The Vancouver Whitecaps are one win away from moving on to the next round of the Major League Soccer playoffs.

To get there, however, the Whitecaps will need to pull off the improbable by defeating the powerhouse Los Angeles FC for a second straight game.

Vancouver blanked the visitors 3-0 on Sunday to level their best-of-three first-round playoff series at a game apiece. As the matchup shifts back to California for a decisive Game 3 on Friday, the Whitecaps are looking for a repeat performance, said striker Brian White.

B次元官网网址淲e take the good and the bad from last game, learn from what we could have done better and go to LAFC with confidence and, obviously, with a whole lot of respect,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e know that we can go there and give them a very good fight and hopefully come away with a win.B次元官网网址�

The winner of FridayB次元官网网址檚 game will face the No. 4-seed Seattle Sounders in a one-game Western Conference semifinal on Nov. 23 or 24.

The B次元官网网址楥aps finished the regular season eighth in the west with a 13-13-8 record and have since surprised many with their post-season play.

First, Vancouver trounced its regional rivals, the Portland Timbers, 5-0 in a wild-card game. Then, the squad dropped a tightly contested 2-1 decision to the top-seeded L.A. before posting a decisive home victory on Sunday.

Vancouver has scored seven goals this post-season, second only to the L.A. Galaxy (nine). Vancouver also leads the league in expected goals (6.84) through the playoffs.

No one outside of the club expected the Whitecaps to win when the Vancouver-L. A. series began, said defender Ranko Veselinovic.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e shown to ourselves that we can compete with them,B次元官网网址� he said.

Now in his fifth season with the B次元官网网址楥aps, Veselinovic said FridayB次元官网网址檚 game will be the biggest heB次元官网网址檚 played for the team.

B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 had much success in the playoffs so, definitely, this is the one that can put our season on another level,B次元官网网址� he said.

This is the second year in a row the Whitecaps have faced LAFC in the first round of the playoffs and last year, Vancouver was ousted in two straight games.

The team isnB次元官网网址檛 thinking about revenge as it prepares for Game 3, White said.

B次元官网网址淢ore importantly than (beating LAFC), we want to get to the next round,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淟AFCB次元官网网址檚 a very good team. WeB次元官网网址檝e come up against them a number of times in different competitions and they always seem to get the better of us. So itB次元官网网址檇 be huge for us to get the better of them this time.B次元官网网址�

Earning a win last weekend required slowing L.A.B次元官网网址檚 transition game and limiting offensive opportunities for the teamB次元官网网址檚 big stars, including Denis Bouanga.

Those factors will be important again on Friday, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, who warned that his team could face a different style of game.

B次元官网网址淚 think the most important thing is going to be to match their intensity at the beginning of the game,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ecause I think theyB次元官网网址檙e going to come at us a million miles per hour.B次元官网网址�

The B次元官网网址楥aps will once again look to captain Ryan Gauld for some offensive firepower. The Scottish attacking midfielder leads MLS in playoff goals with five and has scored in all three of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 post-season appearances this year.

Gearing up for another do-or-die matchup is exciting, Gauld said.

B次元官网网址淜nowing itB次元官网网址檚 a winner-takes-all kind of game, being in that kind of environment is nice,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 when you see the best in players.B次元官网网址�

LAFC faces the bulk of the pressure heading into the matchup, Sartini said, given the clubB次元官网网址檚 appearances in the last two MLS Cup finals and its 2022 championship title.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e supposed to win and we are not,B次元官网网址� the coach said. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 beautiful to have a little bit of pressure on us, too.B次元官网网址�