Whitecaps clinch MLS playoff spot for second straight year
The Vancouver Whitecaps are headed for the playoffs for the second straight season.
It wasn’t an easy match to clinch the spot. The Portland Timbers were in town on Saturday night for a battle at BC Place in a match that featured a back-and-forth affair, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
In the end, a 1-1 draw was all Vancouver needed to book their ticket to the postseason. Even though the team was able to clinch a playoff spot, lone Whitecaps goalscorer Brian White wasn’t satisfied with the result.
“I think we’re a little bit disappointed not to come away with three points,” White told reporters after the game. “We take the point and move forward, but I think, yeah, we’re disappointed not to come away with three points.”
Forward Brian White speaks to the media following Saturdayās match against Timbers FC in the MNP Post-Match.
Ā #VWFC | #VANvPOR pic.twitter.com/5Mb4dDcD2p— X – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 29, 2024
White scored the match’s first goal three minutes into the contest, notching a career-high tying 15th of the season. He currently sits tied for fifth in MLS goals this season alongside three other players, including Miami FC superstar Lionel Messi.
Portland’s Jonathan Rodriguez knotted things up in the 44th minute, and while the Whitecaps managed to hit two posts in the back half of the match, they couldn’t find the game-winner.
Brian Whiteās 15th goal this season!!! š„
šŗ https://t.co/tn2SlcW1oE#VWFC | #VANvPOR pic.twitter.com/5Q42ov2Lvd
— X – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 29, 2024
Despite the frustration of not getting the win, head coach Vanni Sartini likes how his team is looking ahead to the postseason. The Whitecaps have made the playoffs in three of the last four years since Sartini took over the coaching reins.
“I think we’re setting up nicely for the playoffs,” Sartini told reporters. “It’s going to be a fight until the end, and the quality is there.”
Coach Vanni Sartini speaks to the media following Saturdayās match against Timbers FC in the MNP Post-Match.
Ā #VWFC | #VANvPOR pic.twitter.com/Wuu4b8g6KQ— X – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 29, 2024
The Whitecaps currently occupy the seventh-place spot in the Western Conference with 47 points and a 13-9-8 record. Though that is near the bottom of the playoff contenders right now, they remain just three points behind the fourth-place Colorado Rapids, who have 50 points.
It’s been a busy week for the Vancouver club, which just won the Canadian Championship last week and is now looking to clinch back-to-back Cascadia Cups.
The Whitecaps’ focus will now turn on climbing up the table to catch Colorado. They have four games left on their regular season schedule, and their next match is on Wednesday against the Seattle Sounders.
Decision Day is set for October 19, wildcard matches will kick off on October 23, and first-round matches will take place on October 26.