The final countdown: Just nine games remain for post-season, win ...

There are nine games over six weeks before the end of the season, and the Caps are in playoff position with plenty of room to move up — or drop down — in the West. And Vanni Sartini is fed up with the first-round exits.

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Published Sep 07, 2024  •  Last updated 57 minutes ago  •  7 minute read

FC Dallas' Marco Farfan grabs Vancouver Whitecaps' Levonte Johnson as they vie for the ball during MLS game in Vancouver Sept. 7, 2024. Photo by DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Vancouver Whitecaps are at the quarter-pole. And they’re tired of getting shafted.

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Just eight games remain in the regular season, and the Caps are in a comfortable spot. They’re sixth in the Western Conference on 42 points, with a game — or two — in hand against every team ahead of them. They’re six points above the line for an early off-season golfing, while being just two points and two places below Colorado (13-9-5) for fourth place and a coveted home playoff berth. Second place LAFC (14-6-6) and Real Salt Lake (13-6-8) right behind in third are also in sight.

But just the act of making the playoffs isn’t enough. This time, they need to win a series after Decision Day.

“The playoffs … It’s the minimum,” coach Vanni Sartini said after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with FC Dallas at B.C. Place.

“Top seven is the minimum. Top seven is a sufficient season. Top four is a good season. … (But) we need to be there (in the playoffs) and — boom, I put another card (on the table) — we need to win a round in the playoffs, because I’m fed up that, that we lose in the first round.”

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Vancouver (12-8-6) has never won a playoff series. Their lone post-season victory remains the 2017 knockout round victory over San Jose — a game was followed by a whimper of a showing in a semifinal series against the Seattle Sounders where they failed to score a single goal.

And last year’s exit was a painful one, falling to LAFC in their best-of-three opening-round series.

The first game in LA was tied 2-2 at halftime, before they lost 5-2. The followup game in Vancouver saw a disputed penalty scored by LA’s Denis Bounga — their first shot of the game — and an chaotic ending where a referee bodychecked Alessandro Schopf out of a shot attempt and Sartini was ejected.

The conference semifinals remains the MLS high-water mark, and both times the Caps have made it, they’ve gone scoreless against Cascadia Cup opponents. They’re 1-7-2 all-time in the MLS post-season, and have been outscored 17-10 — a number much less respectable if you subtract that 5-0 knockout round win over San Jose. That year, the top two seeds had byes to the semifinals, while the third-place finisher (Vancouver) took on the sixth-place Earthquakes, who had a sub .500 record.

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This year’s format is the same as last season; the No. 8 and 9 teams face off in a play-in game, with the next round determined by a best-of-three series. All games after that are single-eliminations.

Vancouver has its established goals for this year — beating the team record of 53 points (2015) and winning a third-straight Canadian Championship when they face Toronto FC on Sept. 25 — but playoff success is what’s truly fueling this year’s squad.

The Whitecaps are in a good run of form at the right time of year, on a 5-1-2 streak with two straight clean sheets after Saturday’s tie with the Toros. But, simply, they still have to be better.

This team has seven wins and 24 points on the road — both team records — but only five wins and 18 points at home. After hosting San Jose next week, the following two games are on the road. Then it’s five straight at home until the Oct. 19 Decision Day kickoff at RSL.

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“We’ve been good at home and fantastic away,” said Sartini. “We need to start being very good at home too. We have five games. We need to have the confidence, the will, the hunger to win all the five games that are home from now till the end.

“Six games — even the more important one,” he said, referring to the showdown with TFC for the Voyageurs Cup.

To do it, they’ll need to integrate their newcomers and their attacking prowess into their lineup quickly. Stuart Armstrong, late of the Premier League, came on to a standing ovation from the 23,188 at Saturday’s game, as the new Designated Player is hoped to be the offensive linchpin they’ve lacked. Edi Ocampo saw his first game action as a Cap, and loan returnee Deiber Caicedo.

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Caicedo and Co. did everything but score Saturday, as a lineup that featured four players who usually play centreback take the field. Vancouver was missing six key players to injury and international duty — Ali Ahmed, Ryan Gauld, Andres Cubas, Fafa Picault, Pedro Site and Brown White — while defender Bjorn Utvik was only on the bench as an emergency option, having a nagging ankle issue. Cubas picked up a shoulder issue on international duty, and White is still in concussion protocol.

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“We missed seven players, and we dominated them. We dominated them. That’s what happened,” said Sartini. “So … a little bit of a pressure (on me), to be honest. Because we need to deliver. We cannot hide anymore. We’re going there (to the playoffs). We want to be in the top four, maybe even more. Because that’s the quality of this team.”

Even missing it’s top offensive players, Vancouver still outshot Dallas 20-6 and forced ‘keeper Jimmy Maurer into five acrobatic goal line saves, including one on the doorstop from Caicedo in the final seconds of the game.

“I just hope that we are all healthy, that we’re all ready, because we have really good, great group. We have an amazing team,” centreback Ranko Veselinovic said of the final stretch.

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“We have a lot of games at home, and we need we need to be really good at home. We need to win games, and if we’re good at home, we’re gonna be in the playoffs. It’s simple as that. … Every game is like a final till the end of the season.”

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The Caps have high hopes that Armstrong can show the quality that made the 32-year-old a Premier League regular with Southampton, but it will take time for the new Designated Player to acclimatize to the North American game — as well as get back to match fitness after not playing since the Euro 2024.

“Yeah, the national anthems were a new thing,” he said post-game, asked about what is different than the leagues he’s used to.

“Things are different, but it’s still football. It’s still 11 v. 11. But it’s hard to explain. Obviously, I’m used to a certain way of football and the match itself, and things are just a little bit different. Yeah, it’s part of the reason for coming here to experience something new, experience a different culture, and I really enjoy being a part of it tonight.

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“I just want to come here and play and give my best football. Of course, the different style of the DPs and everything of course, adds a bit of pressure. I think throughout my career, there’s always been pressure when you play, so that’s part of the culture, part of playing football, and I just need to perform at my best every week.”

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Saturday, Sept. 14: Whitecaps vs. San Jose Earthquakes

7:30 p.m., B.C. Place

Head to head: 12-11-12

2024 record: Whitecaps 2 at Quakes 0, March 9

Wednesday, Sept. 18: Houston Dynamo vs. Whitecaps FC

5:30 p.m., Shell Energy Stadium

Head to head: 10-9-5

2024 record: Dynamo 4 at Whitecaps 3, July 20

Saturday, Sept. 21: LA Galaxy vs. Whitecaps FC

7:30 p.m., Dignity Health Sports Park

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Head to head: 11-16-7

2024 record: Galaxy 3 at Whitecaps 1, April 13

Wednesday, Sept. 25: Toronto FC vs. Whitecaps, Canadian Championship Final

7 p.m., B.C. Place

Head to head (MLS): 8-6-3

2024 record: TFC 0 at Whitecaps 4, April 6

Saturday, Sept. 28: Whitecaps vs. Portland Timbers

7:30 p.m., B.C. Place

Head to head: 12-18-8

2024 record: Portland 2 at Whitecaps 3, March 3; Whitecaps 0 at Portland 2, June 22

Wednesday, Oct. 2: Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders FC

7:30 p.m., B.C. Place

Head to head: 10-18-11

2024 record: Whitecaps 2 at Seattle 0, April 20; Whitecaps 1 at Seattle 1, May 18

Saturday, Oct. 5: Whitecaps vs. Minnesota United FC

4:30 p.m., B.C. Place, B.C. Place

Head to head: 5-5-4

2024 record: Whitecaps 3 at Minnesota 1, July 3

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Sunday, Oct. 13: Whitecaps vs. Los Angeles FC

4:30 p.m., B.C. Place, B.C. Place

Head to head: 5-7-4

2024 record: Whitecaps 0 at LAFC 3, May 11

Saturday, Oct. 19: Real Salt Lake vs. Whitecaps

6 p.m., America First Field

Head to head: 13-14-5

2024 record: RSL 2 at Whitecaps 1, March 23

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