Whitecaps FC will play Portland or Seattle in MLS Western Conference Semifinals

It’s official.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC will face a Cascadia rival in the Western Conference Semifinals, with the first leg (away) on Sunday, November 1 and second leg (at home) on Sunday, November 8 (get tickets).

The confirmation came Wednesday night when Seattle Sounders FC defeated defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy 3-2 in a Western Conference Knockout Round match. And if that match was a sign of things to come – a whopping four goals were scored within the opening 22 minutes – then this is going to be one heck of a ride.

Now, the situation is clear.

Should Portland Timbers defeat Sporting Kansas City on tonight (7 p.m. on TSN), then Whitecaps FC will face Portland. Otherwise, it will be Seattle.

Either way, a new chapter is about to be written in the Cascadia rivalry – a rivalry that dates back to the 1970s, when Vancouver, Seattle and Portland started doing battle in the old NASL.

Wednesday’s result also means that there will be a new MLS Cup champion in 2015.

And in the words of Carl Robinson: “Why not Vancouver?”

Around the league

Earlier on Wednesday, D.C. United squeaked by last year’s runner-up New England Revolution 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. New England’s Juan Agudelo opened the scoring with a 15th-minute bicycle kick but Chris Pontius equalized just before halftime and Chris Rolfe scored a late winner.

D.C. United will face either New York Red Bulls or Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Semifinals – depending on the result of today’s Knockout Round match between Montreal Impact and Toronto FC (4 p.m. on TSN).