Rivalry Renewed: Whitecaps, Sounders set to tangle in MLS West semifinals

“We’re not satisfied with just one win. We want to see how far we can go.”

The Whitecaps hadn’t gone very far in the playoffs before this week, losing knockout games in both 2012 and 2014 before getting bounced as the No. 2 seed over two legs by the Portland Timbers in 2015 after securing a bye to the West semifinal.

Vancouver stumbled a bit down the stretch this season with a pair of defeats and a draw over its final three games to slip from first to third in the conference, but the momentum gained in that demolition of San Jose can’t be discounted.

“We wanted to make a statement,” said Whitecaps centre back Tim Parker. “People might have been ragging on us a little bit for not getting points in October.

“Scoring five goals and putting them to bed (was) quite the moment.”

Sunday will mark the first playoff chapter in Vancouver and Seattle’s regional rivalry.

The Whitecaps beat the Sounders 2-1 at home on April 14 and fought back while down a man to grab a 1-1 draw at B.C. Place on Aug. 23, but Seattle got a measure of revenge in a 3-0 victory at CenturyLink on Sept. 27.

All told, the Sounders, who had a bye to the semis after finishing second in the West, lead the series 8-7-5 in MLS play, including a 4-3-4 record in Vancouver.

The winner will meet either No. 1 Portland or the fourth-seeded Houston Dynamo in the conference final.

“Last time we played Seattle we didn’t get the result that we wanted,” said Parker, whose team finished a point back of the Sounders in the standings. “That’s going to kind of sit with us, and hopefully we take it out on them this time around.”

The Whitecaps are led offensively by attacking midfielder Yordy Reyna and striker Fredy Montero, who scored 13 times in the regular season before bagging the opener in a nervous first half against the Earthquakes.

Three of Vancouver’s five goals against San Jose came on set pieces — two off corners and another thanks to a stunning Cristian Techera free kick — and further success in dead-ball situations will be crucial against Seattle.

“We take a lot of pride in it, to be honest,” said Parker. “I’ve never seen a team score on set pieces like we have.

“It’s turned into an advantage for us, and I think we use it wisely.”

One big plus for the Whitecaps is that Sounders star Clint Dempsey will be suspended for Sunday after getting sent off in Seattle’s regular-season finale, while fellow striker Jordan Morris is among a couple of injury question marks.

But despite those absences, the Whitecaps know they still face a stiff test in the first leg.

“Not having (Dempsey) in the game helps us and hurts them a little bit,” said Nerwinski, who has become a mainstay on Vancouver’s backline in his rookie season. “But they have guys that can sub in and do almost the same thing he’s been doing.

“They’re next guy up is still pretty good. It’s going to be tough.”

It will be interesting to see how the Whitecaps attack the Sounders this weekend, especially with the away-goals rule coming into play. Vancouver will want to press for an advantage, but not conceding at B.C. Place is equally important.

“You don’t want to leave yourself exposed, but I think playing at home, coming off what we just did, we have to go after it,” said Parker. “We have to attack this game full throttle, but also be mindful and be smart of what we have to do at the back.”

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Rivalry Renewed: Whitecaps, Sounders set to tangle in MLS West semifinals

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