The knockout round match is brutal. It matches two teams that were battling for a playoff spot or a seed until the final week in one match for their lives. They only have a few days to prepare for it, and even if they win it, they have to go straight to the conference semifinal on the weekend against a team that has been resting all week.
FC Dallas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 2014 MLS Playoffs: 90 minutes to the conference semis
The MLS Cup Playoffs begin with the Whitecaps in Dallas, playing for a spot in the Western Conference semifinals. (9 p.m. ET, MLS Live)
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Needless to say, no one wants to be in the knockout match, but it beats being out of the playoffs then FC Dallas and the Vancouver Whitecaps will take it.
FC Dallas didn't just miss the playoffs last season, they weren't close. Had it not been for the disaster that was Chivas USA, they would have finished dead last in the West, so getting back into the postseason was a big step up. They can thank Oscar Pareja for that leap. The man who managed the Colorado Rapids to the playoffs last year jumped to Dallas this year and turned the club around. He got the most out of veterans like Blas Perez and Zach Loyd, brought along the youngsters Michael Ulloa and Moises Hernandez, and then turned the promising Fabian Castillo into a fabulous player.
The result was a run to the top of the West early on and comfortable playoff position even after a slide. By the last weekend, they had a chance to get to the third seed and avoid the knockout round altogether.
The Whitecaps’ season wasn’t quite as easy. They were in and out of the playoff places, getting back into the final spot late and holding on for dear life. They needed a win in their final match to qualify for the postseason and that’s exactly what they got, booking their second playoff berth in their short history. The goal that sent them to the postseason was scored by a defender, when Kendall Watson did the honors. Vancouver haven’t allowed a goal in 393 minutes going into the playoffs and goalkeeper David Ousted led the league with 13 clean sheets as the Whitecaps rode their defense to the fifth seed.
Team news
Both teams are relatively healthy and neither has anyone suspended for the content. Vancouver will be without Caeb Clarke and Andre Lewis, neither of whom are major absences, while Mauro Diaz is likely to come off of the bench after dealing with a hamstring injury down the stretch. If Diaz is close to full health in form, he could win Dallas the match late because he's sensational when fit.
Projected lineups
FC Dallas (4-4-2): Raul Fernandez; Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Matt Hedges, Moises Hernandez; Andres Escobar, Victor Ulloa, Adam Moffat, Fabian Castillo; Blas Perez, David Texeira.
Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-3-1): David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O’Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Russell Teibert; Mauro Rosales, Pedro Morales, Sebastian Fernandez; Erik Hurtado.
Key questions
1. Can the Whitecaps win the midfield? If Vancouver is going to win in Dallas, they will need to dominate the midfield, and there are a couple reasons to believe they can do it. For starters, they have a number advantage, putting five in the middle to Dallas’ four. But more than anything, Russell Teibert and Matias Laba have been stupendous in the holding roles, allowing the attacking midfield led by Pedro Morales to shine. As good as the Whitecaps defense is, a lot of that is due to an excellent midfield and if Vancouver can shine in the middle on Wednesday, they can dictate the match.
2. How clinical will Dallas be in front of goal? Dallas are a good team, but they don’t look like the typically good team in bossing matches and carrying play to the opponents. They can look shaky at times and even out of sorts, defending at all costs and not generating a ton of chances. Their wins are sometimes described as “fluky,” but they’ve done it so much that it’s not luck. It’s an art. It’s a way of play. It’s damn effective. But to be effective, Dallas need to break quickly and finish their chances because they’re not going to get a ton of them, especially against Vancouver.
3. Will anything happen? Dallas don’t like to take the match to other teams and the Whitecaps like to control the midfield, but don’t generate many chances, let alone finish them. This match could easily turn into a Vancouver pass-fest that never worries Dallas and a random set piece determines the winner. An early goal is crucial to opening this match up, especially if the Whitecaps score it.
Prediction
FC Dallas should win this one pretty easily. They have the best player in the match in Castillo, the best striker in Perez, the best defender in Hedges and they won eight of their last nine home matches. They were also the far better team in the regular season. FC Dallas, 2-1.
See More:
