As road games go, the Vancouver Whitecaps will be thrilled to walk away from Rio Tinto Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake.
It wasn’t too long ago that stadium was a place the ‘Caps would go more in hope than expectation. On Saturday, though, if not for a late goal from Joao Plata, Vancouver would have walked away with three points.
It’s the second time this season the Whitecaps have managed to claim a draw there, and that’s a sign of the progress the team has generally made under Carl Robinson in his debut coaching season.
Still, the Welshman’s men will surely have regrets about Plata’s equalizer, which was preventable. The draw means the Whitecaps are 1-2-3 since coming back from the World Cup break, which isn’t ideal, but in isolation this point will be happily taken by the visitors.
Given this will generally be viewed as a positive result, let’s look at what went right for Vancouver.
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Mattocks back in the groove
It’s been stop and start for Darren Mattocks this year. After starting strongly with two goals and three assists in his first seven games this season, he failed register a point until Vancouver’s midweek draw with Toronto FC when he scored the opener.
Now after converting a penalty against Salt Lake which probably should never have been awarded, Mattocks has scored two games in a row. He can be a streaky player and like most strikers confidence is key.
A minor injury and Erik Hurtado’s unexpected five game scoring run meant Mattocks was pushed to the periphery, but he looked busy on this night and finished his penalty expertly.
Ballouchy, Salgado back in business
Mehdi Ballouchy was quietly acquired by the Whitecaps in December after undergoing two ACL surgeries within an 11-month spell. Not much was made of the signing when it happened, but when he’s fully healthy he is a fine possession midfielder.
On Saturday, he made his first MLS start since last July and his first as a member of the Whitecaps. It’s a major individual accomplishment, but his club will be happy too. He lasted just over an hour and didn’t look like a player who’s been out for so long, holding the ball well and seemingly always available to receive a pass.
If his comeback continues, he will provide at the very least an excellent backup option, and potentially could push other midfielders for a starting role.
Similarly, Omar Salgado made his first league start in two years after a wretched series of foot problems. He looked dangerous down the left in one-on-one situations, and while the end product wasn’t always there, there were hints of the potential he obviously has. He’ll need to do more to work his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis, but getting 65 minutes under his belt and helping his side to a solid away point against a team like Salt Lake will help his cause as he fights for more playing time.
Strength in depth
Robinson made six changes to the starting lineup on Saturday, and still managed to pick up a point.
While Matias Laba and Pedro Morales did come into the game off the bench, the much watered down starting 11 fared well as those two stars watched the majority of the match from the sidelines. The added benefit here is that both Laba and Morales will likely be fresher next time out as a result of their reduced role in this game.
Not everything was perfect for Vancouver, however. Let’s look at where improvement is needed.
Positioning and structure
One of two things happened for Plata’s equalizer—either Steven Beitashour was horribly out of position, and tucked in—or Beitashour was under instructions to move to the middle and none of his teammates covered for him.
Either way, there’s no reason why Salt Lake’s leading scorer should have been left so remarkably open at such a vital moment in the match.
Discipline and game management
The Whitecaps picked up four yellow cards in this match, and three of them came within a two minute spell with 15 minutes left to play. Those cards were handed out shortly after Mattocks’ successful penalty conversion. RSL’s players were understandably furious with the referee’s call and the perceived injustice.
But instead of letting Salt Lake look like the team with an issue and walking away, Vancouver’s players continually engaged with their opponents—a move that seemed to fire the home side up even further, and resulted in needless cards.
Can’t hold the lead
Good teams score, and then shut the door.
In back to back games now, Vancouver has opened the scoring only to let their opponents back in. The two games are road draws, and in isolation are positive results.
But the ‘Caps could have left these two most recent games with a total haul of six points as opposed to two. The club will be hoping those missed points aren’t the difference between making the playoffs or not, but they very well could be in what is shaping up to be a very tight Western Conference playoff race.
Martin MacMahon is a Vancouver-based writer. Follow him on Twitter.