VANCOUVER – It might have been claimed in a lackluster contest on Wednesday evening, but the Vancouver Whitecaps were able to achieve one of their main goals for 2015, as the team secured an MLS Cup Playoff berth.

However, for many on Canada’s west coast, booking a spot in the postseason was an eventual formality. What most Whitecaps fans will likely reflect on is another missed opportunity to move back into the top two places in the Western Conference standings following a disappointing 0-0 home draw with FC Dallas.

After squandering the chance to earn a valuable win at San Jose Earthquakes last weekend, the Whitecaps looked labored and out of ideas in attack during the first of a home-and-home set of games with their North Texas foe, which seemed happy enough to take a road point from BC Place.

Though the Blue and White will be pleased to secure a second-straight playoff berth - their third in five seasons as an MLS franchise - a lean run of one victory in their last six league contests is hardly the type of form any side will want heading into the postseason.

“I’m happy we’re in the playoffs,” Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson said following Wednesday’s draw. “I think it’s credit to every single player and staff member that we managed it from a very tough and competitive Western Conference, with two games to go.

“The performance? I think we need to be better and we can be better. It’s probably one of our okay games of the season, so we’ll have to accept that. I think it was two teams and two organizations that are very similar, in a lot of aspects. They were happy to soak up the pressure and they did it very well, then try and catch us on the counter.”

More worrying for the Whitecaps is a rash of injuries that have piled up at the most inopportune time. Nicolas Mezquida and Pedro Morales were already sidelined, while Pa-Modou Kah (groin) and Octavio Rivero (Achilles tendon) played through the pain on Wednesday night. The injury problems were compounded when Cristian Techera (hamstring) and Mauro Rosales (groin) were forced off in the second half.

Robinson admits he is ‘down to the bare bones’ in terms of healthy bodies, with two crucial regular season games and a long CONCACAF Champions League trip to Honduras to face Olimpia still to play.

“First, I will try and get 11 fit bodies on the field,” he said ahead of next Wednesday’s return league match in Dallas. “I’ll juggle that and the guys will take a few days off to recover because I think we looked tired today. We’ll make them rest and recover, then get back to work on Saturday morning.”

While a lack of Vancouver goals in recent matches will also be a topic of debate, ‘Caps goalkeeper David Ousted was pleased to bounce back from his weekend blunder in San Jose by registering his MLS-tying 12th clean sheet of the campaign.

“I said all along, last week is what happens sometimes - you make mistakes,” said the Danish shot stopper. “But tonight, I was back to my high standards, so that was nice.”

It was also an eventful day for Jordan Harvey, who saw his wife give birth to their first child on Wednesday morning before putting in a 90-minute shift against Dallas. With playoff positions still to be decided in the West, the ‘Caps left back felt the scenario was a simple one for his side.

“Win two games, that’s the target,” Harvey said. “Winning games is always a target.”