VANCOUVER, B.C. - Whitecaps FC will be looking to avoid any spring snowstorms as they head out to the midwest to take on MLS western conference leaders, Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park on Friday night. The 3-3-1 Caps will be in for quite a test as 4-1-2 Sporting Kansas City are in top form and firing on all cylinders.
Coach Peter Vermes side are coming off a come from behind 2-2 draw vs Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday. Vancouver will look to the road where they have found success this season with a pair of wins in four matches. A venture out to the open road could provide less pressure for the Caps as they departed for Kansas City on Wednesday.
"No, it's the same pressure always," said captain Kendall Waston. "We want the three points if it's on the road, or at home, but especially at home because we are in our stadium, with our crowd. On the road, we want three points because we want to be on top of the table."
Playing in a hostile venue where Vancouver prevailed with a one-nil victory last season could be just what Whitecaps FC need. They're 1-1-1 at B.C. Place this season, and haven't scored in 200 minutes at home. It's early in the season, but the fans are clearly in an uproar, and that's a cause for concern.
"For me it's normal," Waston revealed. "A team lose, obviously the fans are going to be upset, so for me it's nothing new."
One of the questionable occurrences from Friday night's 2-0 loss to Los Angeles FC was the second goal, and how it materialized. Goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic went up to catch the ball, and was bumped by Waston which knocked the ball loose. Diego Rossi eventually found the ball, and smashed it home to put the match out of reach.
Did Marinovic make a call for the ball or did Kendall Waston call for the ball? How about any eye contact or perhaps a gesture made to signal who would clear the ball away from danger? Whatever happened in the 70' minute, Waston wasn't about to share.
"It doesn't matter what happened," said Waston. "We know that those mistakes we cannot try and do again. From there, we just move forward because, we don't blame nobody. Whenever everybody wins, it's nice, and when we lose, obviously everybody lose."
The old adage goes that you win as a team, and you lose as a team. Nobody on the Caps is pointing fingers. That's a clear sign that this is a focused and determined group. They had a poor match vs LAFC, and they're ready to move on and play Sporting Kansas City on Friday.
"When we concede goals, they blame the defence or whatever. We as a unit, we speak inside the locker room. We know what are the mistakes. We aren't going to talk it all around. We know how to work, we're going to sharpen those things. It's good that it happened now, and not at the end of the season."
Despite the doom and gloom, the sky isn't falling. Every team faces adversity throughout the season, the panic button hasn't been pressed, yet. There is still a lot of football to be played. The proverbial hot seat isn't on fire just yet. Whitecaps FC know they need to be better, play with more consistency, and that starts against Sporting Kansas City.
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