As Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday across the country, in Vancouver, there was a lot of thanks heading down to southern California and to Chivas USA.
The Goats surprise draw with Dallas on Sunday stunned many. The Texans dropped two vital points in the chase for the last playoff spot in the West, and by the end of the game, Dallas were fortunate that they came away from the Home Depot Center with anything.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Chivas side that looked so very poor at BC Place on Wednesday night.
When looking ahead to Chivas' clash with Dallas, Martin Rennie had said post-game last week that it <i>"depends what Chivas team decides to turns up. They've got enough quality to cause Dallas problems, but it depends if they've mailed it in or not, I don't know."</i>
They hadn't and Rennie joked yesterday that he reacted <i>"pretty calmly"</i> when watching Chivas' equaliser go in, before adding that Dallas dropping points <i>"was a nice bonus"</i>. I'm pretty sure he was as surprised as the rest of us.
Both Vancouver and Dallas now have two games remaining. The gap is four points and the situation is now very simple. Sunday October 21st is likely to be the date of destiny for the Caps.
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For the Whitecaps to grab that final playoff spot they just need three points over the course of their final two matches. They can also claim the place by not taking any more points whatsoever if Seattle beat Dallas, in a game that kicks off just as Vancouver finish up against Portland.
Vancouver have two chances to clinch the spot on the same day, but everyone at the Club wants to earn it and not be gifted it.
It clearly won't be easy. As poor as the Timbers looked against the Sounders on Sunday, they have a hell of a lot of motivation going into the match, not to mention the Caps poor record in Cascadia derbies in the MLS era.
Only a win can clinch the Cascadia Cup for Portland. That may not seem like much to those of you reading this outwith of the Pacific Northwest but it will be huge for the Timbers fans, in a season where they have done little else. It's not a play off spot, and it's not going to make the pain of this season's failures disappear, but Cascadian bragging rights, and the chance to lift a shiny trophy in a rivals lair, would be taken as some nice consolation.
It is also the last chance for them to record an away victory this season and a great opportunity for them to spoil the party of a fierce local rival. They would love the Caps not to be in the playoffs, just as we would love to be the only Cascadian and Canadian team in there. Half of that will need to do!
With so much on the line, what does Rennie and his management team say to the players going into a game like that?
<i>"It's still a little bit away so right now it's just focussing on training and working on the performance. Like what are the things we have to do to do well in the game? How do we need to attack, how do we need to defend? What are the key parts of the game for us? Stay focussed on that.
I think the motivation will certainly be there because, of course, it's probably one of the bigger, or biggest, games we've played in. There will be plenty motivation and now it's more about the focus of what we need to do to do well in the game."</i>
The international break couldn't have come at a much worse time for the Caps, as they look to build on their momentum and eagerness to just get out there and get the job done.
With two weeks still to pass until the Portland match, is it hard having such a long time until the game comes round?
<i>"Not really, because we knew we were going to have this, so when we set out our training we knew that and we knew what we would do in terms of days off and what we do in terms of extra work and things like that.
I think we can make the most of it, so I'm not too concerned about that."</i>
Apart from finally securing their own playoff spot, the Whitecaps have three other issues that need to be decided by the end of the season.
First up, of course, if who they will face in the playoff "play-in" game.
For the longest time we felt a trip to Salt Lake City was going to be on the cards twice in a week. RSL's recent resurgence now has us feeling that another trip to LA to face the Galaxy is what lies ahead. It was really the one game we didn't want.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th spots in the West are all still up for grabs and RSL, LA and Seattle could each finish in any of those positions.
RSL have Seattle away and the Caps at home, to round of their season. LA have San Jose away and Seattle at home, whilst the Sounders have three games remaining - Real Salt Lake and Dallas at home and LA away.
How those games are going to pan out is anybody's guess right now!
The other two issues affecting the Caps in the season run-in is whether they can finish above Montreal Impact in the overall standings and secure the number one seeding in next year's Voyageurs Cup (and the easier tie against Edmonton), and how good a first round SuperDraft pick will they get from Philadelphia?
Montreal trail Vancouver by a single point right now, but have two relatively easy looking games remaining against the bottom two clubs in the East (away to Toronto and at home to New England). Six points from those should see Montreal claim the number one seeding. Anything else is likely to see the Caps claim it.
Philadelphia's recent revival has hit the Caps hard and they now look to have the sixth pick in next year's SuperDraft. With the Union ending their season away to Houston and Sporting Kansas City and at home to New York, that looks like being the worst it's likely to get, and Colorado could still make that a fifth pick if they finish strongly away to Chivas and at home to Houston.
Still so much to be decided, but as long as the Caps can make history and become the first Canadian club to make the MLS playoffs, the cards can fall as they do everywhere else.
The waiting is always the hardest part.
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