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First thoughts
The Vancouver Whitecaps push for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference continues on Saturday night with a winnable fixture against the last place team in their conference, the San Jose Earthquakes. Carl Robinson’s squad can clinch a spot in the postseason with the combination of a victory against San Jose and loss by Portland to Real Salt Lake.
After getting the job done at home in their last several games at home, Vancouver will now need to get the job done on the road against San Jose. They will head into Saturday’s match with the momentum courtesy of winning the 2014 Cascadia Cup with a big win over the Seattle Sounders last weekend.
In addition to their playoff pursuit, Vancouver can also clinch a berth in the 2015/2016 CONCACAF Champions League tournament with a draw against the Earthquakes.
Keep Thinking
While Vancouver have been a much better team at home this season, Saturday’s match at Buck Shaw Stadium presents an excellent chance for the Whitecaps to pick up all three points away from home.
As the last place team in the Western Conference - with the Montreal still having a chance to leapfrog over San Jose in the overall league standings over the last two weeks of the season – the Earthquakes have endured a horrible campaign. They will enter Saturday’s match on 13 game winless streak and fresh off the announcement that Head Coach Mark Watson has been fired and that Dominic Kinnear will take the reins of the club next season. Assistant Coach Ian Russell will manage the team for the last two games of the season and those two games will now be played amidst an environment in which all of the Earthquakes players will likely be feeling insecure about the prospect of Kinnear cleaning house for next season.
It’s been a polar opposite situation for the Whitecaps recently. Carl Robinson’s squad have won three straight against quality opposition and are peaking at the right time. With a win on Saturday, the Whitecaps will also set a new record for their highest ever point total in Major League Soccer. Vancouver has been excelling concurrently at both ends of the field in recent weeks and have all the ingredients necessary to control the match against San Jose and dominate a side that is reeling in every way.
However, if there is one major concern for the Whitecaps, it likely comes in the form of Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski. The U.S. International leads San Jose with 14 goals and has burned many opposition to team’s during his tenure in Major League Soccer. His presence will be exacerbated by the fact that central defender Kendall Waston will be suspended on Saturday due to yellow card accumulation.
Final Thoughts
While it is rare for any team in MLS to cruise to victory away from home, Vancouver does have all the momentum heading into this game. If the Whitecaps can prevent Wondolowski from having a significant amount of influence on the proceedings, they should be able to pull out a fourth straight victory.
Prediction
Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes
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