Good Monday morning Caps fans, hope you all had a relaxing weekend and that the first few days of November are treating you well.
Well, they don’t ask how you did it. And the Whitecaps will be fine winning ugly, outlasting Dallas in a bruising affair on Saturday night and claiming a penalty shootout victory that will shut down the series in two games and buy the team some much-needed time to get healthy.
This match was stopped 26 times for fouls (and probably should have stopped more), both teams could easily have had players sent off (Urhoghide and Musa for Dallas and Cubas for Vancouver), and the Caps didn’t register a shot on target until stoppage time. Of course, that shot went in the goal, so no one will really mind.
I would say this is a warning shot for how teams will try and play against Vancouver in the knockout rounds. But I don’t think 95%+ of referees in MLS would let things get as far as they did. Tori Penso lost control of the match in the first 15 minutes and ultimately never regained it.
I respect intensity, and thought Dallas definitely looked more up for this match, at least in the first half. But, ultimately, the home side took things too far. Petar Musa deliberately drilling Sebastian Berhalter in the back of the head comes to mind, as do many of the body blows to Thomas Mueller. This wasn’t soccer, and it wound up injuring multiple Whitecaps players. I applaud what Dallas did to get into the playoffs, but I can’t say I’ll be sad to move on.
Credit to Ralph Priso, who had moments where he looked like he was hanging on for dear life but turned things around to put in a good display defensively, particularly when pretty much everyone assumed Mathias Laborda would replace him at centerback. And, of course, his persistence paid off with a sweaty but ultimately well-taken goal to keep the Caps in the match.
What an amazing moment for Priso, whose career was left for dead before coming to Vancouver, where he carved out a niche as a role player. Each season has brought increased improvement and confidence. But when asked to step up and be a starter, it was at a position he had never played before. Yet he has been a superb option at center back, and it was poetic that he got his first MLS goal as a CB and is deservedly being celebrated as the hero.
This wasn’t Vancouver’s best performance by any stretch of the imagination. They struggled to progress the ball, and even basic passes were misplaced. Jesper Sorensen probably should have made changes sooner, and the Caps played with fire in the first half, letting Musa drift out wide and giving him too much time on the ball. They battled back in the second half, but there will definitely be areas to focus on in the weeks ahead.
And I do say weeks, plural, as the Caps will have basically a month to rest up and prepare for LAFC (again). That is a godsend for a team trying to get Tristan Blackmon and Brian White back into the mix. With any luck, both of those guys should be ready for the next round.
While it was an ugly win, San Diego’s capitulation to a weaker Portland side is proof that the playoffs never go to plan. Seeing this out in two games is huge and shouldn’t be taken for granted. LAFC will be a whole different sort of test but, for now, we should savor this win.
Shameless Self Promotion
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I dont have any idea what this is all about LOL. So we might play Portland instead of LAFC ? They are marketing the game here against LAFC….
its going to be a sell-out- as of Tuesday 2PM, over 42 000 tickets sold and 2.5 weeks to go before the game
MLS Pres, Don Garber, in Vancouver now to talk with BC Stadium PAVCO, Whitecap owners/maybe potential new investors/Axel, government people — has to do with a new stadium deal as the Caps contract runs out this December 31, perhaps a potential new Specific Soccer Stadium at Hastings Park
I don’t like this playoff bracket system. If Portland upsets San Diego then we should be playing Portland. That is the reward for finishing second. The officiating certainly ignored some of the basics of The Laws Of The Game. The most controversial call/non call was Priso taking down Musa in our penalty area. Even TSN’s Caldwell said he wouldn’t disagree with a penalty kick being awarded. Interesting that this moment in the game hasn’t been mentioned at all. The way our back line was positioned on the Dallas goal is concerning. Are we playing a high offside line at the centre line? We’re going to get killed by LAFC if this is our setup. This leads me to want Blackmon on the back line. But is he 100% ready to play potentially 120 minutes?
Blackmon has another 3 weeks to get himself ready- International break- not sure who Jesper would team him up with- Laborda, Pupe, Priso or Halbouni
if Portland upsets San Diego next Sunday, then we would be playing the lower seeded team- Portland- at BC Place as we would be the top seeded team– am i right about this ?? MLS is always confusing with everything as they have already plugged in us to play LAFC, assuming San Diego will defeat Portland
the winner of Seattle and Minnesota would play LAFC
Even AI. ……is a difficult read!……………..This comment reflects a Vancouver Whitecaps fan’s confusion and frustration with the MLS playoff bracket system, especially regarding how matchups are determined after each round.
🔍 Context from the page
The surrounding article discusses Vancouver’s gritty win over FC Dallas in the MLS playoffs, which secured their advancement to the next round. It also notes that the Whitecaps are currently slated to face LAFC next, but that this matchup is based on the assumption that San Diego will beat Portland in their upcoming game.
🧠 Breakdown of the fan’s logic
Seeding matters: Vancouver is the higher seed compared to Portland, so if Portland (a lower seed) upsets San Diego, Vancouver should logically face Portland next.
Home advantage: Because Vancouver would be the higher seed in that scenario, the match would be played at BC Place (their home stadium).
Bracket confusion: The fan is puzzled because MLS seems to have already scheduled Vancouver vs. LAFC, implying they’re assuming San Diego will win. This feels premature and potentially unfair, especially if Portland pulls off the upset.
⚽ Why this confusion arises
MLS playoff brackets can be opaque. Unlike fixed brackets in some sports, MLS sometimes re-seeds teams after each round, or uses predetermined paths that don’t always align with fans’ expectations. The league’s assumption that San Diego will beat Portland and pre-assigning Vancouver to face LAFC adds to the perception that the system lacks transparency.
Here’s a visual breakdown of how the MLS playoff bracket works and why the Vancouver fan is confused:
⚽ MLS Playoff Bracket Logic (2025)
🧩 Basic Structure
Single-elimination format after the first round
Higher seed hosts each match
No fixed bracket — matchups can change based on results
🏆 Western Conference Example (Simplified)
Seed Team Result
1 LAFC Defeated Austin
2 Vancouver Defeated Dallas
3 San Diego TBD vs Portland (6th seed)
6 Portland TBD vs San Diego
🔄 What Happens Next?
If San Diego wins:
Vancouver (2) plays LAFC (1) — higher seeds face off
San Diego (3) plays winner of Seattle/Minnesota
If Portland upsets San Diego:
Vancouver (2) plays Portland (6) — lowest remaining seed
LAFC (1) plays winner of Seattle/Minnesota
✅ This is what the fan is referring to: Vancouver should face Portland if they’re the lowest remaining seed.
🤯 Why the Confusion?
MLS pre-filled the bracket assuming San Diego would win.
This makes it look like Vancouver is locked in to play LAFC.
But if Portland wins, the bracket should re-seed, giving Vancouver a more favorable matchup.
a diagram showing how the bracket shifts depending on Portland vs. San Diego? Or a checklist for how MLS determines matchups?
YES
Here’s a visual breakdown of how the MLS playoff bracket shifts depending on the outcome of the San Diego vs. Portland match:
🧭 MLS Western Conference Playoff Path (2025)
🔮 Scenario 1: San Diego Wins
Matchup Location Why?
Vancouver vs LAFC Away LAFC is higher seed (1 vs 2)
San Diego vs TBD Away San Diego is lower seed (3)
➡️ This is the assumed bracket MLS has already plugged in.
🔀 Scenario 2: Portland Upsets San Diego
Matchup Location Why?
Vancouver vs Portland Home (BC Place) Vancouver is higher seed (2 vs 6)
LAFC vs TBD Home LAFC is still top seed
✅ This is what the fan is advocating for: Vancouver should play the lowest remaining seed, Portland, and host the match.
📋 How MLS Determines Matchups (Simplified Checklist)
Higher seed always hosts the match.
Teams are re-seeded after each round.
Lowest remaining seed plays highest remaining seed.
Bracket is not fixed — matchups shift based on upsets.
MLS may pre-fill brackets based on expected outcomes, which can confuse fans.
thanks for all your time of trying to illuminate what MLS is doing for the play-offs- i think for the semi-finals, MLS doesnt base games on points in the regular season- they do it on pre-determined brackets… as stupid as that is
how they do the brackets is a MYSTERY
so the MLS punishes teams for higher points in the regular season and makes Vancouver (seeded #2) vs LAFC (seeded #3); and then rewards lower point teams in the regular season (#7 & 8) the possibility of making it to the West Conference final should San Diego (seeded #1) loose to Portland this coming week-end… as stupid as that is
the only benefit for having more regular season points than your opponent is you get the home game… and that is the way it should be
why does MLS continue to baffle and irritate their supporters with such inane decisions not based on common sense? every game in the playoffs should be based on regular season points where the best point team plays the lowest point team… and that is the way it should be
and if you can figure out what i am saying, well done! this is what MLS continually does and has done since the league started… as stupid as that is
Salty