While the team has already clinched a post-season berth, captain Ryan Gauld said the team still has lots to play for as Major League Soccer’s regular season winds to an end.
asserted
season → clinch → end
“We want to finish the season as strong as we can, and we do that by winning games,” he said after the ‘Caps thumped their regional rivals the Seattle Sounders 5-1 on Sunday.
asserted
Caps → want → Sunday
“Obviously, it was nice to have the first seed kind of wrapped up before today, but we still wanted to win today.
asserted
we → have → today
We want to win next week.
asserted
We → want → ?
We’ll focus on (next week’s) game and get ready for it.”
asserted
We → focus → it
The ‘Caps (18-8-7) clinched the No. 1 spot in the MLS Western Conference on Saturday thanks to the out-of-town scoreboard.
asserted
Caps → clinch → scoreboard
The squad will begin their playoff run at home against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Nov. 22.
asserted
squad → begin → Nov.
Vancouver wants to collect every available point in order to bolster its chances of keeping home-field advantage all the way through the MLS Cup final, said head coach Jesper Sorensen.
asserted
Sorensen → want → final
The club played in last season’s title game away to Inter Miami, ultimately falling 3-1 and watching Lionel Messi’s side hoist the trophy.
asserted
side → play → trophy
“We want to win the MLS Cup.
asserted
We → want → Cup
We were close last year, and now we have the chance again,” Sorensen said.
asserted
Sorensen → have → chance
“It’s going to be extremely difficult and hard because of the format — you cannot allow yourself any mistakes.
asserted
you → go → mistakes
But having played games like we’ve done this week, I think definitely gives you confidence heading into the playoffs.”
asserted
I → play → playoffs
The Sounders (11-12-10) are still fighting for a playoff berth and finished Sunday in ninth spot, setting up a potential play-in game with the eighth-place Colorado Rapids.
asserted
Sounders → fight → Rapids
Yet it was the ‘Caps who came into Sunday’s contest with fire, seizing control of the game early.
asserted
who → come → game
Bruno Caicedo collected a ball from Gauld and chipped a cross to Brian White near the back post.
asserted
Caicedo → collect → post
The American striker headed it into the top corner of the Seattle net just 57 seconds in, lifting the announced crowd of 32,111 from their seats.
asserted
striker → head → seats
Edier Ocampo set up the second tally of the game eight minutes later, fighting off contact outside the penalty area and sending a ball into Gauld.
asserted
Ocampo → set → Gauld
The Scottish midfielder ticked a quick left-footed shot off from just above the six-yard box, putting it up and in over Sounders keeper Andrew Thomas to give the home team a 2-0 lead.
asserted
midfielder → tick → lead
“It’s obviously great to get a start like that to come out,” Gauld said.
asserted
Gauld → ’ → that
“We always try and make a point of coming out strong in games and starting well, and you can’t do it much better than what we’ve done today.
asserted
we → try → what
So it put us in a good position.
asserted
it → put → position
“And then I think Seattle kind of settled into the game a bit better and controlled the ball a little bit better than us.
asserted
Seattle → think → us
But the fast start definitely set us up.”
asserted
start → set → us
Seattle maintained possession through large swaths of the first half but struggled to create scoring chances.
asserted
Seattle → maintain → chances
Dejan Joveljic got a prime opportunity in the 22nd minute when Vancouver midfielder Aleksa Cvetkovic gave the ball away at the top of the penalty area.
asserted
Cvetkovic → get → area
Joveljic picked it up and took a shot, only to see Vancouver netminder Yohei Takaoka calmly dive and turn the blast away.
asserted
Takaoka → pick → blast
Gauld helped boost Vancouver’s lead before the half, lobbing a cross into Mathias Laborda.
asserted
Gauld → help → Laborda
Stationed at the side of the six-yard box, the centre back headed it down and in to put the ‘Caps up 3-0.
asserted
back → station → Caps
Seattle made four changes at halftime in a bid to sway the game’s trajectory, but saw little change on the field.
asserted
Seattle → make → field
In the 53rd minute, Caicedo steamed toward the goal line with the ball at his foot before dishing off to White at the top of the six-yard box.
asserted
Caicedo → steam → box
The sniper sent a left-footed shot in past Thomas for his 20th tally in MLS play this year and his 100th goal in a Vancouver jersey.
asserted
sniper → send → jersey
He’s the first player in Vancouver’s MLS era to score 100 goals across all competitions.
asserted
He → ’ → competitions
White came into the week without a goal in his last five games.
asserted
White → come → games
He snapped the skid on Wednesday, scoring in Vancouver’s 4-1 victory over San Diego FC, then added to his account on Sunday.
asserted
He → snap → Sunday
“He’s not fragile mentally,” Sorensen said of his star forward.
asserted
Sorensen → ’ → forward
“We know that we all can miss, and that’s just how it works sometimes.
asserted
it → know → ?
And now he’s scored three in the last two games, and we are happy.
asserted
we → score → games
”
The Sounders got on the board in the 69th minute when Jordan Morris took a pass from Albert Rusnak, dashed up the field and blasted a right-footed shot in past Takaoka from the top of the penalty area to make it 4-1.
asserted
it → get → area
Vancouver wasn’t done yet, though.
asserted
Vancouver → do → ?
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
