Whitecaps playoff push

[RJB]

The Whitecaps are plummeting. They've lost five in a row. What on earth is Martin Rennie doing?

[smartlikefox]

The team was winning before the transfer window but they were not really playing that well. Rennie tried to improve the team and, so far, it's blown up in his face. Too say they were a great team before though would be false.. their point totals were better than they deserved.

That being said, the Whitecaps are still fully in control of their own destiny. 4 games left at home where they have been excellent while Dallas has to go to places like Seattle and San Jose.

[narduch]

The only reason I think Vancouver still has a chance is that they play 4 of their last 5 at home, whereas Dallas plays 3 of their last 4 on the road. This is a league where home teams tend to always win (except TFC lol).

Remaining schedules for VAN and DAL

Vancouver:

Colorado (H)

Seattle (H)

Chivas (H)

Portland (H)

RSL (A)

Dallas:

San Jose (A)

Chivas (A)

Seattle (A)

Chivas (H)

The San Jose and Seattle road games will probably be Dallas' undoing.

[Tuscan]

Everyone seems to be panicking, which I think is just ridiculous. Everyone knows it's not likely a team will pick up points on the road in MLS, and the Caps are no exception. Yes they did surprise many by picking up road points earlier in the season, but things have changed since the transfer window additions, and not for the better.

I will be severely worried if the Caps drop any points during the next four home fixtures. That will be the real indicator.

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

Yeah, though the 5 in a row must be confidence damaging to players, we can just hope that coming home will turn things around and then things will be smooth sailing.

FCD has to go to Seattle and San Jose still so that 6 points they will likely lose. Which would give the Caps a 7 point cushion for the playoffs. Being a point ahead with a game in hand, and figuring we drop points in RSL.

[finchster]

Everyone seems to be panicking, which I think is just ridiculous. Everyone knows it's not likely a team will pick up points on the road in MLS, and the Caps are no exception. Yes they did surprise many by picking up road points earlier in the season, but things have changed since the transfer window additions, and not for the better.

I will be severely worried if the Caps drop any points during the next four home fixtures. That will be the real indicator.

Well I can see both sides of the coin Jeff, this team made massive changes that aren't working. Not to mention they looked like they could actually go somewhere in the playoffs prior to Rennieing the team. I don't think its ridiculous to panic, this team is in disarray.

Now that said I like the caps chances still (point up, game at hand, four at home and Dallas playing three on the road). I think they will make it but it's unfortunate because I don't think the buzz will be there for the team if they limp into the playoffs. Anyway I got tickets for the Portland game, that game should be interesting now because of this situation .

[Sam Brown]

I wouldn't be surprised if either/both Robson and Miller were benched next match. Neither is really performing. You'd think Robson would be able to find Miller in space but it really hasn't happened. I'm also sick of Robson waving his arms around at his team mates, blaming them for his poor passing. I saw Mattocks adjust his movement several times trying to wait for Robson's pass, then when Robson finally passes it, Mattocks is offside and doesn't bother making the run, so Robson waves his arms and stares at Mattocks. Blaming others for your failures isn't how success is made.

I would be more comfortable seeing Richards and Teibert on the flanks next match, keeping it simple, getting them to the byline and whipping crosses across the face of goal for Mattocks. I think Camillo is done. I have no faith in him to score, or create chances at this point. He selfishly took a shot at goal from 25 yards out when Miller was waiting for a through ball that would have seen him score. Teibert gets the start for me on the left flank next match.

[tmcmurph]

We have had 2 chances to bury Dallas and lost twice! Once at home!! Road games are hard to win but we have a coach with blinders on for his DP Miller and unless he is benched we are doomed. At home or on the road we have played very bad.

Since Dede left our only strategy is constant long balls to a small, slow forward who can't get to them before the defense.

If only we had a really fast forward or two .... oh wait we do. Both Mattocks and Richards are bullets. Yes they have some drawbacks but they could make the constant long balls out of midfield actually work. This is MLS and long ball offense can work because most teams don't have 4 fast defenders. Heck most don't even have one.

And there in lies the rub. Rennie seems unwilling to bail on Miller the way he did on Jarju and Hassli. He is pig headedly starting him in an offence that Miller will NEVER be good in. Martin give you head a shake. Bench your unproductive DP and start the Raggae Boyz!!

[Mr.Impact]

Miller and Robson are acting like Marco Di Vaio did in his first 6-7 games in MLS. Di Vaio has since adjusted to the league, and began scoring regurally. Give Robson and Miller the same amount of time, and their quality should shine through. This is not an easy league to adjust to, and thats without mentioning playing in different contenent (Travelling distance, artificial surface etc.)

[tmcmurph]

Miller and Robson are acting like Marco Di Vaio did in his first 6-7 games in MLS. Di Vaio has since adjusted to the league, and began scoring regurally. Give Robson and Miller the same amount of time, and their quality should shine through. This is not an easy league to adjust to, and thats without mentioning playing in different contenent (Travelling distance, artificial surface etc.)

God I hope you are correct.

The problem is that Robson has played 1000+ minutes and is still going long way too much and it is totally ineffective. We turn the ball over constantly. He has one foot and is very predictable. This comparison for the Dallas game was posted on the Caps board where A = Thorington and B = Robson:

Pass Completion %: A: 84% B: 66%

Turnovers: A: 10 B: 21

Tackles Won: A: 2 B: 1

Key Passes: A: 1 B: 1

Miller was doing poorly for the last 2 teams he played overseas (18+ months) so I don't know if more time to adjust is going to work or if he is just a spent force at this point in his career.

[Soro17]

^ The problem with Thorrington is that I never sense that he is ever going to create anything. His stats may be great, but his potential to impact a game in a positive manner is non-existent. In my view, at least, Robson has the potential to make an incisive pass or crack a shot on target.

Change of topic, would anyone like to see Teibert in the middle, perhaps in front of Koffie and Robson? Sadly, he is our most creative mid and he is starved of the ball out wide. I think he played in the middle for our youth teams in the past.

Finally, I don't want to see Camilo on the field again. What a selfish ballhog.

[RJB]

The 2011 Whitecaps never lost 5 in a row.

[tmcmurph]

Change of topic, would anyone like to see Teibert in the middle, perhaps in front of Koffie and Robson? Sadly, he is our most creative mid and he is starved of the ball out wide. I think he played in the middle for our youth teams in the past.

Finally, I don't want to see Camilo on the field again. What a selfish ballhog.

Ideally I'd like to see us do a 4-1-3-2

---Mattocks-Richards---

Teibert--Robson--Camilo

--------Koffie----------

Rochat-Demeritt-Bonjour-Lee

You have to remember that Camilo is a Brazilian forward playing on the wing. Brazilians shoot. Pretty simple from their point of view. If around the box SHOOT. He dribbles into trouble way too much and doesn't pass quickly enough but he can shoot hard and accurate. If there is one person I want shooting it is Camilo.

If you ever check out some of the Brazil league matches on TV you will see a lot of that. Any player around the box has license to kill the ball and they do. Camilo has worked very hard defensively this year and other people get to take the PKs he has drawn so for all his ballhog tendencies I would still play him. Who will we play in his place? Miller? Harris? We are not that deep.

[Soccerpro]

1st half finished between Caps and Rapids at BC place.

Caps are just as brutal at home as they have been on the road. They just keep booting it to Mattocks and Richards. They've got no creativity whatsoever in their midfield. They look hopeless. Even if they get into the playoffs, it looks like a one and out. At least Rennie sat Miller for this one and Robson isn't yelling at the referee and his teammates as much as he usually does.

[finchster]

I am iffy on this game, a draw took Colorado out of the playoff hunt so it’s a good result, however, this game along with Chivas were the two most winnable games on the home stand. We play Seattle next and I’m not confident in getting a result. The only saving grace is Dallas plays San Jose in San Jose.

[narduch]

That wasn't a good result for Vancouver.

Looking at the upcomming matches, Vancouver will need 2 wins to get in. That's assuming Dallas gets full 2 wins in its 2 matches against Chivas (the 2nd worst team in the league). Dallas 2 tough road games may not even matter.

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

I want Miller playing, were paying him to score we need him to play. I don't get why people aren't giving him a chance, he's never played in a league like this in his career and people are giving him no slack.

If we want to win, it's not gonna be with Camilo (Ever!) he plays with his head down all the time, trys to beat everyone by himself and fails 99% of the time. I'm really sick of watching him run at defenders with zero success rate, when an easy touch laterally would accomplish so much more. He is a fish out of water playing out of position in this system with the type of players around him.

I much rather see

----Mattocks-Miller

Tiebert--Robson--Richards

------Rochat--Koffie

Harvey-DeMerit-Bonjour-Lee

---------Knighton

[RJB]

I don't get why people aren't giving him a chance, he's never played in a league like this in his career and people are giving him no slack.

Because we're winless in six games, including 5 losses in a row. You expect a DP to perform. He has not. There is no grace period when we are in the stretch run of the season.

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

Because we're winless in six games, including 5 losses in a row. You expect a DP to perform. He has not. There is no grace period when we are in the stretch run of the season.

Yet we are in the exact same position for the playoffs, give me a break, so in 20/20 hindsight moot point.

Rennie also during this stretch has not been able to put a healthy squad together, either that or they're off internationally.

This team really hasn't had a lot of games in row to gel together, they'd been spaced out, by scheduling and bad luck. We get some points down this home stretch and we are sitting pretty for the playoffs. I for one still believe the ship is on par, did anyone really expect us to repeat our 1st half performance, that's just ignorance.

[narduch]

Yet we are in the exact same position for the playoffs, give me a break, so in 20/20 hindsight moot point.

Not sure what you are talking about. Just a few months ago, Vancouver looked like they were going to be challenging for one of the top seeds in the Conference.

They are sinking like a stone now.

[tmcmurph]

Not sure what you are talking about. Just a few months ago, Vancouver looked like they were going to be challenging for one of the top seeds in the Conference.

They are sinking like a stone now.

Sorry KM you are dead wrong on Miller and Narduch is right. We don't have time to give him. We and Dallas have 4 games left. They have all the tie breaks so we need 11 points (Dallas losing them or us getting them). Dallas play Chivas twice and we play them once. No excuse time. Screw the "gel together" BS. At this point in his career Miller is not a starter. Not when you have Mattocks. And don't say "play them both" as you know that would require the 4-4-2 formation which the coach dislikes and doesn't use. Give him a chance? Sure but not as a starter.

So bring Miller in as a sub and have him work against tired defenders. Who do you think defenders will tire against? An old slow player or a young speedy one? The latter of course so let Mattocks attack the defenders and wear them out and bring in Miller for the last 30 minutes.

You can argue that he is a DP and should be used all you want but he isn't cutting it and I don't see that changing. He has not been good for the last year+ at his previous clubs so hoping for him to turn it around is just wishful thinking. We need speed up top because we have, and still are, relying on long ball way too much. With the players we have I don't see that changing.

[narduch]

Dallas appears to be one of the better road teams in the league as well. They recently beat RSL on the road, which is a pretty difficult thing to do. Shouldn't count them out in their upcomming games, despite playing San Jose and Seattle.

Vancouver is going to need at least two wins (and even that may not be enough) to hold off Dallas.

[ag futbol]

Sorry KM you are dead wrong on Miller and Narduch is right. We don't have time to give him. We and Dallas have 4 games left.

It is a bit of a crush right now, but I think you're both right. Miller is adapting slowly (at best) and needs to pick up the pace. With someone who has his resume, you'd think he'd be well versed in the physical side of the game and not be shocked by MLS. I wonder if the caps will have any patience for him if he doesn't pick it up by the end of the year.

Being on the cusp of the playoffs in year two puts you guys on schedule, but that is disappointing in light of how well the team was playing early in the year.

[RJB]

How many years are Miller and Robson signed for? And at what price?

[tmcmurph]

How many years are Miller and Robson signed for? And at what price?

2 years plus 1 option and 700-900k+ each is what I've read but can't remember where. Waste of time & money IMHO.