City Stars Host Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday
July 31, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Cleveland City Stars News Release
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland City Stars host the defending USL First Division champion Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday August 1st at 7 p.m. The match will be the second meeting of the season as the two sides played to a 2-2 draw in late June.
Cleveland led for much of the first match until the Whitecaps scored in the 90th minute to pull out the draw. Leo Gibson scored on an assist from Ibrahim Kante in the June match with Pato Aguilera knocking in the second goal on a penalty kick. Marcus Haber scored for the Whitecaps off an assist from Martin Nash and it was Nash that tied the match in the 90th.
Cleveland enters the meeting having lost its last two matches by a score of 4-1. The City Stars are in last place with a 2-12-6 record. Aguilera leads Cleveland in points with 11 and assists with five. The five assists are tied for the league lead. Aguilera is also tied for the club lead with three goals along with Ricardo Pierre-Louis.
Cleveland defender Paul Ballard is a native of Vancouver, BC and played for the Whitecaps Reserves in 2007. Injured City Stars defender Stephane Guillaume will remain sidelined with a knee injury.
Vancouver is in eighth place with a 6-7-3 record and just one point behind the final playoff position. Marlon James leads the Whitecaps with six goals in only eight matches played. James has missed time this season due to injury but was back in form last week with two second half goals in Vancouver's 4-2 victory over Puerto Rico. Haber and Charles Gbeke are tied for second with 11 points, including five goals and one assist for each. Nash leads the club in assists with three.
Rookie midfielder Tyrell Burgess was named to the most recent USL First Division Team of the Week for his assist in the match with Puerto Rico.
Vancouver takes on the Rochester Rhinos tonight in Rochester before coming to Cleveland. The Whitecaps will be without injured midfielders Lyle Martin and Justin Moose on the road trip.
The match will be broadcast by SportsTime Ohio at 11 p.m. and it can be viewed live online at usllive.com.
Tickets for Saturday's match are still available by calling 330-425-2003. All fans that purchase tickets in advance will automatically be entered into the Pre-Purchase Ticket Contest, with the chance to win autographed merchandise and VIP ticket upgrades.
USL First Division Stories from July 31, 2009
- 'Caps Beat Rhinos - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Timbers Face Minnesota on the Road Saturday - Portland Timbers
- Impact Faces Miami FC in Florida Saturday - Montreal Impact
- RailHawks to face Austin on Saturday - North Carolina FC
- City Stars Host Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday - Cleveland City Stars
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