Whitecaps battle to scoreless tie against Revolution
Vancouver tied with Houston, 2 points out of playoff race in Western Conference
A win would have been better but for goalkeeper Cody Cropper helping the Vancouver Whitecaps battle to a 0-0 Major League Soccer draw with the New England Revolution Sunday afternoon was a personal victory.
Cropper spent four seasons with New England before leaving the team in 2019.
"Going into this week was emotionally a very big one," said Cropper, who has a 7-1-2 record in all competitions this year for Vancouver. "I had some tough times with the Revs for various reasons.
The Whitecaps had their chances to score but couldn't beat New England goaltender Djordje Petrovic in the game, played before 15,084 fans at BC Place Stadium.
In the game's dying minutes the Whitecaps buzzed like angry bees around the Revolution net. Striker Lucas Cavallini slammed his hand into the net after missing on a chance from the side of the goal.
WATCH | Whitecaps, Revolution play to draw:
Early in the second half midfielder Leonard Owusu tested Petrovic with a right-footed shot from the top of the box. Later both striker Cristian Dajome and midfielder Marcus Godinho forced Petrovic to make saves.
Vancouver coach Vanni Sartini was pleased with the pressure his team put on the Revolution.
The game also showed his club's growth. It was the kind of match the Whitecaps might have lost earlier in the year on a late goal.
"I'm proud and I'm happy how the team performed," Sartini said. "A game like this, when you don't score it's easy to lose."
Playoff race, missed opportunities
A win would have moved the Whitecaps (6-8-3) into a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Instead Vancouver and Houston are tied with 21 points, two points back of Seattle for the final playoff berth.
It sets up a big match on July 2 when Vancouver hosts Los Angeles FC, the team with the best record in MLS.
The Whitecaps are 5-2-2 in their last eight MLS games and 4-1-3 at BC Place Stadium.
New England head coach Bruce Arena said his team missed some chances.
"We had some decent opportunities where we just didn't hit the target," he said. "You're not going to score goals if you don't hit the target. It's a point on the road. It's not the worst."
Vancouver signed Cropper as a backup but he took over the starting role when Thomas Hasal suffered a fractured finger.
"I'm controlling what I can control," Cropper said about his play. "I can only do what I can do. I don't try and be anything that I'm not. I think collectively right now we're all on the same page. We're very connected right now. We're executing on all fronts."
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