Whitecaps Look for Some Consistency

The Vancouver Whitecaps have enjoyed a solid season, and they are in first place in the Western Conference. However, they have been very inconsistent lately, and that is worrisome.

Up and Down to Say the Least 

It would be an understatement to say that the Whitecaps have been up and down since the World Cup break. After the break, they were winless in their first six matches, including losing all three matches in the Leagues Cup. Then they went on to win three of four matches, all clean sheets, where they outscored their opponents 10-0. Their only loss in that span was a 1-0 defeat to a Houston Dynamo team that sits second in the West.

After two clean-sheet wins, Vancouver then played a bad match, losing 3-1 at home to St. Louis CITY SC before getting back on track with a 3-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy.

Latest Setback 

Of all the losses since the break, and possibly for the whole season, the Whitecaps' latest setback was their worst: a 2-1 home loss to Austin FC in their last match. Austin is third-to-last in the West standings, and while Vancouver won the time-of-possession battle (60% to 40%) and only allowed two shots, both found the back of the net.

The Whitecaps Will Have to Find Consistency on the Road 

While Vancouver will look to erase their inconsistent form, they will have to do it mostly on the road, where six of their next seven matches are. Their lone home match in that span is September 26, facing DC United (11th in the East), and their next match they hit the road to face Real Salt Lake (11th in the West).

Not surprisingly, the Whitecaps fell from #2 to #3 in the ESPN MLS Power Rankings after the Austin FC match, where they outshot the visitors 20-4 and still lost.