Enjoy Saturday's defensive display against RSL? No, me neither, but we better get used to it, for what it lacked in excitement it made up for in effectiveness, and it is what is felt to be the blueprint for what lies ahead in Los Angeles on Thursday evening..
Although I dearly want the Whitecaps to take the game to LA, realistically I know that isn't going to happen.
The plan is clear. Pack the defence, pack the midfield, try and hold tight and then use our pace to hit on the break.
Caps players and management have already come out and said the win is what matters and how they get it is all that's important, not how beautiful it is to watch.
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I'm fine with that. I don't care how we get there, as long as we get there (however unlikely that scenario looks right now).
For the second week running, Vancouver Whitecaps had an important spot to secure. This time the team turned up and that Voyageurs Cup top seeding for next year is in the bag.
The draw, couple with Dallas' tie on Sunday, has meant that the Caps have qualified for the playoffs with a four point cushion. Hardly in by the back door as some want to claim.
Philadelphia's surprise loss to New England also handed the Caps the fifth pick in next year's SuperDraft. Might not mean much, but who knows, especially if someone else really wants it when it gets to that stage.
So a few positives coming out of the weekend's results.
Martin Rennie had two main options heading into the Salt Lake game - play a strong line-up to try and build momentum and a winning team dynamic, or rest players and go with the fringe guys.
Rennie took the bold step to risk injury and suspension to try and get some team momentum going and it worked, to an extent.
The draw and the performance has given the team a lift and showed that they can grind out a draw on the road against one of the top teams in the West.
But there is also despair in the fact that this was a weakened Real side and once again there was no creativity or attacking threat, especially in the midfield, and we could only muster one shot on goal.
Mattocks and Richards may have huffed and puffed, and their pace did cause problems, but they showed no real likelihood of breaking the deadlock, apart from the offside goal. It seems that it doesn't matter who is in there, we can't be creative.
Much has been made about Kenny Miller and Camilo not scoring, but Darren Mattocks hasn't exactly been doing the business of late either. None of them can without the proper service from the middle and the wings. Offseason moves in this regard will be interesting.
Los Angeles are going to pose a far greater attacking threat than Real did on Saturday night. They're going to be faster and attack in waves. Can the Caps really hope to hold on for 120 minutes and get to penalties?
When you consider that LA have only failed to score in one home game this season, and that was on May 5th against New York when the team still wasn't firing on all cylinders, then you can't see them not scoring.
The problem the Whitecaps have, as has been the case in several games this season, is that they put out a defensive line-up, fall a goal behind and the team out there is incapable of switching from defensive mode to full on attack.
I would expect to see Saturday's starting line up being the preferred one on Thursday, but with the one change of Barry Robson coming back in for Matt Watson.
Richards will likely play deeper in a five man midfield, joining the lone striker Mattocks when he can.
Watson was invisible in Utah. Most of the midfield were. Gershon Koffie had another off day and how John Thorrington won 'man of the match' plaudits I just don't know.
Y-P Lee and Jordan Harvey were tested and looked shaky at times when Real attacked up both flanks. The same kind of display in LA and the Galaxy will rip us apart time and again and then it's up to finishing and goalkeeping as to whether we can keep ourselves in the game.
We also gave away a couple of silly free kicks at the weekend and we have to prevent LA getting anything on the edge of the box.
But all hope is not lost.
If you watched the LA-Seattle game on Sunday, that Galaxy defence is certainly there to be exposed, especially on both wings and with crosses into the middle.
That's how we have to play it.
We need to tear up both wings and whip balls into Mattocks to allow him to use his freakishly high jumps. He certainly has the ability to easily outjump the LA central pairing and Saunders looked anything but unbeatable in the LA goal and struggles when coming out for crosses.
I would love to see us bring Jun Marques Davidson back in, put Alain Rochat back at left back and let him and Lee go for it up the wings, whilst Davidson and Thorrington provide defensive cover. Even put Martin Bonjour in there and play five across the back and go 5-4-1, breaking with a 3-5-2.
Not going to happen but it would have an impact.
You don't want to be pessimistic, but you have to be realistic. If the Caps go into LA and play defensively, they're going to get burned by three or four goals.
All season long, I've planned and budgeted for watching the Caps in the playoffs, but I can't justify spending all that money to see a team that looks so devoid of any creative flair.
I just don't feel the current team and playing style will turn in a performance that would make me feel justified in going. Full credit to the couple of hundred that are and let's hope the guys rise to the occasion and leave me with egg on my face, but also with a giant smile and a trip to San Jose.
Win or lose, I just want them to do the fans and the Whitecaps playoff pedigree proud by putting in a performance we can all look back on with pride. Anything less will be totally unacceptable.
To quote Sir Alex Ferguson whilst manager at perennial underdogs East Stirling: "Stand up, be counted, demonstrate your desire".
That's all we ask for and that's all we expect.
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<b><u>AFTN 3-2-1 v Real Salt Lake:</u></b>
Hardly anyone stood out, so here goes...
3 points - ANDY O'BRIEN
2 points - JAY DEMERIT
1 point - BRAD KNIGHTON
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