Whitecaps fail test against Timbers

Something unusual occurred late in Saturday’s game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers on Saturday night.
Fans left early in large numbers, with Portland having easily clinched a 3-0 victory over the overmatched home squad.
Throughout their existence in Major League Soccer, the Whitecaps have managed to keep most home games extremely close – win or lose. But, as Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson admitted, the outcome was decided after Alvas Powell scored the only goal that Portland needed, on a header in the 51st minute.
“They’re a good team,” said Robinson. “We were chasing shadows at the end, so (it was) frustrating for us, but I don’t think we were a threat throughout the game.”
The Timbers (8-8-10) jumped over the Whitecaps (7-6-12) into the fifth and final playoff-qualifying spot in the Western Conference. Having conceded four goals in their past game, the Timbers were supposedly ripe for the picking, but they played with little fear after their opening goal and held a decisive edge in possession time (roughly 60 per cent to 40 per cent) in the second half.
“I don’t think we were at our top performances levels like we’ve been most of this season at home, which was unfortunate because it was a fantastic opportunity for us and a fantastic crowd, and winning is always a buzz,” said Robinson.
After staying until the final whistle, the loyalists in the sellout crowd of 21,000 cheered that the game was finally over and then practically raced out of their seats. When asked whether the Caps over-hyped the game with 10 games (and now nine) to go before the regular season ends, Robinson declined to downplay the significance of the setback.
“It’s a massive game,” said Robinson. “It’s a rivalry game for us at home against a team that’s competing for a playoff spot. I could say it was just another normal game, and I wouldn’t be being honest, and that’s one thing I am. It was a massive game for us, and we lost. So we take it on the chin and we move on.”
Recently acquired midfielder Mauro Rosales and midfield maestro Pedro Morales linked up well early. Morales missed a header early on a chip from Rosales, putting the ball just over the bar. But the Timbers did well to keep Rosales and Morales separated from each other and Vancouver’s strikers, first Erik Hurtado and Darren Mattocks.
Rosales stood out, but as more as a playmaker than a scorer, although he had Vancouver’s best chance, putting a shot just wide of the right post after Hurtado nudged the ball to him. Morales was hampered after a Portland player stepped on his foot early in the second half.
Simply put, there was no offensive cohesion from Vancouver on a night when the Timbers had few scoring opportunities but capitalized on almost all of them. Portland scored on three of four shots on target in the second half, and could have scored on the other if not for a nice save from Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted. On the night, the Timbers converted three of five shots on target.
The Whitecaps only had three shots on target over the full 90 minutes.
As former Vancouver striker Kenny Miller often noted, it usually takes two strikers – a tandem – to produce dangerous scoring chances. But with a single-striker formation, the Whitecaps have a hard time creating chances let alone putting the ball in the back of the net.
Vancouver failed to score for the third straight game and fourth time in the last five. Robinson said that the squad needs to look at the dearth of offence individually and collectively and as a coaching staff – whatever that means. The bottom line is that, as Robinson acknowledged, the Whitecaps do not have a natural scorer.
The issue won’t be solved until Vancouver’s young offensive players start producing, or the Whitecaps find a pure scorer before the mid-September MLS roster freeze (i.e. trade deadline).
Since neither scenario is likely to occur soon, the Whitecaps have to find a way to link their midfielders and lone striker, or strikers depending on formation changes, in future. Robinson believes the Caps can succeed in doing so, because they have in the past.
The coach wants them to get back to generating numerous scoring chances the way they did earlier in the season.
“We know we can do it,” said Robinson. “We just haven’t been doing it recently. So we take responsibility – I take responsibility – for that.”
Robinson also plans to take more responsibility for managing Morales’ playing time as the clubs goes down the homestretch. Taking his previous season in South America into account, the Chilean midfielder has played 13 months consecutively. In other words, he has not had an off-season – and becomes increasingly prone to burnout and injury.
But the Caps need him the way a parched traveler stranded in the desert needs a drink of water. If he goes down, or stops producing assists and goals (like he has lately) for an extended stretch, Vancouver’s season will be lost, and the Caps will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.
As defender Jordan Harvey noted after the game, the loss was frustrating on many levels. But with key home games coming up against top Eastern squad D.C. United and Western also-ran San Jose, the frustration will only increase if the Caps do not start scoring again soon.
In other words, Whitecaps fans will leave games early more often. Or, even worse, they won't bother showing up at all.