A-League Playoff Report
Published on September 13, 2002 under A-League (A-League) News Release
CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery defeated the Richmond Kickers tonight at Blackbaud Stadium 2-1. A crowd of 2,379 watched as the Battery opened its 2002 A-League playoff campaign with a victory. The match was the first of a two-game, home-and-home series, both teams travel to University of Richmond City Stadium on Sunday for the second match.
The first half was a tight, evenly contested affair, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Both teams had chances. For Richmond, Marco Ferruzzi shot wide of the target, midway through the half from well inside the 18-yard box.
Ryan Trout came closest for Charleston. He forced a diving, reaction sav, from Kickers keeper Ronnie Pascale in the 28th minute. Then in the 44th minute Pascale denied him again, this time saving well after Trout drilled a shot on-target from the edge of the box.
In the second period, the Battery stepped up the intensity and were rewarded with the go-ahead goal in the 63rd minute. Substitute midfielder, Kyle Swords won the ball at the back of the Richmond penalty area. He slipped it out to Justin Evans who was running on from the midfield. Evans accepted the pass and fired a bullet-shot into the top right-hand corner of Pascale's goal.
In the 75th minute the Kickers tied the game up again with a goal from former Battery striker, Mike Burke. Burke carried the ball down the far flank before cutting in onto his left foot and beating Battery keeper, Hudock, with a well-struck shot inside the near post.
With three minutes remaining Charleston forward, Paul Conway, converted a penalty kick to restore the Battery's lead. The penalty was awarded after substitute forward Chris Bagley was brought down in the box by Richmond defender, Kevin Knight who was trying to shield the ball back to the keeper.
Battery goalkeeper, Dusty Hudock made a series of saves at the end of the game to preserve Charleston's lead. Hudock was named A-League Goalkeeper of the Year, last Tuesday.
The second game of the two-match series takes place at U of R Stadium, Richmond this Sunday; kick off is set for 6:00 pm. Fans can listen to the game live in the Charleston area on the Charleston Battery radio network WTMZ 910 AM or online at www.charlestonbattery.com. The Eastern Conference Semifinal is a two game aggregate series; the winner will face either the Montreal Impact or the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the Conference Finals next weekend.
Season champ Seattle falls behind 2-0 in Vancouver
(courtesy Seattle Sounders)
BURNABY, BC -- The Seattle Sounders traveled to Vancouver on Friday the 13th and came away unlucky, losing 2-0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Western Conference Semifinal A-League playoff action. A Vancouver crowd of 5,686 was its largest since the club's home-opener against Minnesota on May 12.
A tightly fought first half saw numerous scoring chances for both sides. Vancouver supplied early pressure in the second minute courtesy of nice cross from Jeff Clarke. Seattle countered in the eighth minute off a Leighton O'Brien free kick. Scott Jenkins, up from defense, headed O'Brien's lofted shot into the arms of Whitecap keeper Jim Larkin.
Vancouver forward Steve Kindel rocketed a shot just to the left of Sounder keeper Preston Burpo in the 20th minute. A failed Sounder corner kick clear landed on Kindel's foot and he blasted a ball from 30-yards out.
The lone goal of the first half came in the 44th minute. Jason Jordan received a Paul Dailly pass and ran past two Sounder defenders. He chipped a shot over a charging Burpo for a 1-0 Whitecap lead.
The Sounders had a goal disallowed in the 66th minute. Viet Nguyen scored the apparent game-tying goal but it was called back due to an offside.
Ryan Edwards, pushing forward from his left back position, sent a cross into the goal in the 73rd minute. Larkin made a diving save to his left to keep the Whitecaps one-goal lead in tact.
Vancouver second half substitute Niall Thompson just missed giving the Whitecaps a two-goal lead in the 76th minute. He took a beautiful Clarke pass and hit a hard shot just over Burpo's crossbar.
Two minutes later Nguyen initiated a hard tackle on Clarke. He received a red card ejection for the altercation and the Sounders played a man down the rest of the match. Ironically, Nguyen received a red card ejection in a May 19th match against Vancouver, also in the 78th minute.
Jordan tallied the Whitecaps second goal of the game in the 90th minute. Clarke was credited with the assist.
Sounder midfielder Andrew Gregor did not play in the game due to a red card ejection against the Milwaukee Rampage, the last regular season game for the Sounders.
The two-game aggregate score series shifts to Seattle on Sunday night. Kick-off is set for 8:00 pm ET at Memorial Stadium. Seattle will need a three-goal victory to advance to the conference final against the winner of the Minnesota-Milwaukee series. Tickets for the game will be available at the stadium box office one-hour before game time.
This was the 53rd meeting between the two clubs, including playoffs, dating back to 1994. Seattle holds the all-time edge 35-16-1.
The Whitecap victory marked the first time this season they defeated the Sounders. Seattle finished the 2002 regular season 4-0 against Vancouver, outscoring the Whitecaps 11-3. The Sounders last faced the Whitecaps on July 28th at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle. In front of an A-League record setting crowed of 25,515, the Sounders beat the âCaps 4-1.
This was the first playoff game for the Sounders since the 2000 season. Last season marked the first time since 1994 that the Sounders failed to make a postseason appearance. Since winning the A-League Championship in 1995 and 1996, the Sounders have been knocked out of the playoffs in the conference semifinals in their last three postseason appearances.
A-League Stories from September 13, 2002
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