Vancouver Whitecaps secure playoff spot with 1-1 draw against Portland Timbers

It wasn’t the mode the Vancouver Whitecaps wanted to clinch a playoff spot.

The Whitecaps got an aboriginal extremity from attacker Brian White but missed a mates of scoring chances precocious successful the crippled to settee for a 1-1 gully with the Portland Timbers connected Saturday nighttime that assured them a spot successful the Major League Soccer playoffs.

White opened the scoring successful the 3rd minute. Early successful the 2nd fractional helium bounced a changeable disconnected the post. Midfielder Andres Cubas besides deed a station successful other time.

“I deliberation we’re a small disappointed not to travel distant with 3 points,” said White, who scored his 15th extremity of the season, tying the vocation precocious helium acceptable past year. “We deed the station doubly successful the 2nd half.

“We’ll instrumentality the point, we’ll determination forward, but I deliberation we’re disappointed.”

Portland’s Jonathan Rodriguez tied the lucifer successful the 44th minute. The Timbers pressured Vancouver for overmuch of the game.

Despite the effect caput manager Vannie Sartini was blunt successful his assessment.

Sartini said “Portland is simply a large hype each astir the league,” and that immoderate radical judge the Timbers “can beryllium a acheronian horse” travel the playoffs.

“We killed them,” said Sartini. “We destroyed them. I’m conscionable (upset) that we didn’t win.”

The aboriginal extremity mightiness person made the Whitecaps overconfident.

“I’m frustrated due to the fact that it should person been 3-0 for us,” said Sartini. “We were … excessively soft. Subconsciously I deliberation we thought it was going to beryllium easier.

“We didn’t spell done with the slayer instinct we should have.”

Vancouver (13-9-8) sits seventh successful the MLS Western Conference with 47 points. The Whitecaps’ draw, combined with FC Dallas losing 3-1 to Orlando City SC and Austin FC drafting 2-2 with Real Salt Lake, clinched Vancouver a playoff berth for the 2nd consecutive play and the 3rd clip successful the past 7 years.

Portland (12-10-9) holds the ninth and last playoff spot successful the West with 45 points.

White’s extremity came earlier immoderate of the 25,902 fans astatine BC Place Stadium had recovered their seats.

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter sent a walk from the country to the beforehand of the net. Levonte Johnson fto the shot walk successful beforehand of him to White, who bushed Portland goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, a erstwhile Whitecap.

A bully play by midfielder Santiago Moreno and immoderate bad Vancouver luck resulted successful the Timbers tying the crippled adjacent the extremity of the opening half.

Moreno threaded Rodriquez a walk done the Whitecaps’ defence. Rodriquez took a left-footed changeable from the broadside of the nett that deed the ft of defender Bjorn Inge Utvik, deflecting the shot past the outstretched manus of goaltender Yohei Takaoka.

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With their playoff spot secured, the Whitecaps hope to determination up the standings and assertion home-field advantage.

Vancouver sits conscionable 3 points backmost of fourth-place Colorado and 5 points retired of 3rd place.

“It was ever the extremity to marque the playoffs,” said White. “More importantly, we privation to beryllium arsenic precocious up successful the standings arsenic we can. There’s much enactment to do.”

Sartini would similar to spot his squad decorativeness successful the apical four, but thinks the league is up for grabs.

“In the Western Conference, the seventh (place team) tin triumph due to the fact that there’s not excessively overmuch antithetic betwixt each the teams,” helium said. “We’re going to combat to get successful the apical four. I deliberation we are mounting up ourselves nicely.”

Notes

It was a engaged week for the Whitecaps who defeated Toronto FC Wednesday nighttime to triumph their 3rd consecutive Canadian Championship. Last Saturday Vancouver mislaid 4-2 to the Galaxy successful Los Angeles.

Vancouver played without skipper Ryan Gauld (strained knee) and helping backmost Ali Ahmed (quad injury).

The clubs divided their erstwhile 2 meetings this play with Vancouver winning 3-2 astatine location March 30 past losing 2-0 successful Portland connected June 22.

The Whitecaps play 3 of their remaining 4 games astatine home. They extremity the play connected the roadworthy against Real Salt Lake connected Oct. 19.

Up next

The Whitecaps host the Seattle Sounders connected Wednesday astatine BC Place Stadium.

Portland returns location to play Austin FC connected Wednesday.