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“It looks good on the table, on the stats, to say we’ve (scored lots as a team); but at the end of the season, if we walk out of here in October after the last game and there’s no playoffs … then all of those goals really don’t matter.”

Photo by Peter Aiken / PNG

The Whitecaps (9-9-7) have scored 16 goals over their past seven matches. They’ve also conceded 14 over the same span, lowlighted by last week’s 90th-minute equalizer by the New York Red Bulls.

The Caps take a four-game unbeaten streak into San Jose for Saturday night’s date with the Earthquakes, who might sit last in the standings, but have conceded just five goals in their past five games, and picked up points in four of their past five.

Vancouver hosts San Jose the following weekend, the first of a three-game home stand with matches against Seattle and FC Dallas. Of their nine remaining games, eight come against teams in the log-jammed Western Conference, which currently sees fourth-place Real Salt Lake (11-10-5) only ahead of eighth-place Vancouver by four points.

“They are huge games,” said Waston. “You feel very motivated that you’re so close. The good thing is that we’re depending on (ourselves). We’re not depending on other teams. We just have to get points.”

“We’re in a good place, we have enough games here, and we’ve been playing well on the road, too. So we’re in a good place to get ourselves in that position,” added Kamara. “For a few of us that have been in the playoffs before … it’s the mentality right now of ‘Do you want your season to finish in October?’ And when it does, it’s a long off-season.

“We know the position we’re in, and it’s not that far away; but it just takes a little bit extra from everyone.”

jadams@postmedia.com

NEXT GAME

Saturday

Vancouver Whitecaps at San Jose Earthquakes

7 p.m., Avaya Stadium, TSN2, TSN 1410AM

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