VANCOUVER - The free-flowing, attack-with-speed Vancouver Whitecaps made a welcome re-appearance Sunday at BC Place for another sellout crowd of 21,000. The foot-on-the-gas Caps unleashed 30 shots, including 20 in a furious second-half assault, on the FC Dallas goal. Does any team play more riveting soccer when the reins are off? Unfortunately, the finish on this day was sorely lacking. And Dallas goalkeeper Raul Fernandez was brilliant, robbing Pedro Morales, who was sublime in midfield once again, with the game on the line. Disappointingly, mistakes by the back line were costly again. And the Caps continued a disturbing trend of failing to hold onto a lead. Add it all up and it was an entertaining, but ultimately unsatisfying, 2-2 draw against another Western Conference opponent that the Caps, now 6-4-10 on the season, just can’t beat. “It hurts like a loss,” said dejected goalkeeper David Ousted. “We deserved more out of this one.” It was the snake-bit Caps’ third consecutive draw and fifth sister-kissing result in the last eight games. They have just one win in that stretch and are in fifth place and slipping in the ultra-competitive West. The finishing isn’t lethal enough. The defending isn’t consistently good enough. And the season is in danger of slipping away if the club can’t secure help before the international transfer window closes Aug. 8. “I’m not going to spin it in any way,” coach Carl Robinson said of the single point. “I think we should have won the game. I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game.” Vancouver took a 1-0 lead for the fourth consecutive game, this time in the 11th minute, but couldn’t hold it. They trailed 2-1 at halftime, got a 53rd minute equalizer from the penalty spot from Morales, but couldn’t conjure up the winner despite firing ball after ball at the Dallas goal over the final 30 minutes. Centre back Carlyle Mitchell, the goat on the Dallas’s 2-1 goal, drilled a header off the cross bar off a Morales free kick in the 69th minute. Darren Mattocks let a great through ball in the box roll wide off his left foot three minutes later and Morales was denied by a full-stretch Fernandez in the Dallas goal in the 77th minute. Fernandez also got the better of Morales in the 88th minute when he went low to stop a labeled shot from the Chilean after the Caps’ best player had curled clear of Dallas defender Stephen Keel with a brilliant turn at the top of the box. “The ‘keeper today, very good,” said Morales. He and Mattocks, who combined for a stunning 21 shots, could well have had three goals each with any kind of luck or better, more composed finish. Mattocks did get things started in the 11th minute when he was sent in all lone on a brilliant low through ball from Gershon Koffie. Mattocks got to the top of the box, and with Fernandez out high, cut a shot under the sprawling Dallas ‘keeper for his third goal in three games.

A minute earlier, he had been denied by Fernandez’ quick left hand on a shot from 12 yards out. And in the 24th minute, he hit the side netting from six yards out with a wide-open goal to shoot at. He fell to the ground in despair, his head in his hands. Dallas got on the scoreboard in the 29th minute on a play that began with Caps’ fullback Steven Beitashour getting beat down the wing and allowing a cross into the box. A header off the cross bar landed at the feet of Blas Perez who easily converted from five yards. “It was a bit concerning,” said Robinson. “I think we had more than enough bodies in there, but we didn’t put a glove on it. And then the rebound, he managed to get a clear touch.” He said it was the kind of goal the Caps should be scoring. “(Fernandez) made five or six saves where he’s palmed them out and we had no one in the area to maybe tap them in. If you’re a centre forward with a good instinct, you get five or six goals in there a season. We’ve got to improve on that.” Ten minutes after the Perez goal, Michel scored from the penalty spot after Ousted and centre back Carlyle Mitchell messed up. First, Ousted threw a long looping ball out some 30 yards, trying to find Morales. But Dallas defender Matt Hedges, with plenty of time to read the play, stepped in front of Morales and sent a strong header back to the top of the box. Ousted was racing out to get it when Mitchell, inexplicably, leapt just in front of him. His right arm was out and the ball deflected off it, leaving referee Kevin Stott no choice but to point to the spot. Ousted also had to make a leaping one-handed save off Mitchell in the 62nd minute when the centre back inadvertently deflected a cross off his shin onto his own goal. It was that kind of second half for the Caps. They just weren’t going to find the back of the net from the run of play at either end of the pitch. “It’s a fine line this game, between winning and losing,” said Robinson, who suggested he’d probably be up through the night replaying the game in his mind. “I think you saw that today. We’re that close, but we’re that far.” SIGNALS CROSSED A Dane and a native of Trinidad and Tobago meet at the top of the 18-yard box. They both speak English, but the communication isn’t right. Hilarity ensues. OK, it’s not really a joke, but it cost the Vancouver Whitecaps dearly on Sunday. Goalkeeper David Ousted, the Dane, and centre back Carlyle Mitchell converged on a high ball in the first half. Ousted said he called for it, but “Carlyle didn’t hear me.” Mitchell says “I said ‘Mitch, Mitch.’ Then when I was in the air he said ‘keeper.’ I put my brakes, just duck, put my hand up to my head because I don’t want a punch in my head. Then the ball came off my arm.” The referee pointed to the spot, Brazilian midfielder Michel converted the penalty and Dallas had a 2-1 lead. “I’ll take the blame, but I was under the ball,” said Mitchell. Said Ousted: “It’s just one of those things we can’t allow.”