Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope you all are having a lovely spring week and that you are nearing a well-deserved break.

This is the fourth and final week of the Caps’ homestand, which culminates with a showdown with an entertaining yet defensively challenged LA Galaxy side. Vancouver will look to keep the good times rolling — particularly as the going will get somewhat more challenging after this.

The next seven matches will include only two home games (one of which comes against Inter Miami) and also brings two visits to Seattle (not sure why the schedule makers did this), a trip to LAFC and a trip to the red hot New York Red Bulls. Colorado and Austin should be more manageable but these are otherwise all teams with playoff ambitions at the least, despite some slow starts from LAFC and the Sounders.

It stands to reason that Vancouver will probably not be on the top of the pile on points per game at the end of that run — and that’s OK. Their hot start has positioned them well for the remainder of the season and shows they mean business after years of coming up short in big matches.

For now, though, there has been no shortage of frustration from Caps fans at the various versions of MLS power rankings that get passed around. This content largely, I’m convinced, exists to frustrate fans into rage clicking and thus giving the advertisers exactly what they want.

Don’t get me wrong — it would be great if folks around the league gave a little bit more respect to Vancouver. Sure, the schedule might be a bit soft but this is seemingly a good team that is worthy of a more in-depth analysis than “Brian White and Ryan Gauld are good and Vanni Sartini is funny.”

But ultimately, this is a column about not falling for the trolls. The players on the field certainly are not taking their eyes off the prize and while Vanni has been trying to build the team up in the media and get them some respect (including from OneSoccer), you can be certain he is also reminding them of the long and winding season ahead.

I don’t think this team is a flash in the pan like Toronto or some of the other fast starters who are who we thought they were. I also don’t think there are any Caps fans legitimately offering this team as a Supporters Shield favorite, at least not yet.

But, for the sake of our collective mental health, it’s probably best to log off and ignore what any pundits have to say and let them keep focusing on, say, Messi and Inter Miami. We’ll see who has the last laugh.

Shameless Self Promotion

It is episode number 200 for the podcast and they celebrate by reveling in the 4-0 win over Toronto and previewing the Canadian Premier League season.

Best of the Rest

Speaking of the CPL, Pacific FC have signed a one-year lease deal, prompting speculation about the club’s future.

MLS is tweaking its roster rules to allow for more flexible spending, allowing for more U-22 spots or fewer DP spots depending on which route a team chooses to take.

The move comes amid another week of CONCACAF Champions Cup disappointment, with Miami and New England getting bounced. Only Columbus made it through.

The U.S. bested Canada in a penalty shootout to claim the She Believes Cup after more heroics from Alyssa Naeher.