VANCOUVER – As wild of a roller coaster week this has been for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the players will have to find a way to park it and move on if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive when they visit LA Galaxy on Saturday night.



Coach Carl Robinson, as well as assistants Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest, along with goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr, were fired by the Whitecaps on Tuesday. The timing of the dismissal comes as the club sits four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with just five matches remaining in the regular season.



“We all really loved Robbo. He was a player’s manager,” goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic told reporters. “He took care of us and put his whole heart into the team. To see him go was a bit of a blow for us.”



Marinovic adds no matter what has occurred off the field this week, the players have to be ready to perform against a team they only trail by a single point in the standings.



“We’re all professionals. I think he’d be the first to say keep going and take this next game with all your energy,” the New Zealand international stated. “The belief is still there and still in our hands. You can never give up.”

Still, there’s no denying that the Welshman’s departure has hit the players hard.



“Carl was somebody that brought me in, believed in me and believed in how I could play,” commented striker Kei Kamara, acquired in an off-season trade from the New England Revolution. “I respect him so much as a coach.”



Kamara, who leads the Whitecaps with 13 goals, knows a move like this may have many fans think the organization is waving the white flag on the season. He says the players are not about to let that enter their mindset.



“I hope no-one writes us off,” Kamara aid. “We want to be in the playoffs. The harder we play, the better position we get this club into.”



It’s fair to criticize the job Robinson did when it comes to how the club has both developed and recruited players. On the flip side, one can point to many success stories, both on an individual and team basis, during Robinson’s tenure.



“Maybe this year hasn’t gone our way, or his way… but over the course of time he’s been here, he did great things for this club,” said Canadian Russel Teibert, the longest serving player on the Whitecaps roster. “He took the club to a better place than when he first got here.”



Robinson’s replacement for the remainder of the season is Craig Dalrymple, who has served as technical director of the Whitecaps Academy since 2014. Born and raised in England, Dalrymple has been in the Vancouver area for more than 20 years, having originally graduated from Simon Fraser University.



“I knew Craig when I was in the residency program early on,” Teibert said. “I know what he can do as a coach. It’s going to be new for him coaching men, but he knows the staff and club. I think he’ll step in and do well.”



With the Whitecaps already declaring they have begun a global search for a new coach, Dalrymple knows the most important task facing him is to convince the players they have what it takes to make the MLS playoffs.



“We need to believe it’s possible,” said the 44-year-old native of Melton Mowbray, England. “It’s a great foundation that we’re starting from. I expect them to believe and translate that into a performance.”



With little time remaining, Dalrymple has a choice to make in how he deploys his players. Whether he keeps veterans in starting roles, or has a complete change in formation, he says fans can expect to see a few different things on the weekend.



“There will be changes. There has to be,” Dalrymple said. “We’re four points out and we need to fix that quickly. We’ll see what happens Saturday.”

NOTES & TIDBITS

The Whitecaps drew 0-0 with the LA Galaxy in their previous meeting on March 24 at BC Place. It was the first of just two matches this season where Vancouver has held their opponent off the score sheet.



Saturday marks the 20thall time meeting between the Whitecaps and Galaxy. Vancouver is 5-9-5 against their California rivals, but have a record of 2-7-1 at StubHub Center.

The Galaxy moved ahead of Vancouver in the standings last weekend with a 3-0 win at home over the Seattle Sounders. It ended a seven-match winless skid for LA. It was also the first victory for interim coach Dom Kinnear, who replaced Sigi Schmid on Sept. 10



Saturday also marks the first time the Whitecaps will face star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic since he joined MLS. Having appeared in 23 matches, the former Sweden international has scored 18 goals and added nine assists.