Bring on the rubber match.
In potentially their final home game of the season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC put on a show Sunday at BC Place with an imposing 3-0 win over No. 1 seed LAFC.
Led by a man-of-the-match performance by Ryan Gauld, Vancouver's season and Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs hopes are still alive as they head back to Los Angeles for Game 3 of their Round One Best-of-3 Series on Friday (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
“I think the performance was really good. In terms of performance, it was kind of the same as we did in LA,” head coach Vanni Sartini said. “In LA, we had all the luck and the half-centimeters against us. Today it was all for us. That’s how tight I think this game can be. We need to go there to LA with the confidence that we can try to win.”
Gauld spurred on the energetic ‘Caps showing by opening the scoring within 10 minutes of kickoff, before creating a pair of own goals to mark the club's second-ever non-Wild Card playoff win, as well as Sartini’s first playoff win at BC Place.
"After last time, did I say I don't think [God] exists?” Sartini said. “I don't know if he wants to join the Whitecaps – or she, because maybe God is a she. If she or he wants to become a Whitecaps fan, we're gonna give him an honorary card of any group that he or she will enjoy."
Captain material
Following his late consolation goal in LA, Gauld jumpstarted the win in Vancouver early with his league-leading sixth goal contribution of the playoffs.
“Knowing that it was most likely our last home game of the year, we wanted to try and send the fans home happy and make them enjoy the 90 minutes,” Gauld said. “We’re aware that we've not been great at home all season, so to potentially end our home games the way we did was exactly what we're after and hopefully send a lot more home happy.”
Although he will only be credited with the lone goal, Gauld played a key part in all three goals on the night with powerful crosses leading to “assists” for both LAFC own goals.
“When you have Ryan Gauld and Andrés Cubas that play like Ryan Gauld and Andrés Cubas: Gold Edition, we can beat everyone,” Sartini stated.
Dispelling the bogeyman
After being knocked out of last season’s playoffs and Concacaf Champions Cup by LAFC with four losses against Steve Cherundolo’s team, Vancouver finally got the Black & Gold monkey off their back.
“We never forget,” goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka said. “Last year, we lost against them here so I never forget every day. That's why I wanted to show our performance as a team and as a player, so I'm really happy.”
Now, this Round One Best-of-3 Series will return to Los Angeles on Friday night for a decisive Game 3 as the only Western Conference matchup to require all three matches.
"LAFC is the favorite Friday, pure and simple,” Sartini said. “They play home [and are a] top-three team with the most talent in the league. But upsets can happen. You see today, the MLS Cup champions [Columbus Crew], they lost. So why can't it happen again?"
