The Whitecaps may have signed a slew of attacking players over the last week, but Darren Mattocks re-established himself as the big man on campus after the team’s first preseason game of 2013.

The Whitecaps will almost certainly lose if Darren Mattocks plays 90 minutes. But, before Davide Chiumiento left, the 'Caps were undefeated if he played — but NOT the full 90.

For a rookie to come into MLS out of NCAA and become a fixture in the starting lineup is one thing; but to do it as a centre back is the most unique scenario of all.

In fact, anyone who had never seen the Whitecaps before Thursday’s playoff game would have likely said that Matt Watson — a guy who played in NASL last season — must be a Designated Player, not Robson or Miller.

The point guarantees that the Whitecaps will open the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship against No. 4 seed FC Edmonton, while Montreal will meet Toronto FC in the other semifinal.

A last-second miss from Camilo brought the Vancouver Whitecaps’ winless streak to seven games, as the club tied the Seattle Sounders 0-0 in front of a crowd of 21,000 at a sold-out BC Place Saturday night.

A late Jamie Smith equalizer undid what looked as if it would be a first win in six for the Vancouver Whitecaps, as the club drew the Colorado Rapids 2-2 at BC Place Sunday night.

Goals from Franck Songo'o and Darlington Nagbe gave the Portland Timbers a 2-1 victory Saturday night over their Cascadia rivals at JELD-WEN Field in front of 20,438 fans.

Suspensions will force both Montreal Impact coach Jesse Marsch and Whitecaps’ boss Martin Rennie to make some adjustments in the coming weeks.

One halftime change altered the course of the game. It sent Real Salt Lake off the rails, and gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a major advantage.