VANCOUVER, B.C. - With so much on the line for both teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas played out an edgy 0-0 draw at BC Place on Wednesday evening, in a game that lacked the spark and feistiness of their recent encounters.
Chances were at a premium, but both sides will be disappointed they didn't do better with the ones they created throughout the tense 90 minutes.
The point was enough to clinch an Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs place for Vancouver (15-12-5; 50 points) but dealt a blow to their hopes of a first-round bye in the postseason. Dallas (15-10-6; 51 points) move into first place in the Western Conference, edging the lead over LA on the most wins tiebreaker.
Vancouver had the best of the early going and threatened through a couple of Octavio Rivero headers and a Pa Modou Kah goalbound effort that was headed around for a corner by Kellyn Acosta.
It was Dallas, however, who forced the first real save of the game in the 19th minute, with David Ousted standing tall to handle a fierce drive from an unmarked Mauro Diaz inside the box.
There was little of note for the remainder of the half, with Vancouver's attack falling down all too often on misplaced passes in the final third and Dallas happy to sit back and try and catch the home side on the counter.
It was end to end action to start the second half, with Mauro Rosales squandering a good chance to give Vancouver the lead five minutes in, splicing a Jordan Smith cutback wide left.
A quick breakaway by Tesho Akindele gave Dallas the chance to break the deadlock minutes later, but the Canadian shot straight at Ousted when in on goal.
Vancouver were pushing for the opener but couldn't find a way through a resolute Dallas the defense and the visitors came close again when Ousted was forced into a sprawling save from a close range David Texeira shot in the 64th minute.
The Whitecaps have wasted some great breakaway opportunities in their last couple of games and they saw another fall by the wayside in the 74th minute when Rosales outpaced the last couple of Dallas defenders to set up Cristian Techera, but the Uruguayan couldn't bring the ball down in time to get off a decent shot and ended up limping off injured seconds later.
With the game seemingly heading for a stalemate, Dallas came within inches off snatching all three points in the final seconds of normal time, but substitute Blas Perez fired agonisingly past the far post, with Ousted beaten.
Both teams go at it again next Wednesday in Dallas, with playoff positioning on the line for both sides and in what could be a precursor to another couple of meetings in the postseason.
