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What the Victoria Highlanders want to see on the menu tonight is a playoff spot served up on the Juan de Fuca Plate. The Highlanders are in Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps Under-23 squad, and the stakes are high. A victory assures the Highlanders of at least third place in the Northwest Division of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League. It would also give them possession of the supporter-created Plate, for winning two of the three regular-season games against their favourite rivals from across the pond.

鈥淚f we beat the Whitecaps, they cannot catch us,鈥� Victoria coach Steve Simonson said. 鈥淭hen we鈥檒l need to beat Portland for first place.鈥�

The Highlanders (7-1-1) are currently two points up on the second-place Portland Timbers (6-1-2), and it鈥檚 Portland they鈥檒l be visiting on Sunday, in the fourth of six straight road games. The schedule is gruelling, thanks to the home pitch at Royal Athletic Park doing double duty as a ball field for the Victoria HarbourCats.

The positives of travel are more time for team bonding and discussion on topics such as how to stop the 5-4-1 Whitecaps鈥� creative and technically skilled offence. The Highlanders have only allowed two goals in their last four games, including last weekend鈥檚 wins over North Sound and and Kitsap, by scores of 2-0 and 2-1, respectively. It鈥檚 been a different story against Vancouver this season, however. Victoria took the first match 3-2, and the Whitecaps mounted a 5-3 come-from-behind victory in the second.

鈥淲e have to have better concentration for 90 minutes,鈥� Simonson said. 鈥淚f you score three goals and lose, you鈥檝e lapsed.鈥�

The road strategy so far has been to deliberately defend, by keeping the ball out of dangerous territory, and counterattacking when an opening arises. It鈥檚 been working, as the Highlanders have been able to slow and control the tempo of the games. They鈥檝e also been able to score early, which has allowed them to settle down, conserve energy, and get into a road rhythm of protecting their own end, something crucial against the Whitecaps.

鈥淲e have to not get caught out and lose our shape,鈥� midfielder Craig Gorman said. 鈥淚f we do that, they鈥檒l just go right through.鈥�

The Whitecaps, with 23 goals on the season, and 19 against, are likely saying the same things about the Highlanders, who have 24 goals, compared with 12 against. It鈥檒l be two high-flying offences, and it remains to be seen which defence will prevail.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not impossible to score against them,鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done it before.鈥�

CORNER KICKS: The Highlanders鈥� game Sunday in Portland kicks off at noon. . . . The Peninsula Co-op Highlanders are home this weekend for their Pacific Coast League women鈥檚 division game. They鈥檒l host the Whitecaps women at 2 p.m. at Tyndall Park.

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