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The Vancouver Whitecaps have forfeited potential home-field advantage in the MLS Cup Playoffs wildcard round next week for a totally bizarre reason.
The Canadian club head into the final weekend of MLS action two points out of the top-seven and should they fail to beat Real Salt Lake in their final match of the season will finish in either 8th or 9th place, meaning they will enter the wildcard round of the playoffs.
Should the Portland Timbers, who currently occupy 9th in the Western Conference fail to win against bitter rivals Seattle on Saturday, that would set up the Timbers to square off with the Whitecaps in the wildcard round.
In this scenario, Vancouver would earn home-field advantage against the Timbers having finished one place ahead of them in the conference. But disaster has struck for the Whitecaps.
The club announced on Friday that due to a scheduling conflict at BC Place Stadium, they will be forced to play their wildcard game in Portland at Providence Park. The event taking place at BC Place? Motocross.
“We worked closely with BC Place and MLS to explore all potential options,” Whitecaps CEO & Sporting Director Axel Schuster said in a club statement.
“We are not a club that makes excuses and our focus is to win on Decision Day. Our goal is to improve every season, and our ambitions have not changed. We are focused on advancing to Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs where we will have the opportunity to play at BC Place.”