The Vancouver Whitecaps know the job isn’t done.
They have a chance to advance to the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win over FC Dallas in Game 2 this Saturday. After a dominant 3-0 Game 1 win at BC Place last Sunday, Vancouver is looking to take that momentum to Frisco, Texas.
It is a best-of-three series in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. With a win on Saturday, the Whitecaps get an extra week off before the second round. They have not been to the second round of the playoffs since 2017, when they lost in two legs to the Seattle Sounders. Should the Whitecaps advance, they face the winner of the LAFC and Austin FC series. LA won game 1 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Transitioning to the challenge ahead, it’s important to remember that delivering the knockout punch in sports is often the hardest part.
A different game
While it is easy to believe the Whitecaps can beat FC Dallas in a similar fashion they did in Game 1, it is wrong for them to go into Toyota Stadium and take their opponent lightly.
“I don’t think it’s going to be easy, because every game is special and every game is different,” said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen to the media on Wednesday. “Of course, they will probably look at the game we just played and maybe change a few things; we don’t know about that. We have also looked at this game and may change a couple of things. But we played well the other day, and we’ll try to see if we can keep that kind of performance going, because that’s how we have to perform in the playoffs here, and then hopefully it will be enough come Saturday.
The Whitecaps held FC Dallas to zero shots on target in Game 1. But it is unrealistic to hope that it happens again in Game 2. Striker Daniel Rios scored the opening goal in Game 1.
“We know that playoff games are played differently, right?” said Rios to the media on Wednesday. “You have to be focused for 90 minutes, and everyone was committed.”
The Mexican striker believes that the team’s mentality is in a good place and that is key for Game Two.
The mentality that we’ve been having, we have to go on Saturday and show it again,” said Rios. “It doesn’t matter if we know we’re playing away, and we know Dallas will be a little bit more confident. But also, we know that we will go with everything to win the game. We have to win, right? So for us it’s to be patient in the counterattack, to be more precise, and be able to score. And then control the game like we did this past game. The good thing is that when we score a goal, it’s not like we defend and sit back.”
Blackmon is getting closer to returning for the Whitecaps.
All-Star defender Tristan Blackmon has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since September 16, when the Whitecaps defeated Forge 4-0 in the second leg of the Canadian Championship semi-finals.
He was named the 2025 MLS Defender of the Year this week and has been training fully with the team. Blackmon also spoke to the media on Wednesday.
“Everybody has grown so much in their individual tasks and then collectively as a unit, and I think for me, it wasn’t something I wanted to check off coming into this year,” he said on winning the Defender of the Year award. “But I think as the year developed, it became more real that that could be a possibility individually. But I think that only happens when the collective is doing so well, as we’ve done all year. So it’s a massive kudos to all the team for helping me get that type of award. I think you have one guy with the name that goes next to it, but it’s definitely a team award.”
Blackmon also spoke about how he currently feels and about coming back into the lineup soon.
“I’m definitely doing better than I’ve been the last couple of weeks,” he said. “I’ve been in training more so the last week or so, and I’m still dealing with a little bit, but I feel pretty good. I think it’s moving in the right direction. I think it kills all players who are injured to not be on the field, especially when the team is doing so well, because you want to be a part of that…At the end of the day, I’m looking forward to being back with the team as soon as possible. I don’t know when that’s going to happen.”
Sørensen was asked about the current availability of Blackmon and striker Brian White for Saturday’s game. Their participation is still in question as both players continue to recover.
“If they’re ready to go, we’ll look into it and see if they’re going to play or not, and we’ll not hold back,” said Sørensen “It’s also about getting people going as fast as possible, and a lot of stuff can also happen during training, so it’s not that we can just wait and then put them out. We work them towards being ready and available, and then we’ll see.”
Need to seal the deal
The Whitecaps did win when they visited Toyota Stadium in the regular season. They beat FC Dallas there 1-0 on March 15, and Blackmon’s headed 55th-minute goal was the game winner.
But of course, past results don’t matter when heading into a series-clinching game. The Blue and White will look to keep the momentum from Game 1 going. Their possession, passing, and ability to run in behind the Dallas defenders will be key. Dallas goalkeeper Michael Collodi was key in making Game 1 not worse for them. For the Whitecaps, having Ali Ahmed, a healthy Ryan Gauld (it is still unclear whether he starts on Saturday or not), and Thomas Müller helps their chances in getting off to a strong start, which is also key.
FC Dallas striker Peter Musa will hope to get going after a disappointing Game 1. Musa scored 18 goals in the regular season and is a threat when Dallas goes on the transition. Once again, the Whitecaps have to be wary of that. They did a good job in Game 1, but Game 2 is likely going to be harder. Having Mathias Laborda back from his one-game suspension will definitely help.
Sørensen spoke about how the team needs to stick to the fundamentals they have had all season.
“We want to take the initiative in the game and we want to be a team that would like to attack, but on the other hand, also be balancing it out,so we don’t leave too much space behind us,” he said. “We will not compromise that. We will go and try to see if we can take control of the game with the ball. Sometimes you succeed a little bit better than others, and the other day we had great success in that kind of play, and sometimes it’s even more difficult and you don’t really get the upper hand, but you have to fight a little bit more for it. Whatever it takes, we have to do it. Of course, our plan will be quite similar; we would like to play at a high pace.”
Game two kicks off at 6:30 pm Pacific on Saturday. Can the Whitecaps close it out and move on to round two? Tune in to find out.
