By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com
The autumn time of year usually means Vancouver Whitecaps FC have one thing on their minds - playoffs and a championship.
This final season at the North American second division level is no different for the Blue and White, as the 'Caps look to add another memorable chapter to their long and storied history as a club.
For head coach
Teitur Thordarson
, the experience of postseason soccer has been a positive one. Since taking charge in 2008, the former Iceland international striker has led his side through two exciting playoff campaigns.
Thordarson's first season in North America introduced him to many unique things - one of them being an end-of-season playoff campaign to determine a league champion. "When I started here, the concept of the playoffs was totally new to me. Even though it is tough, I really like the playoffs," Thordarson told whitecapsfc.com. "In Europe, I was used to battling through a whole season and seeing where you finish up at the end. Here, once the regular season ends, there is still something left to play for."
Thordarson's first foray into the postseason could not have ended better. Despite missing out on the regular season title by a single point, Whitecaps FC went on to win their second United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) championship title in three seasons. It started with an eventful 5-4 aggregate win over Minnesota Thunder in the quarterfinals before Vancouver faced Canadian arch-rivals Montreal Impact. Needing to overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit and the sending off of goalkeeper Jay Nolly, the 'Caps defeated Montreal 2-0 in the second leg to win the semifinal 2-1 on aggregate. This led to Thanksgiving Sunday 2008 and Vancouver's first championship success at home since the 1991 Canadian Soccer League final, as they defeated Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1.
Thordarson felt the 2008 championship win made up for their second-place finish in the USL-1 standings. "It was a fantastic thing when we went all the way and won it," he said. "I felt we were the best team in the league that season and I was unhappy when we finished a point behind Puerto Rico."
If 2008 met Thordarson's expectations, the 2009 playoffs were more of a pleasant surprise. After making several changes in the off-season, Whitecaps FC took the seventh and last playoff spot following a difficult regular season campaign. Through the squad was short on experience, Vancouver found form at the right time. Facing the top two teams in USL-1 that year, the 'Caps upset second-seeded Carolina RailHawks 1-0 on aggregate before meeting regular season champions Portland Timbers in the semifinals. A 2-1 first-leg win at home proved decisive, as both clubs played out a highly entertaining 3-3 second-leg draw in Portland for a 5-4 aggregate win. Unfortunately, Vancouver's defence of their USL-1 championship title was ended by Montreal in the final series, as the 'Caps fell 6-3 on aggregate.
Despite not achieving success in his second playoff campaign, Thordarson was delighted his young side showed the character to overcome the odds and make the final again. "Last season, I always had a feeling we would get into the playoffs. How we would do in the playoffs was another question," he admitted. "It was a little bit of a surprise that we made it all the way to the final because we had a young and inexperienced team. However, we came together very well at the end, which was pleasing to see."
As he looks ahead to another postseason challenge, Thordarson knows the past two seasons have been unique in his coaching career. "During these last two years, I have been involved in two championship finals," he said. "I would think that many of my fellow coaching colleagues would dream for that type of success. I feel I have been lucky to be there twice, so I'm very happy to have done that."
