Vancouver Whitecaps manager Carl Robinson though his side’s performance against D.C. United Saturday night was so poor that he feared assessing it candidly.
“My honest thoughts?” Robinson quipped, when questioned about the Whitecaps 4-0 defeat to United at RFK Stadium. “They outfought us in every department … They got what they deserved and we got what we deserved.”
David Ousted served as a bright spot for the team, making nine saves a week after his heroics helped 10-man Vancouver earn a scoreless draw against the LA Galaxy.
But without the suspended Matias Laba and injured Pedro Morales patrolling the midfield, Vancouver struggled to get a grip on any portion of the contest as their three-match, unbeaten run ended.
“[David is] good every week,” Robinson said. “As a goalkeeper you need to come up big sometimes, especially in tight games. Today wasn’t a tight game.”
Vancouver found themselves short-handed enough that Russell Teibert was forced into a starting role after only returning to full training this week following an off-season ankle surgery.
The result? A D.C. United side that had scored one goal or fewer in nine consecutive matches, in all competitions, saw both Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio each register a brace for the first time in roughly two years.
“It’s no excuse,” Ousted said. “I’ve said all along that this squad has depth. The guys we have on the bench that are coming are talented soccer players. This is about mentality. This is about stepping up when you get a chance to step in the lineup.”
Vancouver at first appeared to have survived an early onslaught, with Ousted diving to his left to deny Nick DeLeon in the 11th, minute and staying upright just long enough to deflect Espindola’s first dangerous effort in the 33rd.
But Espindola would pounce on Ousted’s one questionable moment in the 39th minute, when he dove left to deny Rolfe’s initial shot but couldn't push it away from danger.
Espindola poked home the rebound from six yards, then scored a second nine minutes after halftime.
“Come back in the second half and we want to push, and we give away another silly goal,” Robinson said. “At 2-0, the dynamics of the game change.”
