Big players show up for big games. That was the message from Vancouver Whitecaps minority owner Steve Nash to his team on Tuesday. Message received.
Ryan Gauld had the first hat trick in the team’s Major League Soccer history. Stuart Armstrong, a goal and two assists. Brian White was an attacking menace, harassing the Portland Timbers relentlessly, and scoring once himself.
Big players, big performances, massive result: 5-0 over their Cascadia rivals in Wednesday night’s Wild Card round game at Providence Park. The Whitecaps will be returning to B.C.
Place at least once more this season, as they move on to face Los Angeles FC in Round 1, with the best-of-three series starting Sunday in L.A. (6:45 p.
m. PT, TSN, FS1, Apple TV). The Whitecaps will host LAFC on Sunday, Nov.
3 at 5:45 p.m. PT.
Season members will receive pre-sale access on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m.
PT before tickets go on sale to the general public at noon. If necessary, the third and deciding match will be played on Friday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.
m. PT, back in Los Angeles at BMO Stadium. Vancouver came into the game winless in six games, and the first team in MLS history to come into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak.
Portland was little better, winless in five, but they’d been gifted a home game after a scheduling conflict meant the Caps couldn’t host. Portland coach Phil Neville said that it meant God must be a Timbers fan, but perhaps that displeased the Almighty as his team suffered its worst loss .