L.A.’s dudes look to keep riding wave at home
KEY MATCHUP
Alphonso Davies vs. Jordan Harvey Ostensibly the reason the Whitecaps parted ways with Jordan Harvey in the Major League Soccer off-season was his lack of topend speed, but he’s been a crucial contributor in LAFC’s high-risk defensive scheme that has them battling for first place in the West. He’s made nine straight starts, but will have his hands full trying to keep up with former teammate Alphonso Davies.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. The gang’s all here
The Caps have all their players available, save for the injured Marvin Emnes, after missing six to international duty on Wednesday. Some of the players who had rotated into the starting 11 lagged noticeably 15 minutes into the second half and could be back on the pine because of it. The only sure thing will be the absence of striker Kei Kamara, who was red-carded after the final whistle Wednesday for, umm, “massaging” the neck of Sporting ’s Johnny Russell with two hands.
2. What this means
Sure, the Caps will say they’re going to fight until the end to keep their playoff hopes alive, but those are empty platitudes at this point. With Real Salt Lake winning 4-1 Thursday, the only way Vancouver can make the post-season is to win both of their remaining games and hope to beat RSL’s goal differential.
Salt Lake sits at even with one game left (at Portland). The Caps? A turgid -14, fifth-worst in MLS.
Can they conjure around 15 goals in two games, and keep two clean sheets? Well, Vancouver’s largest margin of victory ever was 5-0 over the San Jose Earthquakes in last year’s playoffs. And they’ve posted just two shutouts this season, a league-low. Feel free to calculate the odds!
3. Oh, hi Marc
One of the leading contenders for the Caps’ vacant head-coaching position is LAFC assistant coach Marc Dos Santos. He’s yet to address the rumours of his possible hiring in Vancouver, but the running joke in the press box has been how the Caps wanted to make it official during Sunday’s game.
If there’s any validity to the scuttlebutt, it would be an opportune time for Dos Santos to get a firsthand look at the Whitecaps’ roster
4. Assist me
Davies and Yordy Reyna are sitting on 11 assists each, with two games left in the regular season. That’s just one off the team’s single-season record set in 2014 by Pedro Morales. Setting a new high-water mark would be a pleasant diversion for the Caps, although it could be tough, with the team scoring just five goals in its last five games.
5. Hot streak
Only two other teams have a better mark in their last five games than LAFC (3-1-1) — DC United (4-01) and Atlanta (4-1-0) — and the Black and Gold have lost just once in 16 home games (9-1-6). They ’ve scored 29 goals at Banc of California Stadium, while giving up just 13 and posting seven shutouts.
LAFC and Sporting KC are just one point out of first place behind Dallas, all with two games remaining, and all are hungry to secure top seed in the West.
With the deck stacked against them, and not much to play for, it’s difficult to see the Caps coming out of California with three points. But never tell Russell Teibert the odds.
“We got to speak to some military personnel, and they shed some light on their experiences, and what it’s like to … dedicate your life to a country,” the Caps’ midfielder said Wednesday.
“I’ll relate that to this game; everything ’s against us. LAFC’s only lost one game at home. We’re going to a tough spot away, and we need this result. But all those things against us, and that’s what’s going to make it better when you go in there and have success. When you’re in that fight, these are all things that motivate you and drive you on. It’s almost like the worse the conditions, the better it is.”
SICK BAY
Vancouver: Marvin Emnes (left adductor)
Los Angeles: Quillan Roberts ( broken right leg ), Mark-Anthony Kaye (broken ankle), Eduard Atuesta (concussion); Latif Blessing (hip flexor).