Whitecaps Rennie Focussed on Business End of MLS Season

It’s been a mixed bag, to put it mildly, for the Whitecaps at the start of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season but is it all part of Martin Rennie’s master plan? Al Dannity says it could well be and that his approach to the Canadian Championship could speak volumes.

It’s a nothing game with a lot riding on it. That’s the best way to describe tomorrow’s Canadian Championship semi-final first leg at FC Edmonton. Playing a team below MLS level when the season is well and truly under way isn’t likely to get fans excited. It’s the type of game where a coach might consider experimenting, knowing his back-ups should be enough to get the job done. The thing is, Martin Rennie has already done plenty of experimenting in the MLS regular season. He might just bring out the big guns when looking ahead to a possible Voyageurs Cup decider.

Much like last year, when the Caps cruised past Edmonton, the route to the final should be a formality but everything else is different. Now this is a team with serious expectations. Having made the MLS Cup Playoffs in only their second season, fans in Vancouver expect a step forward. Rennie’s adjusted his strategy to try and deliver as much.

“We want to get into the final and we want to win the final. That would be the first time the club has done it and would also give us a chance to play in the CONCACAF Champions League [CCL], which would be very important,” said Rennie. “It’s the first opportunity in this season we have to actually do anything of any significance. We always want to do well in MLS, but the business end of MLS comes in a little while. Right now, is a big focus on this tournament.”

Having fielded several reserves, including a pair of third-stringers, in last weekend’s loss to Dallas there’s no doubt Rennie wants his best line-up in peak condition for Wednesday night’s challenge. There’s more to it than that. While the Whitecaps made the post-season last year, many of the team’s top stars looked worn out down the stretch. The Vancouver coach is determined not to have that happen again in 2013. If a place in the CCL can be secured before the summer then Rennie can take a balanced approach to the playoff push. These are exciting times for Whitecaps fans but now Rennie wants them to act like they have been here before. A win tomorrow night would certainly help.