Resilient Whitecaps continue playoff push amid COVID-19 outbreak

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps' road to the playoffs continues to be a bumpy ride.

A COVID-19 outbreak has left the 'Caps (7-10-6) short-handed for Friday's crucial home matchup against the Houston Dynamo (7-12-4).

Six players have entered Major League Soccer's health and safety protocols, including forward Cristian Dajome, midfielders Caio Alexandre and Andres Cubas, and defenders Marcus Godinho, Florian Jungwirth and Luis Martins.

The club has signed Whitecaps FC 2 striker Simon Becher and wingback Ali Ahmed to short-term MLS agreements to bolster its ranks.

Despite the shortened bench, head coach Vanni Sartini said he was confident heading into Friday's game.

“We’ve always been very good when we’re under pressure," he said. "And we’ve always been responding really well, the guys literally gathering together and getting together towards the new objective.

"This is a little bump that we’re going to miss some players (on Friday) but the players that will play, they’ve already played with the team, they’ve already won games with the team, they’ve already played in their position. So it’s nothing crazy, it’s nothing major."

The COVID outbreak comes during a particularly important stretch for Vancouver.

With 11 regular-season games to go, the Whitecaps sit five points out of a playoff spot. All of the club's remaining games are against Western Conference opponents, making each outing a critical matchup.

“We need the points. There’s no other way to say it," said defender Tristan Blackmon. "You can say it’s a must win. I think the games for the rest of the year are must wins."

Houston is also chasing a playoff spot and sit two points behind Vancouver.

While the 'Caps are coming off a hard-fought 1-1 draw against