Miller puts both feet in with Caps
Striker retires from international play with Scotland to focus on MLS career
Kenny Miller couldn’t deliver a game-changing moment Saturday with a left foot that was the talk of the soccer world ten days ago.
“I just tried to get a strong connection and, unfortunately, it screwed wide,” Miller said of his glorious second-half chance in the Whitecaps’ 1-0 loss to the L.A. Galaxy at B.C. Place. He wasn’t alone. Nigel Reo-Coker and Jordan Harvey had chances, too. Kekuta Manneh hit the post. L.A.’s Jaime Penedo came up with a wonderful save.
“It’s one of those days when the ball doesn’t want to cross the line,” said Miller.
There haven’t been too many of those days for the Caps (10-9-6) this season. And coach Martin Rennie figures there won’t be many more, especially with Miller committed to his club down the stretch.
The 33-year-old Scottish forward retired from international soccer on Friday, just over a week after scoring a brilliant left-footed goal against England at Wembley Stadium.
The retirement decision ensures his focus will remain in Vancouver and not in Europe, where Scotland still has three meaningless FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September and October.
“I think it’s a wise decision that can help his career with us, prolong it, and it’s definitely a boost for us going into the last 10 regular-season games,” Rennie said on Friday.
The tightness of the Western Conference race played a role in the decision, Miller said, as did the fruitless nature of Scotland’s campaign.
The Caps dropped to sixth in the West with Saturday’s loss, one spot out of the playoff picture.
“I felt it was the right time,” Miller said Friday of his retirement.
“As much as it was a wrench to make that decision, with 10 weeks to go (in the MLS season), we didn’t think it was ideal to be going away and missing one or two games.”
Miller had all but reached his decision before playing at Wembley, though scoring a wonderful goal complicated matters a bit.
“Obviously with the way the game went, it adds that little bit: can you still go on and play for another year or so?” Miller said.
In the end, though, the Wembley game will stand as a tremendous final memory in an international career that featured 18 goals in 69 games but ended without a major finals appearance.
“It’s not a bad way to finish off,” he said. “For me to play in front of 80,000 at Wembley and to score was the stuff that dreams are made of.”
Saturday at B.C. Place was considerably more frustrating.
Playing without leading scorer Camilo, who’s hobbled by a minor groin strain, Rennie went with Darren Mattocks and Miller in a forward partnership that largely lacked chemistry.
Mattocks last started May 11, when the Caps beat L.A. 3-1 at home. The Jamaican scored the insurance goal that night but he never found a groove Saturday. He barely threatened L.A.’s back line with his pace, perhaps due to a lack of game fitness.
“We missed (Camilo) tonight,” said Miller, who’s scored seven goals this season and recently signed a contract extension through next summer.
Despite the loss, Miller remained upbeat about the Caps’ performance.
“We’re playing arguably the best team in the league the last three years,” he said, “and I think we’ve controlled the game in long, long spells. We can still be positive.
“There’s no doubt we deserved to take something from the game. Unfortunately, we just never managed to take the chances.”
Rennie lamented the loss of Camilo but said the Brazilian should be back for the Chivas game on Sunday.
“Obviously in a game like (Saturday), that was really tight, Camilo is someone who could make a difference,” Rennie said. “The key thing is he’s not going to be out for long. We didn’t want to play him today and then have him missing games.”
There’s no doubt that a healthy Camilo and a focused Miller will have a lot to say about the Caps’ fate.