What a difference a week makes.
Just one week ago, the Vancouver Whitecaps were making Major League Soccer take notice with a commanding display against MLS champion LA Galaxy in a 2-0 win that sent them to the league’s best record. Just seven days later, they put in an almost polar opposite performance in a 1-0 loss Saturday to the San Jose Earthquakes that brought their five-match unbeaten streak to an end.
Vancouver came into the game at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium also leading the league in shots on goal, but they were unable to conjure up even one shot on target for the entire match. And head coach Carl Robinson was understandably disappointed with his team’s worst performance of the season.
"I thought we were way below the levels that I expect and the players expect," Robinson told media after the match. “We didn't get a shot on target, we didn't have enough of the ball, we didn't pass well enough.
"We looked flat. And this game was always a concern for me, being the third game in a week. We weren't at the races. I'll take responsibility for that, and we move on."
The Whitecaps, who were also coming off a midweek 2-2 home draw with Columbus Crew SC, may have struggled to muster any shots on target, but they had no problem racking up the cards from referee Edvin Jurisevic.
The ‘Caps added five yellow cards to their MLS-leading total of 17 coming into the match. They also added their first red card of the year when captain Pedro Morales was sent off in the 88th minute after a tussle with San Jose's Adam Jahn, who also saw red.
Robinson said it was "very difficult" for him to comment on the refereeing performance, but he was clearly frustrated at how things played out.
"What I can say is that I can analyze my performance and my team's performance, and we didn't deserve anything from the game based on the way we played," Robinson said. "But I think there's another analysis that needs to be done as well because my team picked up five yellow cards."
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The tone was set early when Darren Mattocks picked up a booking in the third minute.
"It seems to be repetitive, and it's a concern of mine because I don't think it was a nasty game at all," Robinson said. "Both managers were voicing their frustration because there were throw-ins that were given the wrong way, there was corners that were missed, there was simulation, there was bad decisions and you pick up yellow cards for innocuous challenges, but that's not for me to discuss. I'll analyze my team; I can't analyze anything else."
With the bookings coming thick and fast for Vancouver this season, the worry for Robinson is that his team is picking up yellow cards by reputation and not through how the games are playing out.
"Whether we get a reputation or not, I want to get a reputation for playing fantastic football and winning," Robinson said. "Unfortunately we didn't win. We didn't play fantastic football today, and we lost."
