By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
Vancouver’s highest level of soccer has reached a new height this season, as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC have secured a playoff berth for the second time under head coach, Vanni Sartini.
The last time the team reached the playoffs was following a Cinderella run after Sartini was named interim head coach in 2021. The Whitecaps concluded the season with seven wins, five draws, and two losses: far better than what the team was anticipated to do. Vancouver eventually lost to Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs.
While the Whitecaps did not qualify for the playoffs during the 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign, they were victorious at the 2022 Canadian Championship, beating out Toronto FC in penalty kicks during their fourth and final game to win the Voyageurs Cup.
The Whitecaps were once again awarded the highest prize in Canadian soccer, after beating CF Montreal 2–1 on June 7 at BC Place to win back-to-back Canadian Championships.
Adding to this collection of trophies, the Whitecaps won the 2023 Cascadia Cup, an exclusively Pacific Northwest trophy, after securing two wins against Portland, one win against Seattle, and benefiting from a draw between both teams.
The game that allowed them to clinch the coveted playoff spot this season was an October 4 win against St. Louis City SC, with goals coming from striker Brian White, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, and the first as a Whitecap from wingback, Richie Laryea.
It hasn’t yet been confirmed who the Whitecaps will be playing in the MLS Cup playoffs, but the team has gained entry to the first round, which will be played in a best-of-3 format — a new feature for the MLS postseason. The Whitecaps’ opponent for the postseason will likely be revealed when the final whistle for the 2023 MLS regular season blows.
The ‘Caps faced a formidable opponent in the reigning MLS champions, Los Angeles Football Club for “Decision Day” last week. A win would give Vancouver a top-four spot in the league’s Western Conference and home-field advantage for the first round. If not in the top-four, the Whitecaps will be playing their first playoff game since 2021 away from Vancouver, but would return to BC Place for the second game in the best-of-three.
As the MLS regular season comes to a close in the coming weeks, the focus turns toward the MLS Cup playoffs. With recent FIFA World Cup champion, Lionel Messi, and Inter Miami CF mathematically eliminated from the post-season, active MLS fans will have to turn their attention to other clubs still in contention for the MLS Cup. The Whitecaps should definitely be a team to watch with the outstanding scoring duo of Ryan Gauld and Brian White, and young players like Ali Ahmed and Simon Becher.
After a remarkable season from the Vancouver Whitecaps, the team now looks to add another trophy to their collection for 2023, with more success seemingly in the future for the young Canadian club.
