Draw with Crew could prove costly
Things about to heat up in Western Conference as Vancouver’s top seeding far from certain
Six games to go. Whitecaps still first.
Don’t think the Western Conference-leading Whitecaps aren’t doing a little scoreboard watching, no matter what they might say?
The Major League Soccer side still has at least a game in hand on its pursuers, veteran fullback Jordan Harvey noted after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew at B.C. Place.
“We’re disappointed in the draw at home. We always shoot for three points and we’ll do that next week,” Harvey said.
“But at the end of the day, seven points in three games within the week I think is a huge positive.”
After Vancouver opened the scoring through a lovely Fredy Montero finish, Columbus winger Kekuta Manneh set up a goal, then put his team ahead on a screamer from the top of the 18-yard box. It looked like a fairy tale return to the team that dumped him — until Tony Tchani tied the game in extra time.
It was fitting as Tchani was traded for Manneh.
It was a game that saw the Caps yield possession, as they have all season, to a team that craves possession. They found goals through counterattacks and crosses.
They didn’t dominate, but Yordy Reyna did hit the post twice.
A little more luck and it would have been another thrilling, but surprising win for the Caps.
You do wonder if coach Carl Robinson and his players will look back at this game and say that was where two points were lost, two points that could have made a huge difference in their playoff position.
Yes, playoffs. It’s time to talk about them.
There are four teams within spitting distance of each other.
The Whitecaps are first with 45 points. Portland, Kansas City and Seattle all have 44 points.
Kansas City and the Caps hold at least a game in hand on both Portland and Seattle.
All three top-of-the-table competitors will face the Whitecaps over their final three games; their destiny is pretty much in their hands.
For any of that to count, the Whitecaps must first beat bottom-dweller Colorado next week.
Then things really get interesting: The Caps face the Sounders on Sept. 27 in Seattle, then three days later they’re in Kansas City. A week later, they’re in New York.
The Whitecaps will almost certainly seal their seeding floor over that week. Sure, there will be three games left, including the season finale Oct. 22 in Portland. That last one sure could decide the team’s final placing, given how much this race has been a turtle derby for much of the summer.
In this turtle derby, the favourite for a first-place finish is probably Seattle.
Their case is far from convincing, though — they’ve compiled four consecutive ties, but they’ve also not lost since the middle of June.
Then again, there’s that first half of the year when they managed just five wins and four draws against seven losses.
Portland has too little margin for error. The Timbers have just four games left, though three of those are at home.
Kansas City has that game against the Whitecaps, plus games against stragglers L.A. and Minnesota. There’s a home-and-home series against Houston and then Real Salt Lake to close the year. K.C. could make a strong push to the finish.
Then there are the Whitecaps, who’ve pulled points from all over, all season.
Manneh magic
There’s little doubt many fans at B.C. Place were thinking “that’s the Kekuta Manneh we knew so well” after his game-pacing performance Saturday.
The guy known as Scooter around these parts caused fits for Jake Nerwinski all night. His footwork to open the gap that he fired a cross through to set up Ola Kamara’s goal was magic. His net-shaking strike on the Crew’s second goal from the top of the box was similar.
“This team (Columbus) is very tactical. They wanted me to be that player that carried the team today and that’s what we did. I saw they had me one-versus-one and I thought that played to my strengths, that’s what I’m all about,” Manneh said.