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Midseason turnaround has Vancouver Whitecaps in playoff push

By Angelo Zarra

PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: Florian Jungwirth #26, Ranko Veselinovic #4 and Jake Nerwinski #28 of Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate after defeating the Portland Timbers 3-2 at Providence Park on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: Florian Jungwirth #26, Ranko Veselinovic #4 and Jake Nerwinski #28 of Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate after defeating the Portland Timbers 3-2 at Providence Park on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Cristian Dajome of the Vancouver Whitecaps controls the ball against Sebastian Blanco of Portland Timbers during the second half of their recent game in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Cristian Dajome of the Vancouver Whitecaps controls the ball against Sebastian Blanco of Portland Timbers during the second half of their recent game in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Who are these Vancouver Whitecaps?

What a comeback to their season after all the adversity they faced — playing in Salt Lake City and going through a mid-season head coaching change. The Whitecaps have been battle-tested all year long and their character is showing off of late with this turnaround.

Aug. 26, 2021, seems so long ago, but that was the day that started a new trend for the Whitecaps. After their embarrassing loss to Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League in the Canadian Championship, the club has massively flicked the switch and have been riding a heater of a streak.

The day after losing to Pacific FC, the Whitecaps fired coach Marc Dos Santos. It’s safe to say his tenure with the Whitecaps wasn’t very successful and losing to a team in a lower division was the final nail in the coffin. Prior to Dos Santos’ firing, the Whitecaps only managed to win four MLS games in the 2021 campaign, which adds more significance to the team’s change in fortune.

Whitecaps now find themselves in midst of playoff push

Vanni Sartini was appointed interim head coach for the rest of the season. Sartini was previously an assistant with Dos Santos. Before joining the Whitecaps, Sartini gained coaching experience back in his home country of Italy, with stops in A.S. Mezzana, A.S. Livorno Calcio and S.S.C. Bari.

Ever since the appointment of Sartini, the Whitecaps have flipped the script and climbed up the MLS Western Conference table into a playoff spot which is absolutely wild if you think about the state of the club on Aug. 26.

We’re now 10 games into the Sartini era and he’s getting the most out of this club at the right time of the year – the playoff stretch. In 10 games, the Whitecaps have posted 6 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws and are now sitting in 7th place in the final playoff spot.

The acquisition of forward Brian White from the New York Red Bulls has certainly paid off. His presence has bolstered the club’s attack and he certainly has his scoring boots on, tallying 10 goals in his last 12 games, including a hat trick against the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 3. Overall he has found the back of the net 11 times in 19 games with Vancouver.

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With this week’s 3-2 comeback win over the Portland Timbers, overcoming a 2-0 deficit on the road, it’s helped solidify the idea there is something special going on. They are not the same club we saw at the beginning of the season. It’s not a guarantee the Whitecaps will make the playoffs, but the hole they dug themselves out of has put them in a position to control their own destiny.

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