Looking back at five minutes that defined Vancouver’s season

It took only five minutes to sum up the Vancouver Whitecaps’ 2012 season, a second half span that turned a potential Vancouver upset into the expected result. Los Angeles put an end to the Whitecaps season, 2-1, helped by all mixed blessings that defined an uneven Whitecaps campaign.

It started in the 68th minute, Vancouver carrying the one-goal lead stolen in the third minute when Darren Mattocks placed a ball inside Josh Saunders’ left post. The lead persisted for over an hour before the five-seed had a chance to put one foot in the semifinals, a counter attack creating a three-on-three in front of LA’s goal. Matt Watson played a ball to Kenny Miller, whose flick back to the midfielder produced a hard shot from 16 yards on Saunders. The block went to Miller who couldn’t get a shot on goal, a deflection sent to Barry Robson in the right of the box. When he too couldn’t get a shot on frame, Los Angeles survived a chance that should have ended their title defense.

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The attack was emblematic of all the shortcomings Vancouver’s seen in their two Scottish imports. Kenny Miller, who started the game on the bench, did well to make a run that opened up space behind him. When Watson played him the first pass, he made a nice flick back into the space. Up until he had to shoot, Miller was great, but for a designated player brought in to score goals, the end product matters. When Saunders’ save on Watson’s shot fell to him, the former Rangers star was slow releasing a shot that was eventually blocked.

Why Miller was even in the game was a mystery. At this point, there’s little doubt Darren Mattocks is the superior player, yet much to his chagrin, the Vancouver rookie was replaced in the 59th minute. Was he too tired to continue? It didn’t seem like it. The teams were only 14 minutes into the second half. Up 1-0, Rennie just wanted Miller on the pitch. In the face of a half-season’s worth of evidence, he was the man trusted to help close out the upset.

Then there’s Robson, whose surly attitude and underwhelming production have made him Vancouver’s biggest disappointment. The midfielder’s had the misfortune of being ill-cast as the savior of Vancouver’s attack, Rennie often setting up with the assumption the Scottish import can be an effective playmaker. But that’s never happened. Vancouver was more potent at the beginning of the season than at its end, when a switch to a 4-3-1-2 formation doubled Rennie’s bet on his underperforming dynamo.

One minute after Robson’s hesitation allowed LA to close him down, the Galaxy had won a corner. In the process, Jay DeMerit was hurt, David Beckham having run through his right leg. As DeMerit lay injured, LA played short. Juninho eventually crossed for Mike Magee, who took advantage of poor marking by Robson to equalize. Of course Vancouver wouldn’t yield until DeMerit was broken, and of course, Robson would be involved in the goal.

DeMerit would never return, left to rock back-and-forth on the bench, writhing in pain as Martin Bonjour took his place in the 70th minute. As if anybody needed proof of DeMerit’s value to Vancouver, his absence decided their season. Landon Donovan’s run behind Bonjour found the Argentine’s outstretched left arm. Down he went, drawing Silviu Petrescu’s whistle before the Galaxy captain eventually launched a 73rd-minute match-winner into the left side netting.

So there stood Vancouver, emasculated over the course of five minutes. Their promising start had slipped through their fingers, leaving them to fight their way back with Miller and Robson leading the attack while Jay DeMerit sat on the bench. Yes, they’d made the playoffs, and yes, they’d proved more formidable that anybody expected. But if there was one way Vancouver had to end their season, that was it – reminded of everything that defined 2012.