Whitecaps Take 1-1 Tie in Texas
April 22, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
Vancouver Whitecaps FC were held to a 1-1 away draw by USL First Division expansion club Austin Aztex on Tuesday evening.
In the final match of an early-season two-game road trip, Marco Reda scored his first-ever Whitecaps goal in the midweek contest at Nelson Field in Austin, Texas. Despite being the better side during the first half, the Whitecaps were unable to build on their slender lead, as second-half substitute Gifton Noel-Williams earned the Aztex a second-straight draw with a well-placed headed equalizer. The result leaves the defending league champion Whitecaps with two draws and a loss from their opening three matches of the 2009 regular season.
Following Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Puerto Rico Islanders, Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to his midfield personnel in the Texas state capital. Vicente Arze was replaced on the right-hand side of midfield by Wes Knight, who earned his first-ever start in USL-1 versus the Aztex. Youngster Ethan Gage made his first start of the season in central midfield, while Mason Trafford moved out to the left-hand side of the midfield line. That change meant Ansu Toure had to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench. As a result, the Whitecaps started Tuesday's game with no less than seven Canadian players.
Aztex head coach Adrian Heath, meanwhile, made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Minnesota Thunder on Saturday. Kieron Bernard replaced Gareth Evans in the centre of Austin's backline, while Sullivan Silva came in for the veteran Noel-Williams.
On a warm evening for soccer in Austin, it was the Whitecaps that dominated much of the play in the first half, as they tried to come to terms with the narrow and sloping dimensions of the Nelson Field turf surface.
As it was the inaugural meeting between both clubs, the first quarter of an hour proved to be a bit tentative, with the referee making several offside calls on both sides during the opening exchanges.
Then on 18 minutes, the visitors took the lead through centre back Reda. Knight's long throw-in from the right-hand side found the former Toronto FC and Charleston Battery defender, and his far-post header beat a frozen Aztex goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo-Aparicio for 1-0.
It was a fine start by the Blue and White, though Austin's nearly found a reply moments later when Yordany Alvarez's low shot forced a save from Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly. That chance proved to be closest that the Aztex came to scoring before the break.
The remainder of the opening 45 minutes belonged to Vancouver, as they created numerous chances to extend their lead. One of their best opportunities came on 24 minutes, but Charles Gbeke was unlucky to deflect Wesley Charles' first-time strike wide of goal after Trafford had found the Whitecaps centre back at the top of the Aztex box with a decent cross.
On 32 minutes, Gbeke missed the target again when he struck Luca Bellisomo's delivery wide of goal following a fine run down the right flank by the Whitecaps fullback. Two minutes later, the fleet-footed Marcus Haber forced Austin to concede a corner after he made a dangerous run into the Aztex box.
The last chance of the half fell again to Gbeke, but the Canadian international's cross from the right was well cut out by Gallardo-Aparicio. It meant that Vancouver had to be satisfied with a one-goal lead at the break.
After struggling to create much in attack before halftime, Austin introduced veteran English striker Noel-Williams to the match for Kyle Brown.
Once the match restarted, the home side looked far brighter, with skillful Brazilian winger Silva creating Austin's first two opportunities of the half on the right-hand side. Unfortunately for the Aztex, both Eddie Johnson and Noel-Williams put their efforts wide of Nolly's goal, despite being in good goalscoring positions.
Then on 57 minutes, Whitecaps captain Martin Nash tried to catch Gallardo-Aparicio off his goalline with an ambitious 55-yard shot. Though he had the Austin number one scrambling back to try and cover the situation, the ball flew just over the Aztex crossbar and out for a goal kick.
As the match reached the midway point of the half, it was Austin that applied more pressure on the 'Caps, with former Manchester United player Johnson forcing a fine save from Nolly with his fierce strike from the right side.
From the ensuing corner, Silva swung his set-piece in from the right and found the unmarked Noel-Williams, who headed the ball past a helpless Nolly to draw the Aztex level on 67 minutes.
The goal made for an interesting last quarter of the match, with Johnson forcing another save from Nolly, while at the other end, Gbeke just missed the target with a header from Nash's corner on the right.
Then on 74 minutes, Gallardo-Aparicio made two huge saves to deny Gbeke restoring Vancouver's lead. After Haber played a low cross to his strike partner from the right, the Aztex keeper did well to block Gbeke's first shot before closing the 'Caps striker down in his box to stop him again on the rebound.
It proved to be the last real goalscoring opportunity of note in the match, as both sides battled their way into five minutes of time added on. Despite having three successive corners and a free kick chance in the added time, the Whitecaps could not find their way past a resilient Aztex backline, as the final whistle meant a share of the spoils for both clubs.
90 FULL MINUTES
Though a point was taken in the end, Thordarson felt all three points were very much on offer in Texas. "I felt we could have scored three or four goals in the first half, and even another goal in the second half," he told whitecapsfc.com after Tuesday's draw. "I thought we played quite well in the last 35 minutes of the first half. We attacked well down the flanks before the break, and the plan was to continue in a similar way after halftime. However, we gave the initiative away to Austin and that resulted in an equalizing goal from a corner. It was a disappointing result."
The Whitecaps will now return home and prepare for a Saturday evening clash with Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers at Swangard Stadium. Austin, meanwhile, will also prepare for a match on Saturday, as they host fellow USL-1 new boys Cleveland City Stars at Nelson Field.
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USL First Division Stories from April 22, 2009
- City Stars Re-Sign Goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap - Cleveland City Stars
- Battery looking for first win Friday night versus Thunder - Charleston Battery
- Whitecaps Take 1-1 Tie in Texas - Vancouver Whitecaps
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