Die Chilluminati » comes down to the playoff race. TH

The Vancouver Whitecaps continued to struggle in front of goal on Saturday, as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home against DC United. It was the fourth consecutive game in which the Whitecaps have failed to find the back of the net. THE FORMATIONS In an effort to boost his teams attack, Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson opted for a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield. Sebastian Fernandez moved up front to partner Darren Mattocks, while Ethen Sampson made his debut at right-back in place of the injured Steven Beitashour. DC United made one change to the 4-4-1-1 formation they employed to beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 last week. David Estrada came in on the left of midfield for the injured Chris Rolfe. THE GAME The words of my former manager at Ipswich, Joe Royle, rang true on Saturday night at BC Place. He once told me, “A team is only ever as good as its strikers.” Little did he know, he could have been speaking about the 2014 version of the Vancouver Whitecaps. If Vancouver misses out on the playoffs this year, it will be because they have failed to address their greatest need – they do not have a reliable goal scorer in their squad. Camilo scored 22 goals for the Whitecaps last season before leaving for Mexican side Queretaro in the offseason. He felt underappreciated (and underpaid) by the Whitecaps and, regardless of what one thinks about how he engineered his move out of Vancouver, it is a black mark on the clubs front office that they allowed their star player to become so disenfranchised. Vancouver is paying for that mistake right now. The team is creating plenty of chances for its front men to convert, they just lack a goal scorer to finish them. Darren Mattocks had a number of chances - including the best of the game in the first half - but failed to put the ball in the back of the net. One shudders to think where the Whitecaps would be right now if they had Camilo leading the line rather than Mattocks or Erik Hurtado, the only Whitecaps strikers to find the back of the net with any regularity this season. Mattocks and Hurtado have each played in 22 games this season, but have only managed to score six and four goals respectively. The opening half saw a concerted effort from the Whitecaps to play a high-tempo game. The front five – including Russell Teibert and Mauro Rosales flanking Pedro Morales in midfield – were quick in transition and relentless in their pressure on the DC United back line. But for all their territorial possession and pressure, the Whitecaps were toothless where it mattered most, in front of goal. Kendall Waston should have scored after he got on the end of a Morales free kick in the first half, but Wastons header glanced wide of the post. Likewise, Jordan Harvey had a header in the second half fly past the near post after good work down the left side from the Whitecaps. The visitors made life difficult for Vancouver and, while it wasnt DCs most attractive performance of the season, they did what they had to do to pick up another point on their march to the playoffs. It has been a remarkable turnaround for head coach Ben Olsens side, as they have already picked up 31 more points than they did in all of last season. Olsens primary front men – Fabian Espindola, Luis Silva and Eddie Johnson – have scored 22 goals among them, which is quite a contrast to the production from the Whitecaps strikers. THE GOOD The Whitecaps kept another clean sheet, their eighth of the season. The back four looked in control for most of the game and Ethen Sampson did some excellent one-on-one defending before being replaced in the second half with cramp. Teibert, Morales and Rosales dictated the tempo of the game in the first half before fading in the second. This can be put down, in part, to DCs approach to the second half. The visitors were happy to slow the game down at every opportunity, as they knew that it would only take one chance for their front men, Espindola and Silva, to win them the game. Fortunately for Vancouver, DC were restricted to speculative efforts from distance. THE BAD There is a simple explanation for Vancouvers inability to score in the last four games: their strikers are not good enough. Mattocks and Hurtado are not the answer if the club is going to compete for a playoff place in the Western Conference on a yearly basis. They are too inconsistent and fail to do too much of the work that is required from the strikers in Carl Robinsons team. Vancouver must address this shortcoming in the transfer window at the end of the season. If they dont, Whitecaps fans will be biting their fingernails every year when it comes down to the playoff race. THE STAR MAN Kendall Waston was excellent for Vancouver. He won every challenge he made, both in the air and on the ground. He was tidy in possession of the ball, and nearly scored for the Whitecaps in the first half. More performances like this one from the Costa Rican, and Whitecaps fans can expect more clean sheets to come. Roberto Firmino Jersey . Acclaimed by world football leaders but held in contempt by many football fans. Blatter should arrive at the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo to watch host Brazil play Croatia confident that this tournament -- his fifth as president -- wont be his last leading the worlds favourite sport. Marquinhos Brazil Jersey .5 million contract with the right-handed reliever. Ziegler revealed the agreement via Twitter, saying hes "really excited to stay in Arizona for a couple more years, at least. http://www.soccerbrazilonline.com/Danilo-Copa-America-Jersey/ . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. Alisson Brazil Jersey . Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Taison Brazil Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers made it official Tuesday and signed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract.Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Kris Humphries scored 20 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 119-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Rasual Butler and Kevin Seraphin each scored 16 points for the Wizards, who have won four straight. John Wall nearly had a triple-double as he scored nine points with eight rebounds and 12 assists. Wilson Chandler scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who have dropped their past two. Ty Lawson gave 14 points and 10 assists in defeat. Taking a 30-28 edge into the second quarter, the Wizards started the frame with a 10-2 run that increased their lead to 40-30 on a Humphries jumper four minutes in. Washington methodically built itts lead in the second, closing the half with an 8-1 run to take a 65-46 lead into the locker room.dddddddddddd. The Wizards continued to maintain a comfortable lead in the third quarter, and built its advantage to 24 points after Nene hit a pair of free throws with 1 1/2 minutes left for a 90-66 advantage. A 12-0 run by Washington in the latter stages of the fourth quarter turned the game into a rout. Game Notes Washington plays in Boston to start a home-and-home on Sunday ... Denver plays in Atlanta on Sunday ... Denver had won both matches with Washington last season ... Washington scored 21 points off of 19 Denver turnovers. 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