Miller scored two goals after he drew a game-changing penalty in Saturday’s 4-3 win over New England at B.C. Place.

“It’s just a clip,” Miller said. “I was getting ready to pull the trigger and put the ball in the back of the net, and he just clipped my heels or my calf. It’s one of them – it’s harsh on him, but by the letter of the law, it’s got to be a sending off.”

“We have a very good, very positive relationship with the Whitecaps,” said Miller. “The agreement was that Carlyle would be spending the season with us here in Edmonton, the only exception to that would be if the Whitecaps found themselves in dire straits. Well, they are clearly in dire straits at the moment.”

But, Mitchell didn't make FC Edmonton's road trip to Atlanta on Saturday because of injury. He hasn't played since spraining his ankle on the Clarke Stadium turf in the 17th minute of the May 26 loss to Fort Lauderdale. So, his status isn't a sure thing for a team that needs help with depth, and was playing defenders out of position in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Sounders.

“Not to make excuses, but maybe Andy doesn't get injured if we aren't playing on grass laid on turf. They have to play in these conditions as well, but it was just one of those weird games where they scored early, but we came back and gained total control. Then Andy goes down with an injury and the game changes from there."

From a strict asset-management standpoint, once the Whitecaps decided they wanted to deal Rochat, it became a case of the sooner, the better.

A 2-1 triumph over the Red Bulls was more than just three points for Vancouver; it was a statement to the fans back in British Columbia that this team wasn’t going to roll over.

The red card immediately put Miller in the market for a goalie and, lo and behold, he had Thomas in national-team camp... in Edmonton.

“I think Andy got picked,” Knighton said. “Camara is going to make that 99 per cent of the time – it’s unfortunate, because without the block Andy had 20 seconds before that, sprinting 40 yards and sliding in and knocking it out for a corner – it was fantastic.

On the game-tying play, in the 84th minute, the substitute appeared to bring a long ball from Will Johnson down with his hands – match officials were asked by a pool reporter what they saw on the play, and responded that from their view Valencia brought the ball down with his chest.