VANCOUVER, B.C. -- It wasn't the most attractive performance you'll see from the Vancouver Whitecaps this season, but it was one that got the job done fairly untroubled in the end.
Vancouver hit Real Salt Lake hard with two goals in a three-minute first-half spell for a 2-0 victory on Wednesday night at BC Place. The Whitecaps first was courtesy of an own goal from Justen Glad, with their second a long range screamer from Cristian Techera that flew into the top left corner, giving RSL goalkeeper Jeff Attinella no chance.
After a series of defensive failings, late goals and individual errors, it was just the kind of performance the doctor ordered for the ailing Whitecaps and one that they will hope will steady their ship and give them something to build on moving forward.
"It's the performance that pleases me," Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson told reporters after the match. "The second half especially. We took our chances in the first half, the first one obviously an own goal, but a great bit of football, the movement of the ball, and the second is a wonder goal from the 'Bug'.
"I challenged them in the second half to show mettle, show resolve and don't be soft. And we showed that."
For Techera, it was the diminutive Uruguayan's second goal in as many matches, his first tallies of the season after a 17-game goal drought to kick off the year, after contributing seven goals and five assists last season.
The Whitecaps will be hoping that his recent goals will now give him confidence and unlock the player the 'Caps saw last season, but Robinson revealed there's been reasons behind his recent form.
"The Techera that we saw, the Bug that we saw, last year is still here," Robinson stated. "He's been carrying a little bit of an injury for the last four, five, six weeks which is why he hasn't played or started many games. I haven't shouted it from rooftops because no one needed to know.
"When you're carrying a little injury you don't play with as much confidence as you possibly can. In the last two games I think he's showed great character in scoring the penalty at the weekend and today I thought he was excellent, so hopefully he's getting back to where he was last year."
The win aside, perhaps the most pleasing aspect Vancouver will take out of the game will be the clean sheet, their first since their win over Dallas in April and only their fourth this season.
The Whitecaps goals against tally of 33 is already just three shy of last season's overall total, with an unfortunate penchant of giving up late goals recently. Vancouver suffered a late scare when RSL crashed a stoppage time effort off the bar, but overall, keeping the visitors off the scoresheet will do their defense's confidence the world of good.
"It's nice for me, for them," Robinson admitted. "I'm pleased for them today because we dodged a few bullets, which we need to do... We kept a clean sheet and the good teams in this league keep clean sheets. We've got to get back to doing that because we done it well last year and we haven't done it well enough this year."
