VANCOUVER -- By ending a scoring drought and managing to win their first game in a month the Vancouver Whitecaps hope they have planted a seed that will bloom into a Major League Soccer playoff berth. Jason Heyward Cubs Jersey . The Whitecaps head into their game Saturday against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium believing they have cleared a hurdle in their race to reach the playoffs for the second time in three years. You can catch all the action starting at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt on TSN2. "I continue to stick to my belief in the way the game should be played and they (the players) continue to stick to their belief within the system," said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson. Vancouvers 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquake Wednesday leapfrogged the Whitecaps past the Portland Timbers into the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference. The Caps have an 8-6-13 record for 37 points -- two more than Portland. Dallas sits fourth in the West with 42 points (12-9-6). After riding a 10-game unbeaten streak Dallas has lost its last two matches, both on the road. They were beaten 2-1 Sunday by Real Salt Lake. "Its been tough the last two weeks, road trips getting no points, but thats the league," head coach Oscar Pareja told the Dallas FC website. "The league is tough like that and Im proud of this team. "Theyve done an excellent job so far and they control their own destiny. The boys have done so many good things this year and maybe these last two results cant bring us down. We need to keep pushing. We know where we are, we know where we want to be at and we will be fine." The Whitecaps are feeling good about ending a 450-minute scoring drought that saw the team go four games without a goal. Prior to the San Jose game Vancouver had just two wins in 11 matches. Robinson said the victory makes the flight to Dallas a little more relaxing. "It was very important for us," he said. "It gives us a little bit of confidence. It gives us a good standing going into a very difficult place. "We are chasing them, so it can drag us a little closer to them if we can get a win there." Goalkeeper David Ousted, who leads MLS with nine shutouts, said the victory was important but the team has to focus on the future. "It was nice to get the goals, and you saw how happy the guys were and the fans, but its back to work now," said Ousted, who has played every MLS game for Vancouver this season. "We need to go to Dallas and still have a strong performance, get goals and points." The Dallas match will be Vancouvers third game in eight days. The Whitecaps tied D.C. United 0-0 at home last Saturday. Veteran defender Any OBrien said winning helps fight fatigue. "When youre winning games you want games to come thick and fast," he said. "When things arent going so well youre anticipating the next game. "Its nice to go into the next game with a good result at home. You know weve been waiting for solid goals to come." The tight race in the West means the Whitecaps cant afford any slips. Only seven points separate seventh place Colorado from Vancouver. All three teams have seven games remaining. Portland plays in Colorado Saturday. Dallas hasnt been a friendly place for the Whitecaps. Since entering MLS in 2011 Vancouver is 0-0-4 in Dallas and has been outscored 8-1. The Whitecaps, who are 2-3-8 on the road this year, settled for a 2-2 draw with Dallas in Vancouver on July 27. Heading down the stretch the Whitecaps play in Portland Sept. 20 and end their season at home Oct. 25 against Colorado. Vancouver also has another game against Dallas and play league-leading Seattle on the road. The fifth-place finisher in each conference plays the fourth-place team in a winner-take-all match. The winner of that game then faces the conferences top seed in the semifinals. Robinson doesnt want to predict how many wins his team will need to clinch a playoff berth. "I just want to be above that red line," said the first-year coach. "Thats all we have to aim for. "If I knew a points total I would be able to tell you. It could be high, it could be low. It could be two wins, it could be five wins, it could be seven wins. Every week it seems to change, every result it seems to change." The Whitecaps need to focus on what they can control, Robinson said. "All Ive said all along is take care of your business. Thats all we can control. "We cant control what Colorado, what San Jose, what Portland does unless we are playing them. We have control of ourselves. Saturday is another one that is in our hands." Kerry Wood Cubs Jersey . Ive said it before, Ive worked with top pros and I could have made my own program. Kendall Graveman Jersey . The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck. Fill-in Scott Baker gave up three hits over six innings and Chris Gimenez hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the sixth off Phil Hughes. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Anthony-Rizzo-Kids-Jersey/ .NYCFC confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that this week Lampard signed a contract to start in July — midway through the new teams first season in MLS.Canadian Brooke Henderson won her first professional title on Thursday at a Suncoast Series event in Winter Garden, Florida. The 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ontario finished at 2-under par to beat her sister Brittany by three shots. Fellow Canadian Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ontario finishhed tied for sixth. Fergie Jenkins Cubs Jersey. . Henderson turned professional in December after a stellar amateur career. She finished as runner-up in the U.S. Womens Amateur last year, tied for 10th in the U.S. Womens Open and won the individual title in the Womens World Amateur Team Championship. ' ' '