Sunday night in Vancouver is the stage for the first matchup of four MLS Cup playoffs two-leg conference semifinals. The third-seed Whitecaps played on Wednesday at BC Place in the knockout round and beat the Earthquakes 5-0. Their opponent, second-seeded Seattle Sounders, are well-rested after securing a bye last week with a relatively easy jaunt past Colorado.
The rundown
This aggregate series is a showdown between two types of Western Conference contenders: the flashy-but-inconsistent defending champs, filled with talent, flair and expectations but also uncertainty; and the scrappy, possession-averse, aerially-dominant up-and-comers, taking advantage of the Western Conference hierarchy beating each other up en route to a late season push that almost saw them take the conference.