SoccerWhitecaps' persistence pays off

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Brazilian Camilo scored twice in injury time to help the Whitecaps salvage a draw against K.C. (Getty Images)

I have heard it hundreds of times. I have taken part in such proceedings on many occasions. It is the archetypal post-game interview, which I have taken the liberty to decode.
 
Reporter: "What did you make of your team's performance?"
Coach: "I can't fault the boys for effort. They kept going and gave it everything"
 
Here's the interview which should have taken place.
 
Reporter: "Wow! Your team stinks. How are you going to explain that one?"
Coach: "Do I really have to talk to you? Can't I get in the dressing room and murder someone?"
 
Almost inevitably this line of questioning follows a defeat, generally of the heavy variety. On the odd occasion, however, there is genuine merit in the original question and response. It could have been applied, without translation, to the Vancouver Whitecaps' latest effort.
 
What started as a morale draining home loss, morphed into a gallant point and felt like a breathtaking victory. The lesson was simple. Canada's latest MLS team has a resilience rarely displayed by expansion teams, especially when several starters are absent.
 
Any team trailing by three goals at home has a problem. Yet this was never that one-sided. Teitur Thordarson's side, missing the banned Eric Hassli and the injured Jay DeMerit, took a while to settle against a spirited and hard working Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

Camilo emerges from the shadows
 
Once they did, a new star began to emerge. Brazilian striker Camilo is short in stature but not on skill. The 22 year old, already something of a globetrotter after spells in Malta and South Korea, joined the Whitecaps' roster 48 hours before the start of the season.
 
A late substitute against both Toronto FC and the Philadelphia Union, Camilo made his full MLS debut against SKC. His contribution left a lasting impression. Only the acrobatic brilliance of visiting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen kept the newcomer off the score sheet before half time.
 
The sucker punch was hard to take. Canadian-born U.S. international Teal Bunbury, routinely booed with every touch, silenced the crowd with two well taken goals either side of the break. When Kei Kamara finished a smart counter attack the visitors appeared out of sight.
 
The Whitecaps should have been dead and buried. Head should have gone down in acceptance that these things happen to first year teams. Try and keep it respectable. Don't let the fans see you lose 5-0 as they drift away early from the first home loss at Empire Field.
 
But Vancouver kept running. The Caps kept battling and trying to move the ball forward. Crucially, the fans did not desert their seats to beat the rush. They were rewarded as Atiba Harris bundled in a consolation goal. At least it wasn't a shutout.
 
The introduction of Nizar Khalfan's pace and Davide Chiumiento's guile gave the Whitecaps an extra gear. But the clock was ticking. Ninety minutes had come and gone before Vancouver gave its fans memories to cherish for years to come.
 
Camilo, who had faded in the second half, reappeared as the hero of the final act. Two goals in as many stoppage time minutes sent the fans into a frenzy as if they'd just won the MLS Cup itself. On a day the star striker was missing, the Whitecaps discovered another route to goal.

Never say die

They also discovered that persistence does pay off. It is an old cliché and it won't work every time. But it will become a reference point for some of these players. Next time they find themselves in arrears, they will draw on this experience to try and rectify the situation.
 
It must be said Vancouver dug a hole from which it barely escaped. While Thordarson will be rightly proud of his players' perseverance, he will be only too aware of their defensive frailties. The reality of conceding five goals in two home games is a worrying trend which cannot continue.
 
DeMerit will soon return to sort things out. Michael Boxall and Greg Janicki will have to learn quickly on the job while the signing of Frenchman Mouloud Akloul offers more experience in central defence. His first season in Vancouver was wrecked by a fractured ankle.
 
Hassli is now free from suspension which poses Thordarson an interesting conundrum. When the DP returns, does he stick with Harris alongside or make it a little-and-large combo after Camilo's Man of the Match performance? Competition for places - a coach's dream.
 
Certainly the supporters are getting value for money. The Whitecaps' faithful have witnessed 12 goals in just two games at Empire Field where their heroes remain (just) unbeaten. Soccer should always be this entertaining.
 
Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed

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