PORTLAND — It was a result even the Vancouver Whitecaps hadn't dared to dream of.
With their season on the line, the 'Caps posted an emphatic 5-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in a wild-card matchup Wednesday — and earned a spot in Major League Soccer's playoffs in the process.
“I think we were all confident of coming here and being able to win, but I don’t think many of us were expecting a result like that," said captain Ryan Gauld. "Just a really good performance overall and good to get the five goals.”
Vancouver will now face the Western Conference's top seed Los Angeles FC in a best-of-three first-round series starting Sunday.
The 'Caps came into Wednesday's game sitting in eighth place after going winless in their last seven MLS matches and with losses in four straight.
The win proved the club is better than their recent form, said Gauld, who led Vancouver's explosive attack with three goals and an assist.
“We’ve been off a bit for the past few weeks, but (this performance) shows that when we piece it together and play to the level that we can, we’re a really good side," said the Scottish attacking midfielder.
Brian White and Stuart Armstrong also scored and 'keeper Yohei Takaoka made four saves for the first post-season shutout of his career.
Portland's head coach Phil Neville opted to start netminder James Pantemis over his usual No. 1, Maxime Crepeau. Pantemis stopped three on-target shots.
The game was played at the ninth-place Timbers' home stadium despite the Whitecaps finishing the regular season higher in the standings. Vancouver ceded home-field advantage due to a scheduling conflict at B.C. Place.
A hostile crowd didn't stop the 'Caps from pressuring early on Wednesday.
Gauld opened the scoring in the 20th minute, moments after Armstrong swung a ball into the penalty area off a corner.
Vancouver striker Fafa Picault got a shot off and Pantemis punched it away, but Portland failed to clear. The ball bobbled around until it reached Gauld's foot and the attacking midfielder fired off a right-footed shot, pinging it in off Timbers defender Claudio Bravo on the goal line.
“When Ryan Gauld leads the team like he does today, everything becomes easier for everyone else," said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini.
"The performance that he put on today? It’s massive. I don’t know in the history of the Whitecaps if there’s a performance better than this. … What he did today is astonishing.”
The 'Caps struck again in the 24th minute when defender Mattias Laborda chipped a pass across the top of the six-yard box to White. The American striker deftly picked it up and blasted a shot in past Pantemis to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Vancouver took a three-goal lead into the locker room after Armstrong dished off to Gauld at the right side of the box and the Scotsman unleashed an arching shot that sailed in over the Portland 'keeper in the 31st minute.
The offensive onslaught continued early in the second half.
The 51st minute saw Picault float a ball into the penalty area for Armstrong, who dived for a header, putting the ball just inside the post to give the 'Caps a 4-0 lead.
The Scottish midfielder blew a kiss to the crowd as he ran to celebrate with his teammates.
The Whitecaps' other Scot struck again in the 59th minute.
Armstrong tapped a pass to Gauld, who took a couple of steps and blasted yet another shot into the Portland net to complete his hat trick. He then held a finger to his lips to quiet the crowd.
While Vancouver's attack was impressive, a big part of Wednesday's win came from holding the Timbers' offence in check, Gauld said.
“They’ve had one of the best goal-scoring records in the whole league," he said. "And to keep them mostly quiet for the 90 minutes is a big thing we can take from it.”
The Whitecaps will now meet LAFC in a rematch of last year's first-round playoff series, which saw L.A. dispatch Vancouver in two games.
After faltering at the end of the regular season, a decisive victory gives the 'Caps a confidence boost heading into a tough matchup, Armstrong said.
"We knew we were a good team full of potential, but the more you say it without actually giving the results and performances, then the effect starts to wear off," he said. "So to have such a big performance when it matters and now propelling us into the playoffs, the timing is great."
NOTES: Vancouver is the last remaining Canadian MLS club in this year's playoff race after CF Montreal dropped its wild-card game to Atlanta United on penalties Tuesday. … Gauld is the third player in MLS playoff history to record three goals and an assist in a single match.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
The Canadian Press