig Dalrymple, who is 1-1-0 since taking over from Carl Robinson. “They’ve all bought into the [slightly] new identity we have. I think they’ll perform at the levels we expect.”
Among those away representing their countries on international duty were Canadians Alphonso Davies and Russell Teibert, who started on Wednesday night in Toronto in a 5-0 win over Dominica in CONCACAF Nations League play. Defender Doneil Henry did not play.
Other players away included defender and captain Kendall Waston (Costa Rica), and midfielders Yordy Reyna (Peru) and Aly Gazal (Egypt).
Whoever draws into the lineup tonight, the challenge to provide offence will be tough for Vancouver. Sporting Kansas City has allowed just 38 goals this season, the third fewest in MLS.
“We know they like to possess the ball and are very confident in what they do,” Dalrymple said. “We hope to continue to be aggressive and impose ourselves.”
The Whitecaps can’t even consider collecting three points if they don’t play solid defensively against Sporting Kansas City. Fifteen different players have scored at least a goal for Kansas City, who enters the week with the best goal difference of any team in the West (+18).
“We’re at home and we want to prove it’s still hard to play us at home,” Nerwinski said. “We hold all the cards here.”
Notes & Tidbits
This will be the 14th regular season meeting between the Whitecaps and Sporting Kansas City. Vancouver is 3-7-3 lifetime, including going 2-2-2 in their six previous matches at home.
Vancouver suffered its most lopsided defeat of the season the last time they met Sporting Kansas City, falling 6-0 at Children’s Mercy Park on April 20. Johnny Russell netted a hat trick for the winners in a match which saw both Yordy Reyna and Efrain Juarez sent off for the Whitecaps in the 40th minute.
Scoring first in matches has been a major reason why the Whitecaps find themselves in playoff contention. They are 10-0-2 when opening the scoring this season.
Sporting Kansas City secured a playoff spot for an eighth straight year with a 1-1 draw last weekend against LA Galaxy, and still have a chance at top spot in the Western Conference. At 15-8-8, they sit alone in third place with 53 points, four points behind conference-leading FC Dallas.
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