Caps look to extend streak

Photo: Twitter - @WhitecapsFC

The Vancouver Whitecaps are not letting success go to their pocketbook.

While other teams signed big-name players lately during this summer's Major League Soccer transfer window, the Whitecaps opted to stick with their youth movement and a variety of starting lineups as they seek to host their first home playoff game since entering the league in 2011.

So far, so good.

The Western Conference-leading Whitecaps (13-8-3) head into Saturday's game at Sporting Kansas City (10-4-7) on a four-game unbeaten streak.

"I think, at the moment, what we're doing is very special, because we're trying to build something," coach Carl Robinson said Friday on a conference call. "We're doing it in different ways than other teams. We're building youth, we're integrating youth and we're giving youth an opportunity."

Robinson, who is in his second season at the helm after serving two seasons as an assistant under former coach Martin Rennie, said the club has not wavered from its philosophy of developing young players. Co-owner Jeff Mallett said last month the team was willing to sign a star player if the opportunity was right, but eventually chose not to.

Robinson is glad the Caps stood pat.

"We could have gone out and made a big splash in the short term," said Robinson. "But it wouldn't have been right for medium and long term. That's not the way I want to do it, and that's not the way the club wants to do it."

Robinson's way includes close attention to fatigue management. As a result, with the Caps playing their third of three games in a week, he will revamp his starting lineup again Saturday.

Regulars will return to the pitch after Robinson went mainly with reserves in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship series Wednesday in Montreal.

"If you do play (the same players) three games in a week, and you lose and the levels are low, then you'll be pinching yourself," said Robinson.

The Whitecaps have not lost since falling 1-0 to Kansas City at home on July 12. They've scored 11 goals since then and, for the first time since entering MLS, scored three or more times in three straight games. The Caps have only allowed two goals over that span.

Robinson, whose team thumped Real Salt Lake 4-0 in its previous league game last weekend, vowed not to get carried away by the recent success.

"We're sitting at the top at the moment, but we could be second in the next week," he said. "We could be third in two weeks."

Rookie defender Tim Parker is slated to slot into a centre back spot in place of Kendall Waston, who is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation. Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Matias Laba is "touch and go" due to an injury.

Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes is expected to go mainly with the regulars who took part in Wednesday's 3-1 U.S. Open Cup semifinal victory over Real Salt Lake. Vermes' crew is unbeaten in 12 MLS home games and 15 overall this season.

Vancouver sports the best road record in MLS (7-4-2), but has gone winless in its two previous visits to Kansas City.

"It's going to be a very difficult game for us," said Robinson.