VANCOUVER, B.C. – It's been a while, but after five straight games on the road, the Vancouver Whitecaps will finally return home to BC Place on Sunday to face Sporting Kansas City (9 pm ET; TSN1 in Canada, MLS Live in the US).
While the Whitecaps seem to have found a winning formula on the road with their fast paced, counter-attacking style of play, they've adopted a different game plan at home, where there is perhaps an added pressure to entertain in front of their own fans. The results haven’t been great in British Columbia, with the ‘Caps posting a 4-3-1 home record, slightly worse than their 6-4-1 away mark.
"It shouldn't [be like that]," midfielder Mauro Rosales told media at training on Friday. "We should approach every game like we did on the road. How we played was fantastic against very good teams. Obviously we want to perform the same way.
"We're trying to be focused as we should. We'll try to entertain as well, but we need to be smart and try to put ourselves in a good position. Trying to get the three points is the main point."
It's a difficult balancing act. Teams want to play an exciting style of soccer that will make the fans want to keep coming back, but nothing brings in the crowds more than a winning side on the pitch. The two aren't mutually exclusive, but it can often be hard to consistently pull off both at the same time.
"I think we always try and entertain whether we're home or away," said Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson. "But football's a very difficult game of fine lines between what’s entertainment and what's not. What's winning, that's what the game is about at the end of the day.
"When you're at home in front of 20,000, which we will be on Sunday, we want to play attractive football. We want to score as many goals as we can. But what you don't factor in is the opposition as well. It's difficult. It's trying to find that balance."
Rookie center back Tim Parker is in line for another start on Sunday, in place of the injured Pa Modou Kah. While the older heads point to getting the result by whatever means necessary, the Whitecaps have a young squad and with that comes the exuberance of youth and the desire to entertain.
"We want to be able to put on a show for our home crowd," Parker admitted. "They've seen what we've been able to do on the road, winning in LA, winning in New York, winning in New England. Obviously they expect a show out of us and that's what we definitely want to put on for the fans."
As difficult an opponent as Sporting KC will be for their first game back at home, the way Peter Vermes’ side like to play may actually prove to be a help for Vancouver finding that right balance. How best to approach the game may be taken out of their hands by SKC, whose pressing style has led to three wins in their last four matches.
"They're a different team," Rosales said of Sunday’s visitors. "With the potential that they have and the quality players that they have, they don't want to sit and wait for us. It's going to be different. I think it's going to be an open game, back and forth. But we have to be smart and not give them enough space to hurt us. We have to be prepared."
