Nearly nine months ago, there was more hope than expectation that 麻豆传媒映画Whitecaps FC could make this year鈥檚 MLS playoffs.
After all, this is a club that endured an offseason to forget 鈥� much of it driven by the acrimonious departure of last year鈥檚 top MLS goal-scorer, Camilo Sanvezzo, to Mexican club Quer茅taro in January.
Replacing Camilo鈥檚 22 goals was an acutely known challenge for Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson, especially once his most experienced striker Kenny Miller returned home to Scotland to join former club Rangers FC in May.
And yet, despite registering 11 fewer goals this regular season than in 2013, the 鈥楥aps found a way to secure a postseason berth for only the second time in their young MLS history. Their spot was assured with a 1-0 home win over the Colorado Rapids in the regular season finale Oct. 25 at B.C. Place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fantastic achievement for the group of players I鈥檝e got,鈥� Robinson said after Saturday鈥檚 win. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud of them because they鈥檝e probably been written off a few times this year when things didn鈥檛 go our way. But we stuck to our beliefs and the boys kept going. It鈥檚 credit to the organization, to the supporters, and that group of players.鈥�
Robinson has good reason to be proud of his squad. Unlike in 2012, when the Blue and White backed into the playoffs, the Caps put together a decisive run of four wins in their last five matches to set a club record of 50 regular season points.
In many ways, the 2014 Whitecaps are a fine example of how a soccer team can earn results without scoring a lot of goals. The departed Camilo continues to tear up the net and after 14 rounds, he leads the Mexican Apertura with 10 goals. But in Vancouver, the Whitecaps enter this MLS post-season having scored the fewest number of goals among the 10 playoff-bound clubs this season.
One factor was the league-leading 13 shutouts the Whitecaps FC recorded this term. Led by MLS candidate for goalkeeper of the year David Ousted, who is the only player to feature in every minute of Vancouver鈥檚 MLS season campaign to date, the 鈥楥aps proved a difficult side to break down. In fact, 麻豆传媒映画heads into the playoffs tonight with four-straight clean sheets to their name and having set the league鈥檚 longest shutout streak this season at 393 minutes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 credit to David and the back players for those clean sheets, but I said all along that we defend from the front and we attack from the back,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淚 knew what we had in that group of players and we were probably lacking a goal-scorer. We鈥檝e got players that can score goals, but not probably enough goals for me. While we haven鈥檛 scored enough goals, we鈥檝e worked hard defensively and you have to do that because, as they all say, championships are won from the defence.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to do that, but once the (summer transfer) window closed and we decided to go that way, it was just an opportunity for me to give my younger players more time and I had to work with what I got, which is why when they got criticized, I would never criticize them because they鈥檙e a brilliant group of lads that are trying their best.鈥澨� 听
As the fifth-place finisher in the MLS Western Conference, the Whitecaps are in Texas to face fourth-place FC Dallas in the Knockout Round game Oct. 29. Kickoff is 6 p.m. 麻豆传媒映画time.
Should the 鈥楥aps win, they will meet arch-rival Seattle Sounders FC in a Western Conference semi-final series, with the first leg set for B.C. Place this Sunday at 6 p.m.
Simon Fudge has covered the beautiful game in Canada and the United Kingdom for print, web and radio. Reach him at听.听听听
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