'It's not enough to play well': Whitecaps aim for top form against LAFC

Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, left, gets tripped by Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic (4) during the second half of the first match of an MLS Cup playoffs opening round in Los Angeles, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. Heading into a do-or-die playoff matchup against Los Angeles FC on Sunday, the 'Caps know they need to be at their best. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

A good game is no longer enough for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Heading into a do-or-die playoff matchup against Los Angeles FC on Sunday, the 'Caps know they need to be at their best.

“We’ve just realized that it's not enough to play well against these guys. Because if we just play well, it’ll finish like the last two games – we're very close, and we lose," said head coach Vanni Sartini. "And so we need to play well and to have a little bit of killer instinct.”

Vancouver is down a game in the best-of-three first-round series after dropping a 2-1 decision to LAFC in California last week.

The stakes heading into this weekend's matchup are eerily familiar -- the 'Caps were eliminated from last year's playoffs after LAFC won back-to-back games, first at home, then in Vancouver.

The circumstances are a little bit different this year, said Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld.

Last year, Vancouver's playoff run began with a "demoralizing" 5-2 loss to LAFC.

"It felt like a heavy defeat, and it felt like we were going to struggle. And we put up a good fight the second game, but it wasn't quite enough," Gauld said. "This year, I feel like we're better prepared and in a better position to make more of a game of it.”

This time around, the Whitecaps began their post-season campaign with a decisive 5-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in a wild-card game before moving on to face the top side in Major League Soccer's Western Conference.

Vancouver limited L.A.'s potent offence last weekend, allowing just four shots on target. One of L.A.'s two goals came off a penalty kick.

The Whitecaps' defenders are confident they can replicate -- and perhaps even improve on -- that performance come Sunday.

“They're a good team, but I think the way that we were set up kind of put a little bit more pressure on them and created difficult situations for them to be in that maybe they haven't been against us in the past," said Tristan Blackmon.

“We want to do better than we did last year. … Obviously, we have to focus on the, you know, the task at hand here at home, but we feel very confident, pushing it to that (third) game.”

Forcing a tiebreaker will require the 'Caps to put up goals, too.

Gauld was the lone Whitecap to score in Game 1, banging in a shot five minutes into injury time.

“I think the most important thing is to play a better offensive game than we did in L.A.," Sartini said. "I think we did a very good defensive game. We could have done maybe a little better offensively, not only for the chances that we missed, we could have more chances.”

Scoring against L.A. hasn't been easy this season. The club was the fourth stingiest during the regular season and has World Cup winner Hugo Lloris of France manning the net. In four games against LAFC this season, the Whitecaps have scored four goals.

The team isn't looking at past results as it prepares for Sunday, though.

“LAFC have got the better of us a lot over the last few years. So if we want to challenge to be the best, we have to beat the best, and they top the conference," Gauld said.

"We need to have the belief that we can get a result. And I think we showed on the last game that we're close. The belief’s definitely there to go and do it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.