Report and Reaction: Unstoppable United turn woeful Whitecaps into DC comics
Vancouver Whitecaps headed into DC minus the injured Pedro Morales, Christian Bolanos, Octavio Rivero and Nicolas Mezquida, along with the suspended Matias Laba. That wasn’t just a weakening of the team, it was a ravaging of it. Five big impact, senior players missing, but a chance for some formation tinkering and for the fringe players and young guys to step up and try and stake a claim to a starting spot.
Well in theory. In reality it was a terrible performance from the ‘Caps, devoid of any creativity or attacking threat and woefully exposed at the back by a rampant United attack that had a real hunger to try and kickstart their season.
It was a hunger that simply couldn’t be matched by Vancouver, who turned in probably their worst performance yet under Carl Robinson’s tenure in a 4-0 thumping.
Here’s our match report and postgame reaction from both locker rooms.
REPORT:
The Whitecaps must have had high hopes heading in to DC to face a winless United side that was struggling to get any offence going. The ‘Caps were unbeaten in three games, with back to back clean sheets, but you came out of this one wondering just how that had been possible, as the home side turned in an impressive performance, banging in four unanswered goals. If it wasn’t for David Ousted, it could have been a lot, lot worse.
Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio got a brace apiece, with the latter only being on the pitch for 11 minutes.
The ‘Caps offered basically nothing in return, and although some of the display can be pinned on the missing personnel, you can’t blame all of what went wrong on being understrength.
Vancouver were decimated by injuries and suspension heading in to this one, but the absences led to an exciting looking starting eleven, with two strikers in Blas Perez and Masato Kudo and the first MLS start for Marco Bustos in the number 10 role. With that creative quality, and with a solid backline, the Whitecaps were confident they could come away from the match with something.
The ‘Caps enjoyed their fare share of possession in the opening exchanges but it was the home side that were creating the better chances.
Nick DeLeon had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute, forcing a good save from David Ousted after the ball fell to him in the box, 12 yards out. Ousted was called into action moments later, saving easily from an Espindola shot from inside the box that lacked power.
DC came their closest yet in the 15th minute when Steve Birnbaum got his head on a free kick floated in by Marcelo Sarvas, but flashed it wide right.
Ousted was being kept busy smothering and dealing with dangerous balls into the box, as Vancouver struggled to get any real offence going.
The Whitecaps soaked up the continuing DC pressure without too much trouble, as the game fell into a bit of a lull. It almost sprang back into life in the 33rd minute when the ball was cut back to Espindola on the penalty spot, but Ousted produced a fantastic leg save to deny the Argentine and keep the game scoreless.
Vancouver had their first chance in the 36th minute, when Perez ran on to a neat Kudo layoff, before firing a fierce one wide of the right post.
The Whitecaps resistance was finally broken six minutes before half time. Ousted did well to get down to a Chris Rolfe shot, but couldn’t hold on and Espindola was on hand to poke home the spill and give the home side their deserved lead.
It looked like a big ask for Vancouver get back into this one but they nearly did that in the 42nd minute when Fraser Aird forced a save from Travis Worra after a neatly worked breakaway.
That was it for the first half, and the ‘Caps were now left chasing.
Kekuta Manneh came on for Marco Bustos at the break, but DC were at it again straight from the restart, with Ousted being forced to make another leg save from Espindola two minutes in.
It was just putting off the inevitable and DC made it 2-0 in the 54th minute. Birnbaum outjumped Tim Parker at a corner, but crashed his header off the bar. The rebound fell to the feet of Espindola who easily buried it high into the net.
The only two real questions remaining for Vancouver now were could they hold it to just two goals against and what were the chances of grabbing that first goal of the season from open play?
The latter nearly came in the 67th minute when Manneh finally ran at the DC defence and his low cross came out to sub Erik Hurtado who rattled the left post with his first touch of the game, and the season.
Hurtado had another great chance ten minutes later when the ball came to him open at the back post but he horribly scuffed his effort.
DC added a third two minutes from time, when they broke quickly from a ‘Caps corner and substitute Alvaro Saborio was played in by Luciano Acosta and easily clipped the ball over Ousted.
And Saborio cut the Whitecaps apart again a minute into stoppage time, coolly finishing after Acosta played him in once more to make it four.
All in all, it was a terrible performance from the Whitecaps. They may have been missing some key, senior players, but Carl Robinson has long maintained that he has a squad for a reason. On tonight’s showing, that squad is simply not good enough when a lot of them have to be called upon at the same time.
Ousted and Jacobson were the sole shining lights, as both defence and attack struggled. Still no goal from open play for the Whitecaps in 540 minutes now and some serious work is needing done before next week’s trip to Real Salt Lake.
Let’s just hope they’re a bit healthier for what will be another tough one.
FINAL SCORE: DC United 4 – 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 14,088
DC: Travis Worra; Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, Taylor Kemp; Patrick Nyarko (Rob Vincent 86), Marcelo Sarvas, Nick DeLeon, Lamar Neagle; Chris Rolfe (Luciano Acosta 77), Fabian Espíndola (Alvaro Saborio 79) [Subs Not Used: Tally Hall, Kofi Opare, Luke Mishu, Jared Jeffrey]
VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Fraser Aird, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey; Andrew Jacobson, Russell Teibert (Kianz Froese 61), Marco Bustos, Cristian Techera; Masato Kudo, Blas Perez (Erik Hurtado 67) [Subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Jordan Smith, Sam Adekugbe, Pa Modou Kah, Kekuta Manneh]
REACTION:
To follow shortly….
Read Further on AFTN.ca
Vancouver Whitecaps headed into DC minus the injured Pedro Morales, Christian Bolanos, Octavio Rivero and Nicolas Mezquida, along with the suspended Matias Laba. That wasn’t just a weakening of the team, it was a ravaging of it. Five big impact, senior players missing, but a chance for some formation tinkering and for the fringe players and young guys to step up and try and stake a claim to a starting spot.
Well in theory. In reality it was a terrible performance from the ‘Caps, devoid of any creativity or attacking threat and woefully exposed at the back by a rampant United attack that had a real hunger to try and kickstart their season.
It was a hunger that simply couldn’t be matched by Vancouver, who turned in probably their worst performance yet under Carl Robinson’s tenure in a 4-0 thumping.
Here’s our match report and postgame reaction from both locker rooms.
REPORT:
The Whitecaps must have had high hopes heading in to DC to face a winless United side that was struggling to get any offence going. The ‘Caps were unbeaten in three games, with back to back clean sheets, but you came out of this one wondering just how that had been possible, as the home side turned in an impressive performance, banging in four unanswered goals. If it wasn’t for David Ousted, it could have been a lot, lot worse.
Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio got a brace apiece, with the latter only being on the pitch for 11 minutes.
The ‘Caps offered basically nothing in return, and although some of the display can be pinned on the missing personnel, you can’t blame all of what went wrong on being understrength.
Vancouver were decimated by injuries and suspension heading in to this one, but the absences led to an exciting looking starting eleven, with two strikers in Blas Perez and Masato Kudo and the first MLS start for Marco Bustos in the number 10 role. With that creative quality, and with a solid backline, the Whitecaps were confident they could come away from the match with something.
The ‘Caps enjoyed their fare share of possession in the opening exchanges but it was the home side that were creating the better chances.
Nick DeLeon had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute, forcing a good save from David Ousted after the ball fell to him in the box, 12 yards out. Ousted was called into action moments later, saving easily from an Espindola shot from inside the box that lacked power.
DC came their closest yet in the 15th minute when Steve Birnbaum got his head on a free kick floated in by Marcelo Sarvas, but flashed it wide right.
Ousted was being kept busy smothering and dealing with dangerous balls into the box, as Vancouver struggled to get any real offence going.
The Whitecaps soaked up the continuing DC pressure without too much trouble, as the game fell into a bit of a lull. It almost sprang back into life in the 33rd minute when the ball was cut back to Espindola on the penalty spot, but Ousted produced a fantastic leg save to deny the Argentine and keep the game scoreless.
Vancouver had their first chance in the 36th minute, when Perez ran on to a neat Kudo layoff, before firing a fierce one wide of the right post.
The Whitecaps resistance was finally broken six minutes before half time. Ousted did well to get down to a Chris Rolfe shot, but couldn’t hold on and Espindola was on hand to poke home the spill and give the home side their deserved lead.
It looked like a big ask for Vancouver get back into this one but they nearly did that in the 42nd minute when Fraser Aird forced a save from Travis Worra after a neatly worked breakaway.
That was it for the first half, and the ‘Caps were now left chasing.
Kekuta Manneh came on for Marco Bustos at the break, but DC were at it again straight from the restart, with Ousted being forced to make another leg save from Espindola two minutes in.
It was just putting off the inevitable and DC made it 2-0 in the 54th minute. Birnbaum outjumped Tim Parker at a corner, but crashed his header off the bar. The rebound fell to the feet of Espindola who easily buried it high into the net.
The only two real questions remaining for Vancouver now were could they hold it to just two goals against and what were the chances of grabbing that first goal of the season from open play?
The latter nearly came in the 67th minute when Manneh finally ran at the DC defence and his low cross came out to sub Erik Hurtado who rattled the left post with his first touch of the game, and the season.
Hurtado had another great chance ten minutes later when the ball came to him open at the back post but he horribly scuffed his effort.
DC added a third two minutes from time, when they broke quickly from a ‘Caps corner and substitute Alvaro Saborio was played in by Luciano Acosta and easily clipped the ball over Ousted.
And Saborio cut the Whitecaps apart again a minute into stoppage time, coolly finishing after Acosta played him in once more to make it four.
All in all, it was a terrible performance from the Whitecaps. They may have been missing some key, senior players, but Carl Robinson has long maintained that he has a squad for a reason. On tonight’s showing, that squad is simply not good enough when a lot of them have to be called upon at the same time.
Ousted and Jacobson were the sole shining lights, as both defence and attack struggled. Still no goal from open play for the Whitecaps in 540 minutes now and some serious work is needing done before next week’s trip to Real Salt Lake.
Let’s just hope they’re a bit healthier for what will be another tough one.
FINAL SCORE: DC United 4 – 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 14,088
DC: Travis Worra; Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, Taylor Kemp; Patrick Nyarko (Rob Vincent 86), Marcelo Sarvas, Nick DeLeon, Lamar Neagle; Chris Rolfe (Luciano Acosta 77), Fabian Espíndola (Alvaro Saborio 79) [Subs Not Used: Tally Hall, Kofi Opare, Luke Mishu, Jared Jeffrey]
VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Fraser Aird, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey; Andrew Jacobson, Russell Teibert (Kianz Froese 61), Marco Bustos, Cristian Techera; Masato Kudo, Blas Perez (Erik Hurtado 67) [Subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Jordan Smith, Sam Adekugbe, Pa Modou Kah, Kekuta Manneh]
REACTION:
To follow shortly….
Read Further on AFTN.ca
