After a physically intensive encounter, the Vancouver Whitecaps emerged victorious after a penalty shootout, to win the Best-of-3 series 2-0 and secure their place in the Western Conference semifinal.
Having been outshot 22-0 in the first game, Dallas knew that they had to rectify that statistic with their season on the line, and they started proceedings on top as Peter Musa had efforts denied by Takaoka, before Logan Farrington had penalty appeals waved away after a challenge from Ralph Priso.
The match was totally different from the last game, with Vancouver being forced to look to capitalize on turnovers. However, it was the Texas side who took the lead after a transition, as Peter Musa was played in and skipped past Ralph Priso to beat Takaoka and hand Dallas the advantage.
Vancouver were living dangerously, as Dallas almost doubled their lead minutes later. Mere moments after the first goal, Bernard Kamungo found the back of the net, but was judged to have been offside. Musa then nodded the ball wide after getting open from a corner.
It was a very physical first half, with Tate Johnson, Edier Ocampo and Sebastian Berhalter all being on the end of rough challenges, and Thomas Müller taking lots of hits from Sebastien Ibeagha and Osaze Urhoghide. Those defenders, alongside midfielder Christian Cappis, all ended the half with yellow cards, and after the recent injury crisis, a game like this would have been the last thing that the Whitecaps wanted.
With Johnson being forced off at half-time after aggravating a shoulder injury, Jesper Sørensen will have been even more frustrated with the challenges flying in when Daniel Rios also had to depart the field early into the second half.
The game opened up overall in the second stanza, with Sabbi and Laborda having chances, before Berhalter whistled an effort narrowly wide as Vancouver pushed forward for the equaliser. However, just like on Decision Day, the Whitecaps were once again struggling to breach the Dallas defence.
Berhalter’s set pieces had disappointed compared to his usual standards all afternoon, as Dallas were able to contend with everything that the USMNT midfielder threw at them. However, an injury time delivery fell to Ralph Priso, and the Canadian was able to prod the ball over the line at the second time of asking to snatch the equaliser.
Vancouver then had chances to win it at the death, as firstly Rayan Elloumi fired an effort wide of the mark, before Jayden Nelson’s effort was held by Michael Collodi on the line.
This sent the game to penalties, and Dallas stuttered, as Patrickson Delgado hit the bar, and then Nolan Norris blazed his attempt high, all while Müller, Berhalter, Cabrera, and Halbouni scored for the Whitecaps to emerge victorious.
The win advances the Whitecaps to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2018, when they will take on either LAFC or Austin.
I’m not sold on the three-leg thing as a sporting contest. It’s good for gate receipts and TV, but it did feel like we were watching a game between one team fighting to keep their season alive, and one team that knew they could almost certainly win at home in the next if needs be.
I found it particularly weird watching a penalty shootout with such uneven stakes. But I’m not going to complain about the outcome!
Agree with on Anon….should be a sudden death one game….now White Caps have 21 days off….after playing so many mid week games for months……LOVE ITBUT MLS IS DISNEYLAND!
Watched on TSN…….what an improvement on Apple’s bull sh—-.where we sit watching blank screen without no opening build up and then listen to the worst play by play in the world!}
the semi-final vs LAFC on Saturday, November 22 is a single match- if tied, 2- 15 minute halves, if still tied, then PKs- game at BC Place – winner goes to Western Conference Final at team with best record (if San Diego looses to Portland, then it will be at BC Place if we defeat LAFC; almost impossible for us to host the MLS Cup final)
the good news is that LAFC will also have 3 weeks of no games, so they will also have game rust; and we get some of our injured players back- Blackmon, White, maybe Schonlau; and a healthier Ryan Gauld
Salty
my major concern when facing our next playoff opponent is that we wont have played a MLS game for 3 weeks… and thats a long time for rust to develop- scrimmage games are never the same – how do the Caps stop the rust ??
Salty
Friendly games against liverpool
I like this!
Its going to be very hard to leave Priso out for the semi. Its really been Priso’s performances at centre back that has made the difference during our CB injury crisis. The same applies to Halbouni to a slightly lesser extent too.
However Blackmon, if fit, has to play. White for Rios is a no-brainer, but where do you fit Gauld in? For Sabbi? For Ahmed? In both cases we lose some of the width that has been so successful for us going forward.
Good problems to have though – and I completely trust Jesper to come up with the best starting 11.
Rios probably out for rest of season
sorry to hear that about Rios- he has been a class player- while not the most talented, he always gives you what he’s got and is well-liked by his teammates- i doubt we see him in 2026
I’m not a coach. I’ve never been a player, but I’ve watched lots and lots of games.
Watching recent LAFC games, my opinion is that opponents consistently get drawn away and allow Son and Bouanga to become open at the same time. We all know both those guys can score from distance if they get a chance. Our guys must be on them like stink on a skunk.
LAFC is also very good at moving the ball in the direction they want to go. Their passing is nearly meticulous. They pass on the ground much more than long overhead passes. They don’t get rattled and, like FC Dallas, can play a physically aggressive game. Our guys must be careful because, whatever the reason, LAFC seem to be favored by the referee community and do tend to receive the benefit of the doubt on questionable calls.
I expect tempers to flare. A red card on a Vancouver player would be devastating.
Additionally, their players don’t miss PKs. We need to win outright.
Now, that’s assuming Austin doesn’t advance. Probably because of wishful thinking, I picked Austin for my bracket. I hope I was right.
You could say that ball “fell” to Priso but Müller had something to do with it, nodding it back across goal into a dangerous area.
Very tough to watch him (and others) being mugged, hip-checked and stiff-armed for 93 minutes. Which made it all the more satisfying to watch one of the chief thugs, Nolan “Chuck” Norris, absolutely sky his PK two meters over the bar.
I loved how Vancouver got stronger and stronger as the game went on, gradually ascending in all pertinent offensive categories after the eye-test said they were being dominated early. Little doubt which team would have been likely to score had there been extra time.
I also loved how the game finally just effing ended and I didn’t have to watch Sabbi, Müller, Gauld, Ocampo or Ahmed risk being sent to the infirmary to join Rios or Johnson. Three weeks recovery after a match like that should be the minimum.
Three weeks to imagine a fairly full strength lineup taking the field against Son and Bouanga and LAFC back at BC Place. Savoury.
My kids will back me up that rightt before that penalty I said “he should have been sent off long ago for the tackles he’s made, so for justice he is going to sky his penalty shot.” And he did!
well for sure Blackmon needs to be in. he has played a lot relatively recently. White is a bit harder but if he is fit, at the least he needs to come in at the half. Rios is not in the same universe as white. And Gauld who has been playing a number of games now can play more for sure. I would think Jesper needs to be a bit careful with all of this but these replacements are HUGE upgrades talent wise. the caps have been occasionally great without them, but not consistently so and the defence hugely misses Blackmon considering that they are also missing Vesolininvic and Adegkube…
it was quite a contrast from the Caps rampaging of Dallas in our home game– tonight, Dallas won most loose balls and hunted down the ball at any expense- in other words, Dallas dominated the game and totally frustrated any Cap attack- plainly put, the Caps looked UGLY
and then, Jesper magic with approrpriate subs and the energy from the Caps began to flow- we began to find openings and opportunities began to emerge
and Ralph Priso’s grit tied the game- Ralph was our best Cap and its nice to see an unsung player get the tieing goal
it was ugly soccer from the Caps, but HEY!!!! we won and thats all that matters- now with 3 weeks off, starting November 10, the Caps have more time to heal the wounded
its going to be interesting to see who Jesper starts in the next round of games, probably vs LAFC- more troops will be available- White, Blackmon, a healthier Gauld, maybe Schonlau
the question Jesper is facing– do i change a winning Team with- on paper- less quality than the returning players?
Salty