KANSAS CITY, KS – Win and they’re in.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC look to clinch the club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final berth on Tuesday when they face Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT – the match will be streamed on the official CONCACAF Facebook Page (available to users in North America who are logged into a Facebook account).
“It’s a very important game for us,” Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson told reporters on Monday. “Being in this competition for the second year is a great achievement. We didn’t quite qualify last year because we didn’t take care of business at home … we have an opportunity on Tuesday to try and win that game and qualify. It would mean everything.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
GROUP C STANDINGS
The ‘Caps enter Tuesday’s contest in the Group C driver’s seat thanks to a 1-0 road win over Central FC and 3-0 home win over Sporting Kansas City last month.
<strong>TEAM</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>D</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
<p align="center">Whitecaps FC</p> |
<p align="center">2</p> |
<p align="center">2</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">+4</p> |
<p align="center">6</p> |
<p align="center">Sporting KC</p> |
<p align="center">2</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">-3</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">Central FC</p> |
<p align="center">2</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">-1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
Each team has two matches remaining.
That means a win on Tuesday would book Vancouver’s ticket to the quarter-finals, which would begin in late February. A draw would also put Whitecaps FC in a very strong position heading into their group stage finale vs. Central FC on September 28 at BC Place.
STORYLINES
The legend of Churcherdo: Erik Hurtado and Cristian Techera have accounted for all four of Vancouver’s goals in the Champions League so far, including a combined three goals and assist in the aforementioned 3-0 win over Sporting KC. That, along with an innocent error by a broadcaster, resulted in the birth of “Churcherdo.” And the legend continued when the duo were voted by fans as co-recipients of the club’s player of the month award for August. What’s next for Churcherdo?
Lineup shuffle? The ‘Caps made nine changes to their starting lineup the last time they faced Sporting KC in CCL play. It will likely be a similar story on Tuesday after a big 3-1 win over Columbus just three days prior. Robinson said that “one or two” of Saturday’s starters might feature, but the rest of the lineup will be freshened up. That means the likes of Pedro Morales, Nicolas Mezquida, Alphonso Davies, Fraser Aird, and Tim Parker are likely to be involved.
So we meet again: This will be the fifth – yes, fifth – meeting between Vancouver and Sporting KC this season. KC won the season series in MLS with a 2W-0L-1D record, including a pair of home victories. In fact, the ‘Caps have never won at Children’s Mercy Park. “It’s no coincidence,” Robinson said. “They’ve managed to make it a home fortress … it’s like a rock concert, a nightclub, or whatever you want to say. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere.”
WHAT IS THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
The CONCACAF Champions League is a 24-team competition between the top clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Whitecaps FC earned Canada’s lone entry in the tournament by winning the Voyageurs Cup in last year’s Amway Canadian Championship.
The winner of the CCL qualifies for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, where they compete against the top teams from Asia, Africa, South America, Oceana, and Europe.
An MLS team has never won the CCL – though Montreal reached the final in 2014-15.
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