VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Vancouver Whitecaps return to action against the Colorado Rapids at BC Place Wednesday night (10 pm ET; TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in US) with some points to prove.
The Rapids have had the Whitecaps' number so far this season, winning both games against Vancouver at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, and those two losses could yet prove to be costly for Vancouver as they chase the Supporters' Shield.
They are defeats that have stung the high-flying 'Caps deeply. They're keen to make amends and not see nine vital points dropped to a team that has spent the season at the bottom of the standings.
"What sticks in mind is the two losses we had at their place," defender Pa Modou Kah told reporters this week. "We want to be in a good position for the playoffs, so what matters is us. We still have something to prove.
"When you lose a game, you have to do everything better. We have everything to improve against them because those were, for me, two crucial losses, if you think about how our season's went. But this is football. You always get a new chance. So we get a new chance to redeem ourselves and we look forward to taking it."
Vancouver have had mixed results in the altitude of Colorado over the years, but it’s been a different story in Vancouver. That said, the Whitecaps had high hopes heading into this season's encounters on the back of their best-ever road form.
The two single-goal defeats at DSGP came at a time when the Whitecaps had a chance to establish some control in the West, and they head into tonight’s game again knowing that a win will see them return to the top of the Supporters’ Shield summit.
"It's another bit of motivation," admitted Whitecaps assistant coach Gordon Forrest. "We've been up there, most if not all of the season. We want to continue to stay up there because the other teams are putting pressure behind us.
"You can see this season how close it is. Every team is beating each other. Going in to the Colorado game, where we've lost two games [against them], if the boys aren't up for trying to get one back on them, then I don't know what we're going to do."
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The losses to the lowly Rapids has continued a trend for the Whitecaps these past few seasons: They continue to do well against the top teams in the Western Conference, but struggle to get results against those at the bottom.
Chivas USA were previously Vancouver's bogey team and the 'Caps will be hoping that Colorado haven't taken on that mantle now.
The big difference this time around is that Vancouver are now recognized as one of the top sides in the West, with a target on their back ready to be aimed at. Not that 'Caps left back Jordan Harvey sees it that way.
"I don't feel that we're a team that's being hunted," Harvey said. "I still feel that we have a chip on our shoulder and a lot to prove. We won the Canadian Championship, and that's a lot of credit to the guys here and the depth that we have, and it's brought us confidence.
“But at the end of the day, we haven't done much in the regular season and in the playoffs in league play, so we still have a lot to prove."
