Ryan Gauld scored a hat trick for the first MLS Cup playoff goals of his career and the eighth-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps romped to a 5-0 victory over the ninth-seeded Portland Timbers on Wednesday night in the Western Conference wild-card game.

Big players show up for big games. That was the speech from Vancouver Whitecaps minority owner Steve Nash to his team on Tuesday. Message received. There can be few who can now argue against Ryan Gauld’s ascension to the summit of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Mount Olympus,

Everything you need to know ahead of Vancouver Whitecaps' trip to Providence Park to take on Portland Timbers in the Western Conference Wild Card.

Vancouver Whitecaps have set up a meeting with Los Angeles FC in the First Round of the playoffs after a thumping 5-0 win.

BOTTOM LINE: The Portland Timbers visit the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Whitecaps are 12-11-5 in Western Conference games. The Whitecaps rank 10th in the Western Conference drawing 165 corner kicks, averaging 4.9 per game.

Ryan Gauld had a hat trick and added an assist to become the third player in league history with four goal contributions in an MLS playoff game, and the Vancouver Whitecaps knocked off the Portland Timbers 5-0.

Vancouver Whitecaps wins the MLS Western Conference playoff wildcard game 5-0 to set up a date with LAFC on Sunday.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are officially into the Major League Soccer playoffs after posting an emphatic 5-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in a wild-card matchup Wednesday.