Preview: 'Caps face LAFC for 10th time in last two seasons in first match of Round One, Best-Of-3 Series | Watch for FREE on MLS Season Pass

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VANCOUVER, BC – After defeating Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers in the Western Conference Wild Card Match on Wednesday night, Vancouver Whitecaps FC are now set to face familiar foe LAFC in the Round One Best-of-3 Series. The first match will be played this Sunday, October 27 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. PT. Whitecaps FC 2024 playoffs are presented by BMO, PlayNow Sports and TELUS

Sunday will mark the 21st all-time meeting between the two teams and the fourth meeting this year. It will mark the third meeting between the two sides in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

WEEKLY STORYLINES

WE MEET AGAIN: After claiming a dominant 5-0 victory over Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers in the Wild Card Match on Wednesday night, Vancouver Whitecaps FC booked their spot in the Round One Best-of-3 Series for the second consecutive season. The 'Caps are set to face Western Conference adversaries LAFC, with the first match scheduled for Sunday, October 27 at BMO Stadium. It'll mark the 10th meeting between the two sides since April 2023, having previously met in MLS regular season, 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, 2023 Concacaf Champions League, and Leagues Cup 2024 competition. Vancouver will host the second match of the series on Sunday, November 3 at BC Place, while LAFC will host the third match on Friday, November 8 if necessary.

THAT NIGHT IN PORTLAND: There's no question Wednesday night's win in Portland will live long in the memory as one of the 'Caps most legendary matches in the club's MLS era. The win marked the first time the Blue and White have scored five goals in MLS play outside of Vancouver, the 10th time the team has scored four or more goals in a match during Vanni Sartini's tenure as head coach, and the fifth win the 'Caps have recorded in Portland, with three of those coming since 2021. In addition, the victory was Vancouver's eighth away win in MLS play this year, beating the previous record set in 2015.

THE GAULDEN MENACE: Ryan Gauld continued to show his quality as one of the league's best offensive forces on Wednesday night. The Scottish international became just the third player in MLS playoff history to record three goals and an assist in a single match, scoring the seventh hat-trick in MLS playoff history. Gauld now has 24 goal contributions (11 goals, 13 assists) in his last 21 appearances across all competitions and is two away (41 goals) from matching Camilo Sanvezzo for second all-time in goals for the club in the MLS era. He also set a career-best for goals in a season with the club (15 goals), reached 50 assists for the club across all competitions and became the first 'Caps player to record four goal contributions in a match since Alphonso Davies accomplished the feat against Orlando City SC on June 9, 2018.

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