Whitecaps’ season on the line against FC Dallas
If there is a criticism of the Vancouver Whitecaps — and there seem to be plenty these days — the one most pertinent to their current situation is that the squad doesn’t have the moxie or, perhaps, the skill, to win the so-called big games.
Cue the indignant coach. “I’ve listened to people who’ve said, when big games come around, these players can’t quite get over the hurdle, and what I have to say to that is yeah, it was a big game on Saturday … and yeah, it was a big game last season in the playoffs against Seattle when we lost,” said Caps coach Carl Robinson.
“It was also a big game against San Jose at home when we won. It was also a big game against NYFC when we went away, or when we went to Portland away and we won.
“These guys know how to handle big games. Some you win and some you don’t. It’s easy to talk about the ones you don’t, because if you win all your big games, you go and win the quadruple, like Toronto. And we’re not in that boat.”
It’s true that Vancouver went away and got results against New York City FC — a 2-2 tie in the toughest road stadium in Major League Soccer — and snapped the Timbers’ 15-game unbeaten streak at Providence Park the following week.
But those were tough games, not the big games. Those were games where nothing was expected of the Caps, and freed from the burden of expectations, the squad played with an underdog’s carefreeness.
It’s those critical, must-win games where their joie de vivre has evaporated along with favourable results. Last season’s playoff performances against Seattle — going scoreless over the two legs of the conference semifinal — soured the result of the 5-0 knockout-round win over San Jose.
Last Saturday’s game with the Sounders was the definition of a must-win game. The 2-1 loss to Seattle reduced the Caps’ odds of making the post-season to 18.7 per cent from 30. And to simply call this Sunday ’s date with FC Dallas a “must-win game” is a failure of this writer’s inelegant mastery of the English language to fully express its magnitude. A season, and jobs, are on the line.
“What I’ll say and I’ll challenge my group every week, is we want to be part of big games,” said Robinson.
NEXT GAME
Sunday
FC Dallas at Vancouver Whitecaps 4 p.m., B.C. Place Stadium TSN, TSN 1040 AM
“If we are part of big games, that means we’re doing something successful.
“We’re looking forward to the Dallas game. If we play on the front foot, and we play with energy, like we did (against Seattle), with a little bit of luck and a little cleaner in both boxes, we should be OK.”
The Whitecaps’ (11-10-7, 40 points) path to the post-season got tougher Wednesday. The Sounders (13-10-5, 44 points) had their ninegame win streak come to a crashing halt at home in a 1-0 loss to the 10man Philadelphia Union, but the Emerald City crew has, by far, the easiest remaining schedule of the Western playoff teams.
None of the Sounders’ five opponents has a winning record, and their collective goal differential is -62. Along with the Galaxy and Houston, the Sounders face Colorado and San Jose — the two West bottom-feeders who’ve been eliminated from playoff qualification — and the East’s version, lastplace Orlando City. The Timbers beat the fourth-place Columbus Crew 3-2 Wednesday to jump seven points clear of the Whitecaps, though their remaining slate is no cakewalk and Vancouver also has a game in hand.
The team the Caps likely have to set their sights on catching is Real Salt Lake, currently in fifth place with 45 points and five games remaining. RSL’s road to the end of the regular season? Just visits with the two conference leaders in Atlanta and Sporting, then sandwiching a home game with the alwaystough New England Revolution between games with the Timbers.
Vancouver hosts Dallas this weekend, then travels to the Galaxy and Toronto FC before hosting Sporting KC. Then it’s off to LAFC and home to Portland to close out the regular season.
“We have an understanding of what we have to do the last six games,” said Caps centreback Doneil Henry. “We were one point out, now we’re four points. Like I said, all the teams that are ahead of us are the ones that we’re playing.
“We have to go into them ( games) with the same mentality that we did against Seattle.”