VANCOUVER, B.C. – Vancouver Whitecaps put last week's late collapse to Sporting KC behind them with an assured performance against FC Dallas, reclaiming first place in the race for the Supporters' Shield.
A first-half goal from Cristian Techera proved enough, providing Vancouver all three points in a 1-0 home win over their Texan rivals at BC Place.
It was a hard-fought victory in a game between evenly matched teams, which could prove a crucial three points, with both sides still to meet twice more (Oct. 7 and Oct. 14).
"I'm in a better mood this week than I was last week," joked Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson. "It's finding the fine balance of playing very well, playing attacking soccer and winning. I don't think there's any team that's got that off to an art yet.
"Today was a roll your sleeves up, fight, scrap, run, tackle and whoever was going to get their noses in front was probably going to win the game. Fortunately it was us."
Vancouver were looking to bounce back defensively after giving up two-goal leads in each of their last two matches. Robinson was pleased with the way his side managed the match, holding firm against late Dallas pressure, providing his defense the confidence booster their psyche might have been lacking.
"Really, really proud of them today," Robinson said. "It's easy to mask over things when you lose a game. We didn't. I didn't. I sat down with the group and my job is to make those players individually better and collectively better. When you lose games, you've got to look yourself in the mirror. I did that with my coaches and we did that with my group of players as well.
"We tried to be better and we did today. The same things arose. We were winning the game, but our management of the game was slightly different, which is credit to them."
Though goalkeeper David Ousted and the Whitecaps defense kept their 10th clean sheet of the season, it was Kekuta Manneh who once again proved the difference maker for Vancouver.
The Gambian native is in some of the best form of his career, and he gave the Dallas defense a torrid scorching, setting up Techera's game-winner with a great run and cut back.
Manneh has two goals and three assists in his last four MLS matches, and is starting to show the consistency that Robinson has sought from the young winger.
"I don't think he's turned the corner, I just think he's playing with a little bit of confidence," Robinson said. "With all young players, when they go through good times, people rave about them and talk about them. When they go through inconsistencies, people are quick to criticise them or throw them under the bus.
"He's just hit a vein of form at the moment. His understanding of what I'm asking him to do on both sides of the ball, he's getting. The kid was dynamite tonight. But he can still improve."
Michael McColl covers the Vancouver Whitecaps for MLSsoccer.com.
