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Whitecaps send RSL to fourth straight loss with clean sheet win

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By JOSE M. ROMERO

Parking and seats on the SkyTrain were probably more difficult to come by than Vancouver Whitecaps' goals Thursday night in downtown Vancouver. 

With the NHL Canucks playing nearby in their regular-season opener, the Whitecaps still drew a big crowd of 20,113 fans to their brand new home, B.C. Place Stadium, and rewarded the faitfhful with a 3-0 win over struggling Real Salt Lake.

Camilo converted two penalty kicks and Nizar Khalfan added the finishing touch as Vancouver snapped a four-match winless streak and won for the first time in two games at B.C. Place. RSL (15-11-6) dropped its fourth straight match with two remaining in the regular season.

The match was a makeup game after heavy rain at Empire Field, the Whitecaps' temporary home earlier this season, rendered the pitch unplayable. It could hardly have gone better for Vancouver.

The Whitecaps' margin of victory was the club's largest of the season. They struck first after a red card to RSL's Collen Warner in the 43rd minute, who was carded for a handball in the box after Camilo's service for Jay DeMerit came down for a header on goal by DeMerit. The ball appeared to hit Warner in the shoulder, a replay showed, but the card came out and Vancouver was awarded a PK.

Camilo converted easily.

In the 52nd minute, the ball hit RSL defender Chris Schuler in the arm — referee Chris Penso ruled — on a botched clearance from the box, and another PK was given. Camilo's shot glanced off goalkeeper Nick Rimando's hand and into the net to make it 2-0. 

The goal was the Brazilian's 11th of the season, tops on the Whitecaps. Vancouver was without suspended striker Eric Hassli.

Camilo's free kick in the 60th minute hit the side of the net. 

With Real Salt Lake hardly threatening, Khalfan scored off a header from late substitute Omar Salgado in the 88th minute.  

Comments

  1. And on top of it all, Beckerman’s regular season is now over as the disciplinary committee just handed him a 2-game suspension for that head butt against Chicago.

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  2. Really Tommy? Name me another team in this league that would put one or two in the net down a man with their best attacking player in his first full game after missing 4 months and missing their other 3 best players including both starting forwards.

    Seriously, don’t be ridiculous. RSL fans should be concerned about the poor form lately. I am not making excuses but in a salary cap league, no team could over come missing Espindola, Saborio and Beckerman with Morales at 75%. That is a combined 25 goals and 20 assists missing in action. Not to mention having two starting outside backs missing as well.

    Then you throw in all the terrible calls RSL has been getting, That is just how it will play out.

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  3. I like your confidence as a fan, but let’s be real here. You got a very generous call that severely impacted the game. That was not a hand ball and definitely not a red card on that first goal. Then the second goal was not a hand ball either as his arm was completely tight to the body.

    So congratulations for capitalizing on the chances that the refs gave you. But if you think that performance against a severely undermanned RSL team with some huge gifts from the Ref is a sign of things to come, you will be disappointed.

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  4. Man let’s face it! RSL was playing a “B” team last night bad calls or not, Vancouver has nothing to be proud of! RSL dosent either! Bc just lucked out by rescheduling the game to a weekend when RSL lost half it’s team to frendlies! RSL’s 4 loses were like this- DC “B” team nothing to be proud of there DC, Chicago- played well RSL didnt everything to brag about for the Fire, LA lucky 2nd goal, again not a statement from LA, and finally Caps get two freebee PK’s, and one great goal against the “B” team. I don’t think RSL is throwing anything, but starters will be back and gaining form right at the start of the playoffs, don’t count them out!

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  5. Thanks for that. I didn’t realize Johnson, Saborio and Alexandre are on inter. duty and all the injuries. Can some of this be the reason why RSL lost to lowly Chicago at Rio T by 3-0? That loss stands out as the most glaring.

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  6. For those of you wondering where RSL’s offense was, here it is

    Alexandre – Haiti
    A Alvarez – Death in the family
    Beckerman – USA
    Beltran – Injury
    Espindola – Suspension
    Gonzalez – Injury
    Johnson – Canada
    Reynish – Injury
    Russell – Injury
    Saborio – Costa Rica

    Combine that with two of the worst handballs this year, you see the score line. RSL didn’t deserve to win the game as they were lacking any cohesion, but the handballs knifed the game before it was even started.

    How many of the other MLS teams would do any worse when over 1/3rd of your roster is missing most of which are starters. Hey Ives how about some perspective eh?

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  7. Kries will see it differently. Plus where is the silver lining Ina four game losing streak? Not to mention losses to mid to bottom mls teams.

    Also I doubt RSL is losing on purpose so the can go through the east in playoffs.

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  8. Thorrington is healthy and the Caps win. There’s no coincidence there. That guy is nails and so important when he’s on the pitch.

    (I’m not a Caps fan, just know quality when I see it)

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  9. don’t make a call your not sure of. Especially when you know how easily a red card can change the game. The ref was influenced by the fans and players and made a rash decision that ruined the game

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  10. Tough PK calls…I can see the difficulty on the first given the ref’s point of view (linesman???) but the second was BS, ball to hand, no real goal threat etc…

    Tough to take another loss but given all the circumstances this one shouldn’t get RSL down much…

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  11. Is RSL losing on purpose because they don’t want to face the red hot Sounders in the first round of the playoffs? I’m sure they would rather be fourth in the West and take the easy road to the final by going through the Eastern division.

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  12. Drawing 20k for a team in last place.

    Obviously, since I have a brain, I hate the Whitecaps, but you have to hand it to their fans. They have been attending in droves for many decades.

    They were like a bad ant problem back in the 80s, everywhere you looked another one was popping up.

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  13. OT but, I’m headed to Milwaukee for work next week and don’t want to miss these crucial MLS matches over the weekend. Anyone know a good soccer/football/futbol bar? Appreciated!

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  14. That excuse only flies if you admit a shocking lack of depth on RSLs staff.

    Granted, RSL might have got hosed on the PKs, but I gotta think that a 10-man RSL has enough punch to put one or two in the net versus a porous Vancouver defense.

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  15. Vancouver will be an MLS power as soon as next season. All the pieces are in place. They just need to find that #10 to complete the team. As the worst team in MLS, they are not that far from the top. It shows the strength of the league at the bottom of the table.

    Reply

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