Vancouver Whitecaps fire head coach Carl Robinson

Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi explained why the team let go of Carl Robinson, and thanked him for all he gave to the organization.

VANCOUVER – While the timing may have caught some people by surprise, the news of Carl Robinson’s firing as coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps was expected.
 
Robinson, along with assistant Martyn Pert and goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr, was dismissed Tuesday morning by the Major League Soccer club. The move comes two days after a disappointing 2-1 home loss to FC Dallas, which currently keeps the Whitecaps four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
 
“We have a lot of respect and appreciation for Carl and his team, and are thankful for the contributions they have made to this club,” Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said in a media release.

“A lot of thought and consideration has gone into this decision, which was made with the best interests of the club moving forward.”
 
Robinson took over coaching duties in December 2013 after spending two yeats as an assistant under Martin Rennie. Over the last four seasons under Robinson, Vancouver qualified for the MLS playoffs three times, but never progressed beyond than the Western Conference semifinals.

Despite not being mathematically eliminated from post-season contention this year, the Whitecaps are in tough, as their record of 11-11-7 has them in eighth place in the West, two spots below the playoff line with only five games remaining.
 
Rumours had been circulating for weeks about a possible coaching change in Vancouver, and for good reason. The club has allowed 56 goals against this year, compared to 49 all of last season. Vancouver has also managed just two shutout performances, the last coming on April 27 in a 2-0 home victory over Real Salt Lake.
 
Under Robinson’s leadership, fans have watched some impressive individual performances in 2018. Veteran striker Kei Kamara, who joined the club from the New England Revolution in the off-season, has scored a club-high 13 goals. Then there’s 17-year-old Canadian midfielder Alphonso Davies, who leads all Vancouver players with 11 assists.

As someone who went up against Robinson on several occasions, Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney had a great deal of respect for the Welshman, especially for his handling of Davies, who recently signed with Bayern Munich and will join the Bundesliga team after this MLS season.

“I feel for him. He’s done a nice job there over the years in terms of putting teams together that have always been competitive. He’s also done a fantastic job in helping facilitate the development of Davies. I wish him well, and I’m sure we’ll see him again somewhere in the league,” Vanney offered.

But there have also been some big disappointments from players brought in by Robinson. Former Mexican-international midfielder Efrain Juarez has been a virtual no-show. The 30-year-old has earned more red cards (2) than he’s registered shots on target (1). Veteran Brek Shea has also under-achieved, especially as the club’s second-highest paid player. The 28-year-old occupies one of just two designated player spots on the roster, but has managed just three goals in 24 appearances.
 
The ultimate factor as to why Robinson is now out of a job is the club has been too inconsistent this year, failing to put together anything more than a two-game winning streak all season. You can compare that to arch rivals Seattle Sounders, who had a league-record nine-game winning streak on the go earlier this month. One can also look at the Portland Timbers, who went 15 straight matches without a loss from mid-April to early August.
 
In addition, the Whitecaps have left far too many points on the table in games played at BC Place, as their home record of 6-4-5 is one of the worst in the league.
 
“With five games left, we remain focused on our opportunity to make playoffs,” Lenarduzzi said. “As we look to 2019 and beyond, we are committed to being a championship contender and a global search for a coach to lead this vision will start today.” 
 
As the search begins, the club has appointed Craig Dalrymple as interim coach. A former Whitecaps player in the mid 1990’s, Dalrymple has been the Whitecaps Academy technical director since 2014.
 
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