Report and Reaction: Vancouver Whitecaps’ rapid decline continues in Colorado

There’s a lot of things that look off with Vancouver Whitecaps right now. Their potent attack isn’t firing, their midfield has lost its shape and authority, the defence looks like they’ve forgotten how to defend, and the high press and short passing game simply isn’t being executed. When all of that combines in the same match, you get a game like the ‘Caps 3-0 loss at Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.

There was very little positives to take from the Whitecaps’ trip to Commerce City. Facing a team that had managed just one win in their last seven outings, on paper this was just the kind of opponent Vancouver needed to steady the ship and get some of their form back. Instead it was Colorado who took early control and never gave it up.

First half goals from Calvin Harris and Rafael Navarro had the Rapids coasting. They could even afford the luxury of missing a stoppage time penalty. Although the ‘Caps looked slightly better in the second half, a goalkeeping blunder from Yohei Takaoka had already sealed their fate by the hour mark and there was no way back.

This was match number three of a five-game road spell in MLS play for the ‘Caps, and the first of three league games in the space of eight days. The good news for Vancouver is that they are getting stronger, with all their international players returning, although not all of them in a healthy state. The bad news, however, was that they still didn’t have a full remaining squad to pick from with Andres Cubas still out with an ankle injury and Jayden Nelson suspended after his foolish sending off in last weekend’s horrorshow with the LA Galaxy.

That all meant four changes for Jesper Sorensen from the team that went down heavily in Carson eight days ago, with US internationals Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter starting their first MLS match together since the end of May. Intriguingly, despite reports from Mexico indicating that Pedro Vite was moving to Pumas, the Ecuadorian started this one, indicating it’s not the done deal those reports suggested.

With results elsewhere all going against the Whitecaps, they needed to get back to winning ways against the Rapids and re-find their mojo from earlier in the season.

It was the home side that started the stronger, however, and Vancouver survived a scare in the 11th minute when Navarro sent a low cross in from the right which Yohei Takaoka only parried onto the shins of Mathias Laborda. The deflection was heading in but the Uruguayan recovered superbly to backheel the ball off the line and the danger was cleared.

It was only a temporary respite and Colorado got their breakthrough seconds later.

The Rapids cut the Whitecaps open when they defended in a clump, allowing Ted Ku-Dipietro to play in Djordje Mihailovic for a two-on-one against Tate Johnson on the edge of the box. Mihailovic touched the ball to his outside to a wide open Harris, and the Englishman had all the time in the world to pick his spot and fire past Takaoka and Colorado had the 1-0 lead.

It was horrible defending from Vancouver and a far cry from what they doing on the backline earlier in the season. Somewhat concerningly, this has been a trend that shows no sign of slowing.

Colorado came within the width of the left post to doubling their lead in the 25th minute when Connor Ronan crashed a lovely low strike off it, with Takaoka beaten.

The Rapids got their second on the half hour mark when Mihailovic sent a dangerous low cross in from the right for a stretching Navarro to get goalside of Bjorn Inge Utvik and direct it past Takaoka.

It had been a horrible first half for Vancouver, another one where they failed to manage a shot on target, and it was almost made worse in stoppage time when Berhalter brought down Ku-Dipietro on the edge of the box.

The tackle looked to be just outside, but referee Ricardo Fierro pointed to the spot. Video review didn’t save the ‘Caps, but Takaoka did, showing superb composure to deny Navarro a second of the game with a brilliant stop.

It still feels very recent that even trailing by two, you didn’t just think that the Whitecaps could come back, you expected it. You didn’t in this one at any point.

The next goal was always going to be crucial and the Whitecaps hadn’t shown anything to indicate that it would come from them. And it didn’t.

Unfortunately it was another howler from Takaoka, who got it all wrong trying to handle Maxsø’s goalbound header off a Mihailovic corner and the home side led by three a minute before the hour mark.

Mistake aside, Vancouver will feel slighted by Maxsø still being on the pitch, after the Dane was lucky to see just a yellow for a wildly reckless tackle on Emmanuel Sabbi earlier in the half.

The ‘Caps finally registered their first shot on target in the 64th minute when White was played in, but denied by Zach Steffen. Replays showed the striker would have been offside in any case, but it was at least something.

Colorado nearly made it four just minutes later when Navarro pounced on an Utvik turnover, but the Brazilian fired wide, before Ocampo cleared a Harris header off the goalline in the 70th minute.

Steffen denied Vite with a good diving save in the 77th minute, as the ‘Caps desperately tried to get something, anything, from the game.

The ‘Caps created some half chances to see out the match, but Colorado were already in cruise control by that point and Vancouver sank to their fourth defeat in their last five league matches. Games that have seen them concede 13 times in their four losing efforts.

It’s not quite time to hit the panic button. Their good early season form has seen them build up some breathing space at the top of the table, but they now sink down to third in the standings and are one of the worst form teams in the West. Returns, full fitness, and new faces can’t come quick enough. They don’t have much time to lick their wounds either. Houston are next up on Wednesday. Another game that on paper is there for the taking. Now they need to transfer that to grass.

FINAL SCORE: Colorado Rapids 3 – 0 Vancouver Whitecaps

ATT: 16,110

COLORADO: 1.Zack Steffen; 4.Reggie Cannon, 6.Chidozie Awaziem, 5.Andreas Maxsø, 3.Sam Vines; 23.Cole Bassett (12.Josh Atencio 77’), 20.Connor Ronan (8.Oliver Larraz 77’); 14.Calvin Harris, 10.Djordje Mihailovic (77.Darren Yapi 84’), 21.Ted Ku-DiPietro (18.Sam Bassett 84’); 9.Rafael Navarro (27.Kimani Stewart-Baynes 87’) [Substitutes not used: 41.Nico Hansen, 2.Keegan Rosenberry, 19.Ian Murphy]

VANCOUVER: 1.Yohei Takaoka; 2.Mathías Laborda, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik (4.Ranko Veselinović 73’), 33.Tristan Blackmon, 28.Tate Johnson; 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 13.Ralph Priso (59.Jeevan Badwal 65’), 26.J.C. Ngando (18.Édier Ocampo HT); 45.Pedro Vite, 24.Brian White (42.Nelson Pierre 84’), 11.Emmanuel Sabbi (14.Daniel Ríos 65’) [Substitutes not used: 32.Isaac Boehmer, 12.Belal Halbouni, 63.Johnny Selemani]

SCORING SUMMARY:

12’ – COL – Calvin Harris (Djordje Mihailovic, Ted Ku-DiPietro)
30’ – COL – Rafael Navarro (Djordje Mihailovic, Calvin Harris)
59’ – COL – Andreas Maxsø (Djordje Mihailovic)

STATS:
Possession: COL 43% – VAN 57%
Shots: COL 16 – VAN 12
Shots on Goal: COL 7 – VAN 2
Saves: COL 2 – VAN 3
Fouls: COL 8 – VAN 16
Offsides: COL 3 – VAN 1
Corners: COL 7 – VAN 10

CARDS:
27’ – VAN – Emmanuel Sabbi
41’ – COL – Calvin Harris
51’ – COL – Andreas Maxsø

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On tonight’s match:

“I think we struggled a lot in the first half. I think that we were on the back foot, that we were slow and indecisive. We were a little undisciplined, our positioning was not that good and we had difficulties defensively. They played through us and we couldn’t handle one-on-one situations. So I think that some of the things that you have to have when you start out in the game, we didnt [have]. The aggression, the toughness, the handling of the duels on the pitch, we lacked. That gave us a very bad start and we dug a really big hole for ourselves. We were fortunate to go to halftime 2-0 down because they had a penalty, also a very clumsy and not good situation for us because we didn’t need to make a penalty there and Yohei [Takaoka] saved it. And then we came out and [were] way better in the second half. We changed the formation and it seemed to be way better in the second half.”

On how to bounce back with a game in four days:

“I think it’s very important that we look at what is our identity as a team, because that’s what you always have to find your way back into. That’s what’s going to make you the team that you want to be. And that’s very important. I think that we, right now, lack what we were good at in the beginning of the season, and we don’t have the same confidence, and that’s okay. But it doesn’t matter that we don’t have a long time for the next game. We knew that beforehand, we knew we were going to Houston, but we’ll have to regroup and we will come up strong against Houston. Sometimes in the season, you have to take a step backwards to go forward again, and maybe we’ll have to do that a little bit.”

FORWARD BRIAN WHITE

On coming back into the fold with the ‘Caps:

“It’s exciting [to be back]. It was a long time away, it was tough to watch games and not be a part of them. I was looking forward to being back with the boys and being back out in the field. And unfortunately, we weren’t able to put it all together today, but we turn the page, learn from our mistakes and go again on Wednesday.”