A late Jamie Smith equalizer undid what looked as if it would be a first win in six for the Vancouver Whitecaps, as the club drew the Colorado Rapids 2-2 at BC Place Sunday night.

Professional players are expected to give their all for the jersey. And, when there is nothing left to play for in terms of trophies or playoff spots, they play for pride.

Bernier: “We’re a little disappointed because we had four games to play and we knew we had to win them all to have a chance at the playoffs. We didn’t have the same energy in the first half as we did in the second and you can’t play that way against a team that knows exactly what it has to do and then goes out and does it. We came up with too little too late and now we have three games left in the season.”

Henry got 13 of the 19 first-place votes cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters, after the French legend scored twice — including a spectacular Olimpico — and set up another as the New York Red Bulls defeated Columbus by a 3-1 count.

The Impact pressed the host Fire early, and took a 1-0 lead thanks to some guile from striker Marco Di Vaio, but the Impact’s experience in the defence was outweighed by its lack of movement, as it surrendered three unanswered goals.

Frankly, a team that offers as little offensively as the Whitecaps doesn’t deserve points from matches. On Saturday, the Whitecaps got one shot on the FC Dallas goal. In their last game, a loss two weeks ago to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Whitecaps got no shots on goal.

"It doesn't matter how well you play for 89 minutes, it's the whole game that matters," said O'Dea. "The ability is there. There is no question of that. The team is mentally weak. Tough times in games we don't hold out, we concede late goals."

The Canadian men’s national team will go into its two biggest World Cup qualifiers in more than two decades without the country’s all-time leading scorer.

"If you want to give teams a two-goal stand then carry on, but we’re not that good. We were the architects of our own downfall, playing ridiculous balls in the wrong area of the field. I thought we eradicated that, but obviously some of the lads that have been in the squad haven’t been listening."

Eddie Johnson scored twice for the Seattle Sounders as they rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Chivas USA 2-1.