By: Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic and Samuel Rowan 

Saturday night, the Vancouver Whitecaps played out a 0-0 draw with FC Dallas at BC Place. 

Although the match was frustrating for Vancouver in the sense that the Whitecaps failed to come away with a full three point result, it was positive in terms of how Vanni Sartini’s side dominated the match, especially while relying on so many depth contributors.

Particularly in the first 45 and the final 15 minutes of the match, the Whitecaps had the visitors pinned in their own half, save for the odd long ball attempt towards Petar Musa or Jesus Ferreira. Vancouver had a litany of scoring chances throughout the match, including three or four posts, a number of good set piece opportunities, and two late Grade A looks for Deiber Caicedo, who made his season debut in a Whitecaps shirt.

Caicedo was denied at point blank range by Dallas’ Jimmy Maurer in what turned out to be the final moment of the match, exemplifying perfectly just how close Vancouver was to breaking the match open, as well as what a good job Maurer and his Dallas defense did holding on for dear life in the final stages.

There were serious concerns going into this fixture about who would play for Vancouver, and if the home side would have enough depth to thrive in the absence of so many crucial players. 

Yet, Vancouver enjoyed a number of quality performances from players who have not seen too many minutes this season, as well as those who were returning from injury. 

Adding this to debuts for Stuart Armstrong and Édier Ocampo, this was a 0-0 match to remember, even if it failed to have the perfect storybook ending Vanni Sartini and his side probably deserved. 

Here are three thoughts from this game, as we saw it from inside BC Place:

Whitecaps unable to punish Dallas for conservative approach:

Despite going up against a shorthanded Whitecaps side, and not missing too many of their regulars, Dallas didn’t have much desire to put the hosts under pressure in this game. 

Instead, they immediately sat back and got behind the ball, as they looked to frustrate the Whitecaps attack. 

Knowing that the Whitecaps have had some struggles at home this season, especially in terms of breaking down teams who sit back, it was a smart approach, to be fair. 

And in the end, it paid off for them, as the Whitecaps failed to find the net for the fourth time at home (all competitions), also marking the ninth time they’ve been held to one goal or less at home this season. 

It wasn’t for a lack of trying, either. The Whitecaps managed to generate triple the number of shots as Dallas (21-7), hit the woodwork three times and finished with 1.73 xG compared to 0.65 for the visitors, yet, they failed to find the net. 

As a result, they ended up missing out on a key opportunity to push up the Western Conference table, with this being one of their two games in hand they hold over a good chunk of the teams around them. 

For what it’s worth, the Whitecaps will point to the fact that they were without several key offensive pieces, especially Ryan Gauld and Brian White, but at the same time, they got the chances they would’ve hoped to generate had that pair been in the lineup. 

Two BIG saves from @JimsMaurer! 😤

📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/29WRBpiLyO pic.twitter.com/TVpftm0n8C

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 8, 2024

Yet, this remains a constant challenge for the Whitecaps, one they’ll look to fix as they get set for a run of home games, with five of their last eight regular season games coming at home. 

If they continue to struggle to find goals against low blocks, teams will continue to employ them without second thought, knowing it could lead to points. 

So while the Whitecaps will look at a game like this and feel that on most nights it would’ve been enough for them to score multiple goals and win, that lack of finish against low blocks has also been a habit that they’ve wanted to kick for a while, knowing that it’ll be crucial for them to do so as quickly as possible if they’re to make the most of the stretch run. – Alex

New guys galore for Whitecaps amid absences:

Being short of so many regulars ended up providing a key opportunity for some new faces, as the Whitecaps were able to use this game to embed a couple of new arrivals. 

First, the Colombian pair of Déiber Caicedo and Édier Ocampo came on together in the 73rd minute, with Caicedo making his first Whitecaps appearances since 2023 after heading out on loan over the last year, while Ocampo was making his first-ever Whitecaps appearance. 

Then, after that, new signing Stuart Armstrong got a run out in the 84th minute, as he got 10 minutes in his club debut after signing with the club as a Designated Player earlier this week. 

Along with the insertion of Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau in the 62nd minute, as the Whitecaps FC II forward made his second appearance for the club and first at home, it definitely felt like the Whitecaps had four new guys on the pitch by the end of the game. 

Despite that, all four of the newcomers showed quite well. 

First, there was Fleuriau Chateau, who was extremely lively and eager to work defensively. He showed that on a crunching tackle that helped clean up a transition moment, as he made sure his presence was felt, showing that while he’s been pouring in the goals for the second team, that he can also bring other skills to the table as a forward.

Then, there was Ocampo, who was aggressive out wide, showing his skills as a wing back. He was unable to provide any end product, but he was good in possession and showcased his speed on a few occasions, showing why the Whitecaps brought him in as a long-term wing back project. 

After that, there was Caicedo, who was the most active of the new faces. Unfortunately, he just missed the chance to mark his return in style, as he had two big chances go to waste after key interventions from Dallas’s Jimmy Maurer, but it was good to see him get those opportunities. 

Lastly, there was Armstrong, who nearly helped break open the game late. Ultimately, he wasn’t able to get enough time to control the tempo of the game as he’ll be expected to do when fit and starting, but his quality was evident upon first glance. 

So overall, there was a lot to like with the new faces from this one, which is good news for Vanni Sartini. 

Two vital defensive plays from @FCDallas to keep this one scoreless. 💪 pic.twitter.com/MJ1uTe6T1p

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 8, 2024

As he joked in his post-match press conference, thanks to the emergence of some key faces along with these new arrivals, he now has “20 starters” to pick from every week, which is a problem most managers would love to have. 

Now, he faces a tough task in terms of finding the right balance to use those “20 starters” to the best of their ability, be it from the beginning of games or off the bench, but it’ll be a task he won’t mind undertaking. 

Given that he was able to turn to his bench in a game where his team was severely shorthanded and still bring in five quality substitutes (Canadian International Sam Adekugbe was his 5th substitute) is a pretty good indicator of how deep this team has become. 

They’ll just now hope that those extra bodies can prove to be the boost they need to push themselves to that next level as a team, especially with the new guys, but to do that they’ll just need them to build off what they showed in this game (and in Fleuriau Chateau’s case, win a spot with the first team long-term). -Alex

Belal Halbouni and Tristan Blackmon given key audition opportunities at the back:

Over the last month or two, the Whitecaps appear to have settled on a first choice backline, one that does not include either Tristan Blackmon or Belal Halbouni. 

Now, this is for different reasons. In Halbouni’s case, he’s a young player coming off of a major injury in his first year at the club – it was always going to take time for him to find his feet. For Blackmon though, it’s almost the opposite, he was one of Vancouver’s most important players in 2023, but poor form and injury issues have kept him sidelined over the last several months. 

While Halbouni looks destined for more minutes in the long term, Blackmon’s role in the club looks to be in question.

This context is what makes the performances of Blackmon and Halbouni so interesting against FC Dallas, as they both played great matches. 

For Halbouni, it was confirmation of what Vanni Sartini saw from him in the preseason, and also what he saw when Halbouni played a key role in shutting down Denis Bouanga when playing LAFC in Leagues Cup – this guy is a baller and if he can stay healthy, he should be a part of Vancouver’s future at the centre back position.  

For Blackmon, it was one last chance to show he still might have a role to play for this Whitecaps team. The American defender no doubt has the tools to be a very reliable centreback in MLS, but his failures to stay disciplined within Vanni Sartini’s zonal system has frustrated the manager, and it makes one question if Blackmon might not be a better fit as a domestic player on an American team that suits his playstyle. 

To be fair to Blackmon, he demonstrated the discipline that he’s been missing in this match against FC Dallas. As always, he also showed his notable quality joining the attack, both with the ball at his feet, as well as through the air on set plays. I still think Blackmon will still be on the outside looking in when it comes to earning minutes down the stretch this season, but full credit to the player for showing up and making a good case for himself after so much time away. 

If Vancouver suffers any injuries to their backline, it’s nice to know they have a couple of good options they can call on. -Sam