Whitecaps FC will play for the MLS Western Conference championship in San Diego on Saturday night (Nov. 29), starting at 6 p.m.
An appearance in the MLS Cup final is at stake.
On Monday (Nov. 24), San Diego topped Minnesota United FC 1-0 for the right to face the Whitecaps, who on Saturday (Nov. 22) won a shootout thriller over rival Los Angeles FC for their first ever trip to the soccer league’s conference final.
In their two games this season, Vancouver fell 5-3 to San Diego at BC Place on June 25, then tied 1-1 at Snapdragon Stadium on July 19.
Had Minnesota won tonight, the Whitecaps would have hosted the conference final game, with another huge crowd expected.
Last Saturday in Vancouver, close to 54,000 fans saw the home team cruise to a 2-0 lead at halftime, only to have LAFC score twice in the second half — including a laser of a free kick by Son Heung-Min, delighting proud Koreans in the stadium — to tie the match and send it to 30 minutes of extra time.
Down to eight players in the overtime frame, the Jesper Sørensen-coached Whitecaps barely held on to force a shootout and eventually net four penalty kicks to L.A.’s three, for a 3-2 final score.
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