VANCOUVER -- When Martin Rennie said earlier this season that he preferred to look at his Vancouver Whitecaps with a glass half full approach, it was clear he believed in the potential of a squad struggling then to score and to get results.

And so, with the 'Caps now having played 11 of 34 MLS regular-season games, perhaps it's appropriate to ask this question: Is the glass one-third full or two-thirds empty?

It might take a very sharp eye and a whack of optimism to see the situation as the former. Or, maybe it requires the view of somebody who, assuming the glass was full of 12-year-old scotch, had gulped down the top two thirds.

Vancouver lost a game it looked ready to place in the win column on Saturday, giving up a sloppy late goal to the 10-men Portland Timbers, and now sit at a mediocre 3-4-4 ahead of a bye weekend, having won just one of its last nine games.

At least the 'Caps are scoring now. And they are 3-0-3 at home.

Camilo was terrific on Saturday, some of their young players are beginning to rise to the occasion and $1.2 million designated player Kenny Miller, who the Scottish Sun said on Monday is close to a deal that would see him headed back to Rangers in September, may have had a visit from Grannus, the Celtic god of healing, and be ready to play again after a balky hamstring kept him sidelined for seven game.

But it's still extremely difficult to ignore that awful win percentage over the last eight weeks.

The 'Caps are eighth in the very competitive Western Conference, just three points back of the fifth and final playoff spot, but face a daunting two-game road trip when they do resume MLS play.

Vancouver has to travel to New York to face the Eastern Conference-leading Red Bulls on June 1 and then head down the I-5 to Seattle a week later to play the surging Sounders, who are unbeaten in seven. The Cascadia rival, whom the 'Caps have never beaten, have won three of their last four, including decisive 4-0 and 4-2 wins at home over San Jose and FC Dallas, respectively.

Having played a busy stretch of late, with three Amway Canadian championship games mixed in with the MLS schedule, and now no game until May 29 when Montreal is at B.C. Place in a game to decide the Voyageur's Cup, Rennie is giving his players some needed time off. They won't return to the practice field until Thursday.

"We're going to have a couple of days off here to get away from the game for a little bit and then it's back to business," said goalkeeper Brad Knighton. "We've got a trophy to win."

Said centre back Brad Rusin: "It's nice to get some time away and regenerate a bit."

Rusin, in particular, was happy to put the 2-2 tie with the Timbers in his rear view mirror. He was victimized on the tying goal in a result that put a damper on what could have been a real turnaround week for the 'Caps.