VANCOUVER, B.C.—Sunday evening, you could have mistaken the action at BC Plac for that of several Vancouver Whitecaps games from this season. The same story played out … again: the Whitecaps tore forward on attack after attack but failed to put the ball in the back of the net.
An inability to capitalize on their chances has plagued the Whitecaps this year, never proving more costly than it did in their Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinal against the Portland Timbers.
After being blanked over both legs by their Cascadia rivals, including Sunday's 2-0 loss at BC Place, Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson felt his side got what they deserved.
"We didn't score a goal over two legs," Robinson said. "When you don't score a goal over two legs, unless you're lucky and go to penalties and win, you're not going to win a game of football and that's what happened."
With the Conference Semifinal series delicately poised after last week's scoreless draw in Portland, Vancouver came out looking for the early goal, hoping to force the visiting Timbers to open up.
Winger Kekuta Manneh was giving the Portland defense a torrid time, firing narrowly past the right post and crashing a low drive off the left post in the opening nine minutes.
The turning point for Vancouver came midway through the half when Manneh chased down a through ball, but slipped. He rolled his ankle on the play, forcing the Gambian striker from the game in the 25th minute. And once Manneh left, so did much of Vancouver's attacking verve.
"It changed dramatically," Robinson said. "The kid started like a house on fire and put us in the ascendency with playing front foot football. We hit the post and had one or two half-chances, then it changes. When it's not your day, it's not your day. Today it wasn't our day."
Vancouver were once again out-possessed and outshot by Portland in the second leg. Mauro Rosales, who came on to replace Manneh, felt that the 'Caps lacked confidence when pushing forward, and failed to rise to the occasion.
"We didn't perform as good as we played the last couple of games," Rosales said. "It was a crucial game for us. This kind of game you have to step up with a different mentality, with a different approach to the games. Do your 110 percent every time.
"We had a good run during the season. When we should perform at higher levels, we didn't. Disappointed, but proud of the team for how hard they've worked during the year."
The failure to score a crucial away goal in the first leg in Portland proved to be a key factor in the aggregate loss.
Robinson admitted the Whitecaps let slip a great opportunity to add to an already historic season.
"Disappointed today for the guys but really proud of them," Robinson said. "They should come away from this season [that] we've achieved a lot of things at this football club and they should be proud of themselves. Disappointed? Yes. We missed an opportunity, and it is a missed opportunity for us this year, but we are a young group of players and we'll learn from it."
