It has been a dream season for the Vancouver Whitecaps and their fans. But the dream is continuing.
For the first time since 2017, the ‘Caps are in the MLS Western Conference semi-finals. This is just the second time they have gotten this far. Vancouver is coming off their first round series sweep of FC Dallas, and they had to win Game 2 the hard way, penalties. Of course, Ralph Priso’s stoppage-time equalizer has to be mentioned.
“Good teams find ways to win, and we think we’re a good team,” said Priso after the game. Even when they didn’t play their best soccer, the Whitecaps still found a way to win. That’s what good teams do.
After a stellar regular season where they finished second in the Western Conference, won their fourth straight Canadian Championship, and made it to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, the Whitecaps are still seeking to peak the peak of the summit.
Unfortunately, due to the FIFA international window, the ‘Caps have to wait until November 22 to continue their quest. But for them, that is a good thing, so they can have Tristan Blackmon and Brian White 100% healthy. The break could potentially make the case for Ryan Gauld starting on November 22.
Vancouver will face a team they are very familiar with in round two.
Whitecaps will face a familiar foe
LAFC took care of Austin FC by sweeping them in round one. Yes, it had to be LAFC.
We meet again.
It felt inevitable that the Whitecaps would meet LAFC in the playoffs; it just was. LAFC knocked Vancouver out in two games in the 2023 first round (which included Tim Ford’s infamous officiating), and then in three games in 2024. (Despite the Whitecaps scoring more goals than LAFC in the three games.)
While LAFC isn’t a traditional rival for the Whitecaps like the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers are, it feels like a rivalry. Since the start of 2023, Vancouver and LAFC have met 23 times. That also includes Leagues Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches.
LAFC finished third in the Western Conference. They had a huge second half of the season, led by notorious ‘Caps killer Denis Bouanga and big summer signing Son Heung-Min.
This matchup against LAFC will be bigger than before. For starters, the ‘Caps have a chance to slay the dragon. Unlike 2023 and 2024, Vancouver isn’t the underdog. Several players from those losses are still around and are more experienced. That includes White, Gauld, Blackmon, Ali Ahmed, Sebastian Berhalter, Mathias Laborda, and Yohei Takaoka. Vancouver also has a solid depth in players such as Priso, Tate Johnson, Belal Halbouni, Jayden Nelson, Emmanuel Sabbi and 18-year-old Rayan Elloumi.
Of course, we can’t forget the Whitecaps have a big summer signing of their own that has done very well: Thomas Müller.
The Whitecaps and LAFC know each other very well. The scars of losing to LAFC in 2023 and 2024 are still there for the ‘Caps. This time, they want to exorcise their demons and continue their remarkable season.
BC Place will be packed
On Wednesday, Area 51 Sports Network and other media members learned that the Whitecaps have sold nearly 50,000 tickets, and additional seating would be available. At the time of this writing, the Ticketmaster website shows that the vast majority of seats available are from verified resellers.
Yup, it seems BC Place will be packed for a game that doesn’t involve Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Sure, having Son Heung-Min in town is a big deal, but the Whitecaps being in the second round of the playoffs is also huge.
Plus, Vancouver has averaged almost 22,000 fans at BC Place this season. Their exciting style of soccer and wins have brought fans to BC Place. The Whitecaps had a 10-4-3 home record during the regular season and 34 points. That was seventh in MLS.
BC Place will be loud on November 22 for a game that will be epic. The Whitecaps have a chance to knock off a familiar foe, and two of the best players of the modern era will face each other for the first time in MLS.
Whitecaps deserve all the hype
When the Vancouver Canucks are in the playoffs, there is a buzz around the city. People wear jerseys everywhere, bars are packed, and people proudly display car flags.
Even though the play thousands of miles away, many Vancouverites packed bars, wore jerseys, and cheered on the Toronto Blue Jays as they were a win away from winning the World Series.
The Whitecaps deserve that kind of hype. Sure, there is already some, especially due to the signing of Müller and the big Game 1 first-round win over FC Dallas.
Berhalter has said he would like to see Whitecaps flags everywhere, just like when the Canucks were in the playoffs. (But do Whitecaps car flags even exist?) The Whitecaps deserve to have the city get hyped over them.
While it was nice that Vancouver sports fans cheered on Canada’s only baseball team on their run. But the Blue Jays are based in Toronto, three hours away. Vancouver has the only Canadian team in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Sure, MLS isn’t as big as the other four major sports leagues in America, but currently, the Whitecaps are Canada’s team.
They are a fun team to watch, likable, and are Vancouver’s best chance at winning a championship (No disrespect to the BC Lions and their Grey Cup hopes, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders seem to be the favourites.) especially since the Canucks continue to be mediocre.
It is easier said than done, but the Whitecaps have to continue writing their story and making sure it has a happy ending.
