It was probably fitting that the Vancouver Whitecaps season should end with a whimper of a 2-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders in the second leg of the Conference semi-final on Wednesday evening.
After all, Carl Robinson’s whole philosophy is based around making his team as tedious to watch as possible and he achieved the zenith of that ambition over these two games.
Although he must have been disappointed to see a half-hearted Christian Bolaños header count as the only shot on goal over the full 180 minutes when the perfect zero was so nearly on the cards.
What’s left to say?
If you don’t try to win games you won’t win games?
If you don’t think a Cascadian derby playoff series is reason to get your team fired up to score then what is?
Bringing on Davies and Shea who haven’t played ten minutes of good football between them in the last two months displayed typically poor in-game management?
A bizarre end to the season which saw the team lose any rhythm and cohesion due to a constant switching of personnel and tactics?
The belief that relying on “fine lines” is the only way to win games?
The lack of belief in players, constantly speaking of them as underdogs and asking them to play a style of football that sucks the life out of their creativity?
The mind numbing limits to any sense of ambition both on the field and off it?
I could go on, but there will be time enough for that and more over the coming weeks when we can consider whether the “fire Robbo” tweets of this evening are the wounded sighs of unhappy creatures or something containing more substance.
For now though it’s on to a Winter of player moves and speculation, which is always fun in itself I guess.
But how we must all wish we were back in the height of Summer, drinking a cold beer in our Whitecaps themed gazebo and dreaming of what might be.
But “what might be” always turns out to be an illusory stop on the road to “what is”.
But oh for a just a few more shots on goal!
Time for the Soccer Shorts player ratings.
Marinovic-5.5, Nerwinski-5, de Jong-6*, Waston-5.5, Parker-5.5-Nosa-5.5, Ghazal-6, Techera-4.5, Bolaños-5, Reyna-4, Montero-5 (Harvey-5)
Soccer Shorts (The Director's Cut) 
Once again Russel you are right. That said, where do I go with the fact that you are right. We seem to have put together one of the finest squad of players in the MLS. If you take all the teams with the big money players out, then we have the best squad. Robinson made that.
That said, tactically I never understand the plan. I thought I did tonight. Take it to the wire, even when Seattle score, all we need is one goal to win and its all good. I believed in Robbo like I have not believed all season. Yet come 10 mins to go, there was no push forward. Seattle actually got the upper hand.
What I am trying to say is that manager wise he is a great manager. Coach wise he sucks. You can’t have one without the other though. hmmmmnnn.
Keep writing Russell.
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