If you wanted just one word to sum up the general feeling amongst many of the Vancouver support last night, "strange" would probably be the one to go with.
The Whitecaps had claimed their first MLS playoff spot, but it didn't feel like a time for celebration.
It wasn't won on the night, but handed to us after we failed to stand up and be counted. We achieved our greatest achievement in our MLS era so far after turning in one of our most lacking performances. Not how you want to clinch a playoff spot, but every way has the same outcome.
Today, most of the talk has been around the Caps "backing" into the playoffs.
Based on the events of Sunday, an apt description, but a playoff place is earned over a season, not one game.
I prefer to look at it as us limping into the playoffs. Let's be thankful we're not a horse.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
We're there though. The first Canadian team to achieve that feat, and despite what we're all feeling about the performances right now, we should all take a step back, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.
Are we deserving? Yes, because the only thing that matters at the end of the day was that we got the points on the board to get the job done.
Those 42 points say we deserve it.
Somewhat ironically, for people like myself who have been banging on about a single table, we'd be out of the playoff positions in 12th if we had that (although balanced/unbalanced schedules may have had that looking a little different, so it's not a proper comparison).
The Caps put the old adage of "it's not how you start, it's how you finish" to bed by logging 69% of their points total in the first half of the season. 29 points from those 17 games. 13 from the rest, which is the same as TFC.
That early season form, that record clean sheet streak and the wins we got on the board are what have us in the playoffs.
After a string of dire performances since July, rightly or wrongly, the team has left a lot of the fans deflated and wondering is there actually any point in us making the playoffs, in what looks like being a one and out game?
A quick glance at the Southsiders forum, twitter and the Caps Facebook page, would make anyone stumbling across them think the Caps were in TFC's position at the bottom of MLS.
I'm sure many in Toronto see us as being whiny, undeserving and baffled at the response of many, but certainly not all, Whitecaps supporters.
As arrogant as this will sound, the reason I feel like that is because we are Vancouver Whitecaps FC. A team with a rich history at all levels of the North American game. A team who regularly went to the playoffs, went deep and who you always felt had a chance of making the Championship game and invariably did, winning it too.
I expect us to make the playoffs every season, new League or not. And I expect us to have a good shot once we're in there. If you don't have that feeling about your team, then there is something wrong with your Club.
The current crop of players don't give you that feeling of hope, but in a one off game anything can happen.
As a supporter of a small club with an incredible giantkilling record in one-off Cup ties, I know there is always that chance for an upset, however slim it might appear.
For that to happen, the players need to give themselves a shake and have a long, hard look at their attitudes and performances.
That said, I'm expecting a three or four goal mauling in LA.
I want us to forget about going there to defend and to die on our sword as we take the game to the Galaxy, playing our fast players and attacking the wings like there's no tomorrow.
I want to see passion. I want to see fight. I want to see Lee, Rochat, Richards and Mattocks run the LA defence ragged up the wings and for them not to know where the next attack is coming from. I want to see a midfield that actually turns up and makes a difference.
We may lose, but I want to be proud of the way my team lost.
The reason I wait 24 hours or so before writing these pieces is not to have kneejerk rants. If I'd written this last night, even this morning, I would have gone off on one about the lack of creativity (again), failing to rise to the occasion in a big game (again), team selection and tactics (again) and the attitude of people like Barry Robson (probably for the first time, as I've been a defender of his).
There is so much wrong with the Whitecaps just now. There are a lot of reasons for our slump. There is a lot of blame that needs placed.
This isn't the time. It can wait another couple of weeks. We've achieved one of our pre-season goals and the time for full critical analysis will come soon.
For now we should savour the moment, acknowledge the achievement, and hope that our players go out and make everyone connected with the Whitecaps proud on November 1st.
Another gutless and uncreative display should not, and will not, be tolerated, if these players want to be here next season.
We've eleven days to get this right. Forget the past four months. It's a new season and a new start on November 1st. Let's attack it the way we did back in March.
'Mon the Caps.
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<u><b>AFTN 3-2-1 v Portland</b></u>
3 points - ANDY O'BRIEN (Has probably been the signing of the summer. Another solid performance for the centrehalf. Didn't seem to put a foot wrong.)
2 points - MATT WATSON (I'll be honest. I would have dropped him for this game and had Richards in. Nothing to do with Matt's previous performances, which had been good, but Richards needed to be in there for someone. As it turned out, Watson was the only midfielder with any creativity and attacking danger in the first half. He was my Caps MotM at half time.)
1 point - YOUNG-PYO LEE (Lee just edged the final point from Harvey for me. Wasn't exceptional but didn't do anything bad defensively. We badly need him to be a terror on the wings again.)
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