VANCOUVER — With a disappointing season nearly at its end, the Vancouver Whitecaps are hoping a strong finish can help create a solid foundation to build on next year.
The 'Caps (7-15-10) have taken points from their last two games and hope to continue the streak on Sunday when they face the surging Galaxy in L.A.
The group has already shown growth since the last time the two sides met in April, when Galaxy took a 2-0 win, said Vancouver 'keeper Maxime Crepeau.
"We're a better team than we were at the beginning of the season. The first 10 games and the last 10 games, we've seen it in the attitude of the players," he said after training this week.
"Obviously (the final two games) set the foundation of next year. What do we want to look like? And what memory are our fans and people at home going to remember from the last two games of the season?"
Crepeau has had a unique opportunity to watch his teammates play recently, due to an ankle injury he suffered in training with the Canadian national team earlier this month.
The goalkeeper said he liked a lot of what the group did in the last two matchups — a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo and a 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew SC — but knows they need to be better in the opposing half.
"We're really good going forward," Crepeau said. "It's still difficult to get a sniff at the goals sometimes because the other teams are compact. But we're a team that, going forward, we can be a threat."
While Galaxy secured a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, the 'Caps have been eliminated from the post-season and linger at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with 31 points.
But right back Jake Nerwinski said there's still lots to play for as the squad embarks on its final road trip of the season.
"We didn't have the season that we wanted to by any means, but that doesn't give us a reason to just pack it in," he said. "If we're in a different spot, if we're in the playoffs, maybe guys don't have contracts or options to worry about. But I think now more than ever, you need to prove that you belong on the field, that you want to stay here. And it gives a lot of guys motivation to play harder."
Getting a result in L.A. could be a tough task, however, especially if Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in the lineup.
The 37-year-old forward has been a dominant force across Major League Soccer this season, and has scored five goals and two assists in his last three games.
Standing a strong six-foot-five, Ibrahimovic isn't easy to defend, Nerwinski said.
"I think we just need to defend the box as well as we can," he said. "We need to make sure we win headers and limit as many crosses as possible because we know that's his biggest strength, is getting his head on the ball and scoring."
The Whitecaps know that Ibrahimovic isn't the only threat the Galaxy possess, said coach Marc Dos Santos.
The team also needs to keep an eye on midfielder Uriel Atuna and recognize that the entire L.A. side will be coming into the contest with confidence.
"It's always a big challenge, going to L.A., playing the Galaxy in a moment that they're still trying to have a high seed in the standings," he said.
While the game is sure to require a lot of concentration from the 'Caps, Sunday could also be a big day for some new faces, the coach said.
Options for the lineup include Tunisian centre back Jasser Khmiri, who signed with Vancouver in February but has been kept on the sidelines as he rehabbed an injury.
The club is also looking to continue assessing some late season additions, such as Canadian striker Tosaint Ricketts and midfielder Michaell Chirinos.
"It's an opportunity for us to continue looking at some players and give opportunities to some players that are maybe going to get their first game on a big stage," Dos Santos said.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (7-15-10) VS. L.A. GALAXY (16-13-3)
Sunday, Dignity Health Sports Park
GOING FOR GOLD: Ibrahimovic is in a tight race with Los Angeles F.C.'s Carlos Vela for this year's Golden Boot. Vela currently has 30 goals for the season, two up on the Swedish striker.
ON THE OUTS: Vancouver left back Ali Adnan will miss Sunday's match up after being suspended for accumulating too many yellow cards.
SUPER MAX: Crepeau was named the Whitecaps player of the year at a team awards ceremony earlier this week. The 25-year-old 'keeper has 107 saves this season, tied for fourth in the league with Sporting KC's Tim Melia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2019.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
