Vanni Sartini knows he may have upset some powerful forces in recent weeks.
And the Vancouver Whitecaps' head coach says maybe that's what caused what he called an "unlucky" goal on Friday — one that spelled the end of his team's season in the playoffs.
"Maybe God was angry at me because I [have] said I'm an atheist a lot of times and that's the reason we lost," Sartini said after Los Angeles FC blanked the 'Caps 1-0. "But he can't be angry because he doesn't exist."
Vancouver was never favoured to win its best-of-three matchup against LAFC in the first round of the Major League Soccer playoffs.
The Whitecaps limped into the post-season, sliding down the Western Conference standings to eighth place after losing their last four games of the regular season.
The club then trounced their regional rivals, the Portland Timbers, 5-0 in a wild-card game and earned the right to face top-seeded Los Angeles.
LAFC opened the series with a narrow 2-1 victory in California and Vancouver replied with a decisive 3-0 win at home to set up a do-or-die matchup on Friday.
"It's always bad to finish the season like this," said 'Caps defender Ranko Veselinovic. "There's a lot of emotions right now. We really felt before the game and during the game that we had the game under control. But they really showed today … why they're the top of the MLS."
The two sides were locked in a defensive stalemate for much of the first half.
Vancouver's back line proved to be an aggressive force, picking balls off the feet of LAFC's stars and limiting shots.
Los Angeles sniper Denis Bouagna had an opportunity in the seventh minute, but sent his shot wide of the post.
Brian White tested LAFC 'keeper Hugo Lloris in the 27th minute with a left-footed blast from
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