No matter what happens in the MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference final, a team will be heading to the title game for their first time in their history as the Vancouver Whitecaps square off with San Diego FC. An expansion franchise, San Diego are redefining what an expansion side can do under manager Mikey Varas, and behind the hot form of newcomer of the year Anders Dreyer, they’ll host a Western Conference final with quite a bit of star power in tow.
How to watch San Diego FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, odds
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 29 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Snapdragon Stadium — San Diego, Calif.
- Live stream: MLS Season Pass
- Odds: San Diego FC +140; Draw +250; Vancouver Whitecaps +175
Vancouver and manager Jesper Sorensen have had to withstand injuries and sales of key cogs of the team, but with Sebastian Berhalter leading the charge in midfield and Thomas Muller’s hot form since joining midseason as a free agent. Including the playoffs, Muller has eight goals and three assists in only 10 appearances for the squad, and in a playoff scene that has been largely dominated by Lionel Messi in the Eastern Conference, he’s making sure that his impact is felt while the Whitecaps look to bring Vancouver its first major professional title in sports.
They did win the North American Soccer League in 1979, defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but outside of the Canadian Cup, silverware has been hard to come by since. The Whitecaps made it to the Concacaf Champions Cup final this season under Sorensen, where they fell to Cruz Azul. That 5-0 loss will be far in the past, but it is a game that will help prepare the Whitecaps for an important match away from home with a trip to the MLS Cup on the line.
San Diego are only the second expansion team in MLS history to reach a conference final, and they’ve taken down whatever has been in their path. Dreyer’s impact has been important but so has Varas’s trust in youth. Remember, 19-year-old Luca Bombino and 20-year-old Manu Duah have been critical parts of the defense, and they’ll have an important job containing Brian White and the Vancouver attack. Dreyer has also scored four goals and assisted two more during the playoffs
This will be the third meeting between the two, with San Diego winning one and the other ending in a draw. There’s quite a lot on the line as if Inter Miami fall to New York City FC, the winner of this match will host MLS Cup.
