PLAYOFFS!

As we established earlier today, I don't give a damn about the history. The Vancouver Whitecaps making the playoffs for the first time since 2010 will be a big deal to MLS-era-only fans, of course, and Toronto FC supporters are entitled to gawk enviously. It doesn't seem that Montreal Impact fans are impressed at all, quite rightly. Being the first Canadian MLS team to make the playoffs is a tribute to Toronto's historic incompetence, not anything to do with the Whitecaps (or the Impact).

And the game against Portland was... well, we'd have called it a disaster if Brad Evans and Mauro Rosales hadn't worked what I will call for one night only "their magic". We still might, for that game was dreadful, dull, and depressing at home against an inferior team. If we hadn't just handed one of the all-time ass-whoopings at home to an equally inferior team in our previous game, there'd be cause for alarm; instead we shall settle for worry. (The Whitecaps seem congenitally unable to get up for the Cascadia Cup under Teitur Thordarson, Tom Soehn, or Martin Rennie.)

It was the rare game that was equally terrible both to the eye and the calculator. Outshot, outchanced, outpossessed; outhustled, outworked, outdesired. The other guys generated more chances and therefore improved their chances of winning; the other guys wanted it more. I decided I didn't feel up to an hour-long commute downtown to see the game in person so I stayed and watched from home; it may have been the only prediction I got right all year.

I think most Whitecaps supporters are peaceably accepting that the Whitecaps stand no chance against the Los Angeles Galaxy, probably on Thursday, November 1 at the Home Depot Center; at least until Vancouver suddenly turns out a decent match at Rio Tinto against Real Salt Lake and gets everybody's hopes up again. It seems that on balance we accept that our team with a -6 goal differential and more losses than wins is not exactly a terror, although sadly there's still some interest in the "Rennie ruined the team with his mid-season changes" narrative.

Are we just happy to be here? We've got our playoff appearance, now we can rest satisfied until 2013 and the demand for further improvement? I am, I don't mind admitting; I don't expect the Whitecaps to spring an upset against the Galaxy and I don't care who knows it. It's not a great perspective but the nice thing about being happy to be here is that I am, indeed, happy. Because of a Sounders win. Never thought I'd see the day.

PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!