Good Monday morning Caps fans, hope you all had a lovely spring weekend and are gearing up for a good weekend ahead.

Vancouver rang in their 50th anniversary as a club with record attendance for a match in the MLS era and the atmosphere really lived up to the hype. Unfortunately, the assembled masses got to see MLS refereeing in all its glory, as well as a parked bus Austin side, no goals and a 0-0 draw.

The good news first. In the last five matches, the Caps have kept three clean sheets and look like one of the more defensively solid sides in the conference. Austin didn’t create a ton and it was all fairly comfortable for the Caps.

The downside, however, is that Vancouver got some good blows in on Austin but couldn’t unpick the lock of a side that eventually decided just to gum up the works and try not to give up anything easy. Given how loose Austin was last year, you get the strategy. And in some ways this is a form of flattery that the Caps are a team to be bunkered against. But while most every MLS team struggles with such an approach, the Caps have historically really had issues breaking these types of team down. This match really made the case for another high level attacking piece, an elite version of Fafa Picault more or less, that can elevate this team and create in a different way.

Now, we can’t break down last night’s match without dissecting some of the questionable refereeing. I don’t have a ton of problem with the goal being chalked off — the rules are clear that even an inadvertent handball in the build up to a goal is not allowed. Ok, fine.

But there is no doubt in my mind that the foul against Picault should have been a penalty. He was clearly barged through by Alex Ring and while we can split hairs about what is clear and obvious, the simple fact is that is a foul and there is little point in having video review if not to correct those types of no calls. To not do so is to reward poor defending and poor refereeing in equal measure. To make matters more frustrating, VAR took a siesta when Sebastián Druissi charged the Caps’ bench at halftime and arguably committed a red card offense in the process.

Complaining about poor refereeing is generally bad form — there are many ways to lose a game, after all. But a goal in this one would have changed the second half pretty considerably and it’s too bad we never got to live in that world. I’ve watched MLS long enough by now to know these things even out eventually but the Caps will likely be smarting after this one — I know I am.

Shameless Self Promotion

Our post match breaks down what lessons can be taken from a match that ultimately wasn’t to be for the Caps. We also look at Vancouver FC’s road woes to start their season.

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