Vancouver Whitecaps FC News
October 19, 2016 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC News Release
How the 'Caps can spoil Portland's playoff party and win the Cascadia Cup
VANCOUVER, BC - MLSsoccer.com conducted an informal survey of Vancouver Whitecaps FC players earlier this year asking: Who is the team's biggest rival?The answer was unanimous: it's Portland Timbers.
"It just feels more special," said David Ousted. "I think we always have games where we challenge each other, especially last year having the first-ever playoff games against them."
"I don't know why, but there's something different [about those games]," said Kekuta Manneh. "It's very exciting. Maybe it could be the fans, I don't know, but usually the games are more intense than when we play Seattle."
"I want to beat Portland so bad," added Jordan Harvey. "Always, and in every game. Maybe it's just me being bitter because we've lost to them a few times, but I want to turn the tides and be a consistent winner over Portland and play well against Portland and just get results because they have, as the record shows, maybe had our number."
That was certainly the case in last year's Western Conference Semifinal, when the Timbers ended Vancouver's season in a two-leg series that culminated at BC Place.
"It still hurts that they knocked us out last year," said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson.
The 'Caps can return the favour in Sunday's regular season finale (1 p.m. PT at BC Place - tickets still available). Portland and Vancouver have already met twice since last year's playoff series, with each team winning a game, but not quite with these stakes.
The Timbers currently sit seventh in the Western Conference, just below the red line. A win on Sunday would clinch their playoff berth, which gives Vancouver the opportunity to play the role of spoilers against one of their most bitter rivals.
Sunday's match will also crown this year's Cascadia Cup champion.
The situation is clear: the 'Caps need to beat Portland by at least three goals to reclaim the Cascadia Cup, a supporters-created trophy awarded annually to the team with the best record against their Pacific Northwest rivals (Vancouver, Portland, or Seattle).
Any other result would see the Timbers lift the trophy.
It's certainly a tall order for Whitecaps FC, but with Portland missing defensive stalwarts Diego Chara and Liam Ridgewell due to caution accumulation, you never know what could happen.
"We'll be up for [it]," Robinson said. "It's a great occasion for us, our supporters, to say thank you for sticking with us through thick and thin this year."
• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...
Major League Soccer Stories from October 19, 2016
- CCL Recap: Sporting KC Defeats Central FC 3-1 - Sporting Kansas City
- Training Report Presented by Muscle MLK: Emotions - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Chicago Fire Soccer Club Named 2016 Beyond Sport Team Of the Year - Chicago Fire FC
- Timbers Sign T2 Winger Victor Arboleda to Short-Term Agreement - Portland Timbers
- No Wholesale Changes, But Heaps Plans to M - New England Revolution
- NEWS: Earthquakes Hire Nolan Partners for General Manager - San Jose Earthquakes
- FC Dallas Midfielder Mauro Diaz Has Surgery to Repair Torn Achilles - FC Dallas
- Paunovic Looks for Fire to "Forge That Mentality" In - Chicago Fire FC
- Massive Crowd Expected for Sunday's - New England Revolution
- Alphonso Davies Named Finalist for 2016 USL Rookie Of the Year - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- The Montreal Impact Soccer Schools Announce Their Holiday Season Activities - Club de Foot Montreal
- Q&A: Courtney Karnes, Executive Director of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Silicon Valley & Monte - San Jose Earthquakes
- Academy Update: October 19 - New England Revolution
- Toronto FC Re-Signs Marco Delgado - Toronto FC
- Tickets for the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sale Now - New York Red Bulls
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC News - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Vancouver Whitecaps FC Stories
- Whitecaps FC to Welcome Wrexham AFC for Match in Vancouver
- Whitecaps FC Girls Elite to Represent Canada at Concacaf W Champions Cup
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC to Face CPL Side Cavalry FC in 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship Quarter-Final
- Whitecaps FC Acquire 19-Year-Old Australian Wingback Giuseppe Bovalina from Adelaide United FC
- Seattle Sounders FC 0Blanked by Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 2-0