FRISCO, Texas – It’s hard to imagine a more realistic test for the playoffs than the current series between FC Dallas and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
As the second game of a home-and-away series approaches on Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium (9 pm ET, TSN in Canada, MLS LIVE in US), the hosts are hunkering down with three games remaining on the schedule and loads at stake. FC Dallas sit tied atop the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy and with a game in hand; a win would put Dallas one result away from clinching a first-round bye.
Wednesday night’s opponents happen to sit just one point behind Dallas after the teams drew 0-0 last week, adding even more emphasis to an already important match.
“We’re in playoff mode, so we take every game seriously,” midfielder Victor Ulloa told MLSsoccer.com. “We have a chance to win something, so it’s huge. We take that to heart.”
Not only is the game a clash of Western Conference contenders and a rematch from last year's Knockout Round, but it is also a bout between two teams built in similar fashions. The squads have nearly identical records, and even their goal differential is strikingly similar: FC Dallas is +9, Vancouver +8.
Structurally, the clubs share a similar philosophy as well. The teams employ a combined 15 Homegrown Players on their rosters, seven for Dallas and eight for Vancouver.
“I think it shows two owners and two franchises that believe in developing young players,” Ulloa, one of the Homegrown Players, said. “It’s an honor to see the top teams in the West have so many young guys.”
Pareja’s success with the youth movement has been well chronicled, but his support of integrating Homegrown Players does not stop at Frisco. He even inferred that maybe a particular national team enduring struggles should look to its own backyard for help.
“I can see now that teams are driving their programs more toward their academy and product,” said head coach Oscar Pareja. “You know me enough to know how much I enjoy seeing not just my team, but the league getting better and better. When we see the senior national team and get frustrated about anything, maybe we need to look up toward our minor divisions.”
FC Dallas and Vancouver are not completely similar, however. The biggest difference in 2015 is the teams’ performances on the road.
Vancouver are the only team in MLS with a winning road record, while Dallas is in the middle of the pack. But FC Dallas have the second best home record in MLS, averaging 2.33 points per game with an 11-2-2 mark at Toyota Stadium.
The clubs have also formed a bit of rivalry over the years, with captain Matt Hedges and Ulloa claiming Vancouver as the team’s rivals, alongside interstate foes Houston.
“We grew a little bit of a rivalry,” Ulloa said. “We went up to Vancouver and got a point. Now it’s up to us to take care of business at home.”
Players and coaches alike do not expect many tactical or technical differences in the second match of the home-and-away slate. But with the stakes even higher this go-around, the drive to win is even stronger for Dallas.
“We saw them in the playoffs last year, and we beat them,” Ulloa said. “We want to keep it that way.”
