VANCOUVER, BC – There has definitely been an edge in the two previous meetings between Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Real Salt Lake this season.
With 10 bookings over the two matches, and a couple of flashpoints, the two teams don't seem to have much love for each other.
It's an intensity that the 'Caps aim to use in their favor as they look to get their playoff push back on track when the sides meet at BC Place on Saturday (tickets are still available at whitecapsfc.com/tickets).
"We have a great rivalry with this team, and it's grown and grown each time we've played them," midfielder Russell Teibert told reporters. "I know they try and get in our heads and we'll try and get in theirs. It'll be not only a physical battle but a mental battle as well, and we're prepared for that."
With the two other matches this season taking place in Utah, and both ending in draws, Vancouver are looking forward to this key encounter taking place in front of the different dynamic of their home crowd.
A lot of Vancouver's focus this week has been on dealing with Real Salt Lake's potent attacking threat, particularly following their 5-1 demolition of Colorado last Friday, but Vancouver are drawing confidence from their two competitive road performances against RSL.
"We went there twice and got results," goalkeeper David Ousted said at training. "It got heated and it got to be a battle. They're a good team and they showed last week that they can put in a lot of goals, so we need to be really sharp."
"We play well against them. There's a little edge in the game, there's a lot of intensity. They're a great team, week in and week out but I think we can match them, especially at BC Place."
When the two teams last met back in July, it was a frenetic final 20 minutes. A controversial Darren Mattocks penalty sparked the game into life leading to a Joao Plata equalizer, six bookings and clashes between the benches as hot heads came to the fore in a 1-1 draw.
Those tense moments didn't surprise Whitecaps FC defender Jordan Harvey, and showed a spirit he thinks is good for his side – as long as it's measured.
"There's been games like that with us all season, and I think it's, to be honest, a credit to us," Harvey said. "We have that fighting mentality, and we have a great team chemistry where if someone gets into something we're all going to back him up. It's happened with this team before at their place; it wouldn't surprise me if it happened again. But we obviously don't want anybody to get sent off or anything like that.”
Harvey said it’s mentality that gives the team confidence.
"They're a quality team,” he said. “We have to be aware of their good players and their attacking threat. At home, it's usually all about us. If we come with the right mentality, score early and play fluidly, I think we'll get three points."
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