<i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps' 0-0 draw with New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With the thoughts of Carl Robinson, Andy O'Brien, David Ousted and Jay Heaps.</i>
<b><u>Report:</u></b>
If you'd offered Carl Robinson a win, two draws and an unbeaten record in his first three games in charge of the Whitecaps, he'd have gladly bitten your hand off.
Zombie tendencies apart, Robinson will have mixed emotions after watching his side stumble to a 0-0 draw in New England, where a strong defensive effort against a dangerous looking home side was only peppered by a few flashes of creative genius and real attacking threat.
No goals scored but no goals conceded maintain Vancouver's unbeaten start to the season and adds more woes to New England, who are still looking for their first goal, never mind first win, of the season.
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Carl Robinson had decided to rest captain Jay DeMerit for this game, with Johnny Leveron coming in to partner Andy O'Brien in the centre of the defence, but the big surprise came with designated player Pedro Morales dropping to the bench and Russell Teibert coming back into the starting eleven. Morales has had a tight back the last couple of days and Robinson felt the risk was too great to start him.
With the winless and goalless home side taking the game to Vancouver from the start, the Revolution won a series of early corners and David Ousted came up with a huge 5th minute save from one of them to acrobatically tip an Andrew Farrell header over the bar.
Both teams enjoyed some possession and created some opportunities that no-one was able to capitalise on, but the Revolution's attack was starting to pull the Caps defence all over the pitch. Vancouver, meanwhile, were playing a lot of long balls into the wind and getting nowhere.
Saer Sene forced another save out of Ousted in the 20th minute when the Dane got down quickly at his near post to keep out a low drive.
Vancouver had their best chance of the game so far in the 32nd minute when Darren Mattocks did well to bring down a cross from Russell Teibert but he couldn't get a shot on target. It was a horribly tight angle, but you have to try and aim it at the keeper and hope he makes a mistake.
There was little of note from either side to end the half. Kenny Miller did force Bobby Shuttleworth into his first save of the game in stoppage time after a nice turn and shot, as the wind started to become a major factor in the game.
It was a wind that Vancouver had behind them for the second half and they had the help of half time sub Pedro Morales to try and make use of it.
The Whitecaps started the second half much more lively and Miller forced Shuttleworth to tip a shot around the post after getting on the end of a great long pass from Morales.
Vancouver forced some scrambling from the subsequent corners but New England held firm and had a great chance of their own in the 53rd minute when Diego Fagundez headed a cross along the six yard box but there was no-one there to bury the loose ball.
Morales was fouled for a free kick in the 56th minute and with the wind behind him he zipped it narrowly past the right hand post.
If that was close Fagundez came even closer with an effort midway through the half that just missed left.
The game was still there for the taking by either side and former Whitecaps Daigo Kobayashi nearly grabbed it in the 79th minute but his goalbound effort was deflected for a corner.
Vancouver had a couple of long range efforts and New England looked dangerous in spurts but neither side could find the breakthrough and the game ended scoreless.
The Whitecaps will be happy with another road point and in particular the clean sheet and strong defensive play from their centrebacks and goalkeeper David Ousted.
But for all their creative players brought in to the midfield, the service to the strikers and the creation of chances just simply isn't there yet.
As they get set to return to BC for a two game home stand, Carl Robinson now has some serious line-up decisions to make. Many are pushing the starters for minutes and at this point in time, there are very few players in the team that you feel are secured of their starting spot.
With the dangerous Houston Dynamo next up, we'll get a real idea of just what kind of side the Whitecaps are going to be this season.
FINAL SCORE: New England Revolution 0 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 13, 103
NEW ENGLAND: Bobby Shuttleworth; Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Chris Tierney; Kelyn Rowe (Scott Caldwell 89), Lee Nguyen (Dimitry Imbongo 81), Diego Fagundez, Andy Dorman; Saer Sene (Daigo Kobayashi 58), Teal Bunbury [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, Jerry Bengtson]
VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba. Nigel Reo-Coker (Gershon Koffie 70), Sebastian Fernandez (Pedro Morales 46), Russell Teibert (Kekuta Manneh 67); Kenny Miller, Darren Mattocks [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, Sebastian Mezquida, Erik Hurtado]
<b><u>Reaction:</u></b>
<b>Carl Robinson on draw:</b>
"Good point for us on the road. It's a difficult place to come here. Conditions weren't ideal for both teams. They put a lot of set pieces in, we handled them very well. David made a couple of good saves. Maybe we could have nicked it but it's a positive point for us."
<b>Carl Robinson on holding off New England's early pressure:</b>
"It was important we weathered the storm and we did that very well. "
<b>Carl Robinson on second half performance:</b>
"Second half we played more of the type of football I want, based upon the wind as well, so quite pleased in the end."
<b>Carl Robinson on starting Morales on bench:</b>
"We had a long travel. It took two flights to get here. He felt a slight back issue on the way over, so I didn't want to risk him. It's about 34 games of the season. It was the right decision for me. I knew Pedro was going to play at some stage."
<b>Carl Robinson on late push to win game:</b>
"I tried to nick it. I tried to be positive with the substitutions. We had Darren, Kenny, Kekuta on the field at the end with Pedro, so I wanted to win the game. Obviously I didn't want to be naive and lose the game, which was important, but we tried to be proactive in the substitutions and I was."
<b>Carl Robinson on how defence played without DeMerit:</b>
"We got a clean sheet! It was a very good effort from the whole back four and midfield players especially and the goalkeeper came up with some big saves. They done their job today and it's important if you pick up points on the road that the defenders and the team as a whole defensively does their job."
<b>Andy O'Brien on the draw:</b>
"I think we were happy with the result. Playing in the first half against the wind, from a defensive point of view, if we could have kept a clean sheet we would have been happy. We came under quite a bit of pressure throughout the 90 minutes from them. It was their first home game, as well. The conditions didn't make it easy for either side, but away from home with the distance that we traveled we are pleased with a point."
<b>David Ousted on the draw:</b>
"I think it was a good point for us. It was a difficult game today, but that said, great work from the guys getting the result, getting the point from here."
<b>David Ousted on strong defensive display and clean sheet:</b>
"We did what we always do, we defend. The guys in front of me did a great job today, had some important blocks, and played really well. Nice to get a clean sheet and get a point from that."
<b>David Ousted on upcoming two game home stand:</b>
"We're going to look forward to getting back into BC Place, getting back to our style of play. We have a tough opponent in Houston next week and we'll do all we can to get ready for that. I'm looking forward to BC Place and our fans again."
<b>Jay Heaps on the draw:</b>
"It was a difficult, hard-fought match, difficult to get a ton going on both sides. We had 17, 18 chances created, I thought we had a good time trying to get there, but sometimes the goalkeeper I thought made two really good saves. But in the end, I was happy with how we played defensively, but we have to be better offensively."
<b>Jay Heaps on still looking for first win of season:</b>
"Obviously, this has not been an ideal start. You go on the road for two difficult games, but we got home and I thought at least we put it together in some areas. We defended well, we didn't give away a ton. I thought our backline was really good tonight. Their chances were limited, I don’t mind if we have that many more chances than the other team. I think in the end, we'll get more points. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough."
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