The Vancouver Whitecaps have plenty to play for as they get set to wrap up the MLS regular season on Saturday with a clash against Real Salt Lake on MLS Decision Day.
Vancouver wants to avoid a potential 8 vs 9 play-in match (which would be played on the road) while also snapping out of a slump.
The Whitecaps have a 13-12-8 record and 47 points this season and currently occupy the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Since September 1, Vancouver is 1-4-3 in MLS play.
Vancouver can finish in seventh, eighth, or ninth in the conference.
Minnesota is seventh with 49 points (14 wins), and Portland is ninth with 46 points (12 wins). The first tie-breaker is wins, and the second tie-breaker is goal differential.
To finish in the seventh spot, Vancouver must beat Real Salt Lake and Minnesota must lose to St. Louis. If Minnesota draws and Vancouver wins, it comes down to goal differential.
These are how things are looking heading into Decision Day. 👀 pic.twitter.com/XPuZEtqGxS
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 15, 2024
The Whitecaps could end up in ninth spot if they lose and Portland defeats Seattle.
“The important thing is to do the best thing in our control, which is win the game on Saturday, avoid the play-in game,” said Picault. “I know it just doesn’t come down to us winning, other results have to happen.
“We’re going to go with the objective to win. If we have to play a play-in, we’ll play the play-in to win.
“Once you get into the dance, anything can happen. It doesn’t matter what seed you get. Once you catch momentum, the important thing is to stick together as a group and ride the dance for the whole playoffs.”
Vanni Sartini suspension
The Whitecaps began the season with Sartini serving a suspension, and they will conclude the regular season with their head coach suspended. Sartini picked up his third MLS yellow card of the season on Sunday and will serve a one-match ban.
Assistant coach Michael D’Agostino will step in as head coach. The Vancouver native has a record of 4-1-1 all-time in all competitions when filling in for Sartini.
#VWFC's Brian White on the difference in having coach D'Agostino on the touchline compared to Vanni.
“He’s slightly less Italian, but not much less Italian. They’re on the same page. The coaching staff has their game plan and they’re working in the office getting it ironed out." pic.twitter.com/V6rJOxWNC7
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) October 17, 2024
What changes with D’Agostino in charge and Sartini in the press box?
“I’m trying to fill in his shoes and those are big shoes to fill,” D’Agostino said. “He’s a very energetic person on the sidelines. I’m going to try and be as energetic as I can be and bring some energy for the guys. I’m reasonably rational when I try and make decisions. Best-case scenarios, worst-case scenarios, everything. I’m filling in, and I’ll do my best.”
Where are the goals?
The month of October has not been kind to the Whitecaps’ offence. No outfield player has scored a goal for Vancouver. The team was able to end a 329-minute MLS scoring drought when LAFC was credited with an own goal in their 2-1 win over Vancouver on Sunday.
Whitecaps leading goal-scorer Brian White was the last player to score a goal for Vancouver on September 28.
Fafa Picault will be available for selection after serving a one-game suspension and scoring his first career international goal while representing Haiti during the international break.
“We have to leave everything in the past,” Picault told Daily Hive. “It’s the last game before going into the playoffs so the important thing is just to find it on Saturday. We can’t really think about anything else or the past. We’ve generated it throughout the season and it’s just maybe in a rut right now. We’ll get through it and we have to, together as a team.”
Welcome back
Vancouver was without seven players on Sunday. Sam Adekugbe, Ali Ahmed, Ryan Gauld, and Picault have all returned from international duty. Andres Cubas and Pedro Vite will arrive on Thursday. Stuart Armstrong has returned to full training after dealing with a calf strain.
“He did a test session (on Wednesday),” D’Agostino said of Armstrong. “Which means we put him through some intense work both from a high-speed perspective and an endurance perspective. He passed the test, he’s in full and he should be available to be on the bench.”
Armstrong’s fellow countryman Gauld did not train on Thursday after flying all day Wednesday.
#VWFC Coach Michael D’Agostino talking about Ryan Gauld.
“He’s just come back from a long flight. The plan was to have him inside and not train with the team today. As far as I know, he’s fully training tomorrow (Friday) and should be available for selection.”#RSLvVAN#MLS pic.twitter.com/oyTHiJoITV
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) October 17, 2024
The Whitecaps are 7-5-4 on the road this season in MLS action. In their only match of the season, Real Salt Lake defeated Vancouver 2-1 on MLS opening weekend in February.