VANCOUVER, B.C. – It's hard not to write about the Vancouver Whitecaps and their continuing inability to convert more of their chances without sounding like a broken record.
Despite leading the league with 98 shots on goal, the Whitecaps have the sixth-fewest goals in the league, finding the back of the net just 23 times in 20 regular season matches in 2015. Sometimes the lack of goals has cost them dearly, as in Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Sporting KC, but with the 'Caps sitting at or near the top of the standings for the entire season so far, it hasn't hindered them too much.
The worry is that Vancouver’s inability to put away their chances is happening too often, and that the concerning trend will eventually catch up to the ‘Caps in the increasingly tight Western Conference.
"Too much is more than once and it's happened more than once," Robinson told reporters at training this week. "If we weren't generating any chances, I'd be worried. But we are. Now we've got to take that next step. Show a little bit more composure and guile in the final third and take those chances."
It all looked so different for the Whitecaps to start the season. New addition Octavio Rivero was on fire, scoring five times in his first six matches. But the goals have since dried up for the Uruguayan. He's only found the back of the net twice in Vancouver’s last 14 matches and hasn't scored a goal from open play since the win over Philadelphia on May 9th. That was 10 games ago.
Goals aside, Rivero's work rate, holdup play and work off the ball – qualities that tend to go unnoticed – are all valuable assets for the Whitecaps. Although Robinson would like to see more end product, he is still delighted with what his young DP is bringing to his team.
"He does a lot of good work for the team," Robinson said. "He's not just a goal scorer, but he will be judged by certain quarters on how many goals he scores. He's dropped down to eighth or ninth top goal scorers in the league, which for him and for us, we want him to be number one.
"It is what it is. We'll continue to try and get him back on that track because it is about scoring goals. But if he doesn't score, it's important someone else steps up and scores. He does a lot of good work, unseen work, and he's a fantastic team player for us."
With a grueling couple of weeks coming up, Vancouver could really benefit from Rivero rediscovering his scoring touch. His teammates are trying to help him find a solution, and they’re confident he’ll start another hot streak soon.
"We just have to keep working and give confidence to our finishers, our strikers," midfielder Mauro Rosales told MLSsoccer.com. "Keep giving them options. If the options are there, they're going to have more chances to recover and re-find the goal streak and help us get past that barrier that we have.
"The only help we can do is create the chances for him and we're doing it. We have to help him and support him the best we can to help him get the confidence he had at the beginning of the season. Every single striker in MLS and the world has that streak without scoring. I'm pretty sure he can come back to that streak and we'll celebrate more goals from him."
