Conservative, shorthanded Whitecaps punished by the Sounders

Due to injuries and suspensions, the Vancouver Whitecaps played a very conservative game in Seattle Saturday. But, the Whitecaps inability to push back invited the Sounders to keep coming forward in droves — and, eventually, the pressure paid off. Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson’s second half goals gave the Sounders a 2-0 win over their Cascadia rivals. With MLS deciding just hours before the match to suspend midfielder Barry Robson for the Seattle match — because of his post-game reaction to the officiating of Wednesday’s loss to FC Dallas — Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie’s lineup headaches was compounded. He was already missing both of his regular centre backs; Jay DeMerit with concussion-like symptoms and Martin Bonjour due to yellow-card accumulation. So, with the little-used Carlyle Mitchell and the newly acquired Andy O’Brien in the middle, the team defended awfully deep, and kept left back Alain Rochat pinned back as a safety valve.= When the Whitecaps attacked, Rochat hung back with the centre backs, leaving right back Young Pyo-Lee as the only defender with the freedom to go forward. Only on set pieces did Rochat venture forth. The move gave the Whitecaps no dimension on the left side of the pitch. But, through the first half, the strategy seemed to be working. (At least, if the Whitecaps were playing for the draw). Eddie Johnson had a decent shot from the top of the box, and Brad Evans forced a decent save from Caps’ keeper Joe Cannon after he latched onto a loose ball. But in terms of flowing attacks, Seattle had none — and Mauro Rosales, the architect of the Sounders offence, was invisible. Meanwhile, the Caps’ attacking options were limited to the combination play of lone striker Darren Mattocks and Designated Player Kenny Miller, who was moved into a supporting role behind Mattocks. Vancouver’s best chance came when Mattocks threaded a ball through the middle for Miller, which forced Sounders keeper Michael Gspuring to come running out of his penalty area to clear the ball from Miller’s feet. But, in the second half, Seattle continued press — and the game began to get some flow, which was what the hosts wanted. With the Whitecaps offering so little in attack — and Camilo isolated on the left side with no support — the Sounders felt little risk in bringing players forward. Johnson should have put the Sounders ahead, as a cross, from right back Adam Johansson found him in the area. But his volleyed attempt well wide. Johansson was able to cause the Whitecaps all sorts of problems up the right wing, simply because Camilo offered little in defending on the side and Rochat was pinned back. The Whitecaps invited Johansson to attack — and attack he did. And, eventually, Montero — who missed Sounders’ training on Friday due to personal reasons — was brought in as a sub. Soon after, he gave the home team a 1-0 lead. A free kick from Rosales was floated into the Whitecaps area; it was chested down by teammate Jeff Parke, and the ball rolled to Montero’s feet. The Colombian forward scuffed the shot into the ground, but it skipped over Cannon and into the goal. The Whitecaps had little to offer in reply. Mattocks did put the ball in the back of the net, but he was whistled for pushing Parke in the back before he scramble the ball past Gspurning. The Sounders got the insurance goal late, as Brad Evans (from Rochat’s side) slipped a ball across the box that Johnson just had to tap in. Whitecaps fans could argue that the Sounders could have had some players booked or possibly even sent off in the first half. And, in the wake of the last-second Robson suspension, they will feel hard done by that Johnson didn’t see a card of any colour after he struck Mitchell in the face as he tried to push off of the defender. They may also point to a moment in the first half when Seattle defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado looked to have stomped on Mattocks when the Whitecaps’ forward was down on the pitch. But, when a team is dominated on the wings like the Whitecaps were in the second half, it’s hard for many protests to find sympathetic ears. RELATED: Whitecap Robson to miss Seattle derby due to last-second suspension (CLICK) Whitecaps “never got going” in loss to FC Dallas (CLICK)