On most other nights, the effort put forth on Saturday evening at BC Place by the Vancouver Whitecaps would have been viewed as positive. But with their current run of form, it was enough to ignite a spattering of boos as the referee blew the final whistle.
The Caps, currently mired in a streak that sees them with just two wins in their last fourteen matches, aren’t used to such a reaction from their hometown faithful. As much as it may hurt, a little tough love could be just the cure for this dismal stretch of games.
Despite what management is saying in public in regards to looking for a striker, one has to believe that the urgency is mounting. And now, with their paying customers starting to voice their dissatisfaction with the current assembly of players, there can be no denying what the supporters want to see.
They want to see the playoffs, and they want to see success, and they want to see it now.
The Whitecaps have been loath to entertain the notion of trading away their young talent, but really, what other choice do they have at this point? While they love to romanticize the “building for the future” refrain, the fact of the matter is the city is ready to win now. Their fans have been patient and understanding – almost to a detriment.
Darren Mattocks, after an off-season in which he shared his highly regarded opinions on he, himself and Darren in a rather unflattering display of immaturity and ego was given a second chance. While he made it clear he put his interests before that of the team (and by extension, the fans), he was still welcomed back and given the opportunity for redemption.
Camilo turned his back on the franchise and its supporters despite affirmations that he loved Vancouver and wanted to remain a Whitecap for an extended period of time. Despite this, when rumours of a potential return to the club emerged, fans were prepared to swallow hard and usher him back into the blue and white.
Now scoreless in their last four, the good feels generated from a 2-0 victory over Sporting KC back on August 10th have long since evaporated.
And can you blame them?
It was always going to be difficult to find goals with this lineup. Kenny Miller, now departed, was the only proven striker to start the 2014 MLS season in Vancouver. Mattocks and Kekuta Manneh had shown glimpses of scoring ability and the hope was with a little polish and experience, they would emerge as legitimate scoring threats.
That never really came to pass. Mattocks has managed just six goals in 23 games played. Manneh has found the back of the net three times in 22 appearances. Erik Hurtado was a pleasant surprise for about four weeks, but has fallen off since. It simply isn’t good enough to win in this league.
Now, with the season winding down and playoff hopes fading, this city’s patience is wearing as thin as the Whitecaps’ goal-scoring.