USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks All Set to Host Vancouver on Tuesday, August 18

Published on August 17, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


Seventy-two hours after playing Vancouver to a 0-0 tie in British Columbia, the RailHawks and Whitecaps will go at it again at WakeMed Soccer Park. The teams will close out their season series on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks (13-5-4, 43 points) begin Week 20 in third place in the USL First Division, a point back of Charleston and five behind Portland. The RailHawks have two games in hand over the Battery and one over Portland. Vancouver (7-9-5, 26 points) comes to Cary tied with Miami for seventh place in the league table.

While the RailHawks were unable to add to their league-leading win total on Saturday, they did earn their league-leading 14th shutout despite allowing season-highs in shots (22) and corner kicks (10). Caleb Patterson was in goal for the RailHawks, and he made seven saves to earn his eighth shutout of the season while lowering his goals against average to 0.454.

While Vancouver took 22 shots in Saturday's match and nearly solved the Carolina defense several times, it's unlikely they'll attack with the same flourish Tuesday. The Whitecaps have struggled away from Swangard Stadium, where they are 5-3-2 this year. On the road, they are 2-6-3 and they've been outscored 17-13. Their two wins were at Minnesota (3-5-3 at home) and Rochester (3-4-4 at home). The RailHawks are 7-1-3 at WakeMed Soccer Park in USL-1 play, and they've outscored the opposition 15-5.

Carolina comes into the match riding a five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1), and they are 9-1-1 overall since June 30. The RailHawks have shut out their last five opponents, and the 490 minutes without allowing a goal is nine minutes shy of the club record established earlier this season. The RailHawks last allowed a goal in the 40th minute of their 2-1 defeat at Charleston on July 24. Since June 30, the RailHawks have outscored their opponents 20-4. Ten different players have accounted for the goals.

The mid-week match will be the RailHawks' second in four days, and they'll have little time to rest and recover before playing again. Carolina hits the road for a Saturday match at Rochester, which will be the last in their three-games-in-three-cities-in-eight-days tour.

Vancouver is also in the midst of busy week. After the two matches with Carolina, the Whitecaps will face the Battery in Charleston on Friday before returning to Vancouver to face Miami on Sunday afternoon.

The match is presented by Compuware the global leader in providing quality software products and services designed to increase productivity. In addition the RailHawks welcome over 50 local establishments in a "Taste of the Triangle" event presented by Harris Wholesale. Throughout the match fans will have a chance to win a gift certificate to one of 50 Triangle area restaurants.

SCOUTING VANCOUVER

The Whitecaps enter the weekend tied with Miami for seventh place in the USL First Division. They are 1-2-2 in their last five matches, though they've scored as many goals as they've conceded (four) during that stretch.

Though the Whitecaps are in the middle of the table, they feature among the best attacks in the league. Their 268 shots (12.76 per game) are second only to Portland, and their 29 goals scored and 1.38 goals per game are both third most in the league. They've been shut out only five times, tied with the RailHawks for the fewest in the league. Three players rate in the top six in the USL-1 in goals scored. Marlon James (eight goals) is tied with two others for third in the USL-1, while Charles Gbeke and Marcus Haber have scored five goals apiece.

The Whitecaps' strength at the top has been undercut by their struggles at the back. They've posted five shutouts (tied for third fewest in the league) and they allow 1.35 goals per game.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's match will represent the eighth time that Carolina and Vancouver have met, and it is the third and final meeting of the 2009 season. The RailHawks are 2-2-3 in the previous seven matches with Vancouver, and both teams have scored six goals on the other in those seven games. At WakeMed Soccer Park, the RailHawks are 1-1-1 all time against Vancouver.

In this season's first meeting, the RailHawks prevailed 2-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park on July 17. It was Carolina's first home victory over the Whitecaps. The RailHawks took a 1-0 lead just before halftime after a Whitecaps own goal. Sallieu Bundu put the RailHawks up 2-0 in the 65th minute. That proved to be the game-winning goal because Vancouver's Charles Gbeke drew one back for the Whitecaps in the 90th minute. On Saturday, the teams played to a scoreless tie at Vancouver's Swangard Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks played Vancouver to a 0-0 draw on Saturday at Swangard Stadium. The RailHawks allowed a season-high 22 shots, but Caleb Patterson made seven saves to preserve the point for Carolina. Vancouver earned 10 corner kicks, tying a season-high for the most Carolina has allowed (Austin earned 10 on June 19). The RailHawks took nine shots but never really challenged Vancouver goalkeeper Jay Nolly, who had three saves. The Whitecaps also caught Carolina forwards offside five times, the sixth time this year the RailHawks have been off at least that many times in a game.

Saturday marked just the fifth time this season the RailHawks have been shut out - first since June 19 - ending a stretch of 13 consecutive games in which the RailHawks had scored a goal. The RailHawks found the back of the net 25 times between shutouts.

PLAYER NOTES

*Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson had seven saves Saturday against Vancouver to earn his eighth shutout of the season. It was his third seven-save effort of the season and second in a row. Patterson lowered his GAA in USL-1 matches to 0.455. *Midfielder Matt Watson made his first start since June 27 on Saturday against Vancouver. Watson, whose been recovering from minor knee surgery, played 63 minutes against the Whitecaps. *Midfielder John Cunliffe made his first appearance Saturday since July 26 and his first start since July 24. He took three shots in 72 minutes of work against the Whitecaps. *Saturday's match in Vancouver was forward Andiry Budnyy's fifth straight appearance for the RailHawks but his first start since June 14. He played 59 minutes and took two shots. *Defender Jeremy Tolleson was called for a season-high four fouls Saturday, or one-quarter of his season total. In his previous 1,438 minutes over 16 games, Tolleson was called for 12 fouls. In 90 minutes Saturday, he was called for four, one of which led to his first yellow card of the season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tuesday's match will be the RailHawks' seventh mid-week game of the season. They are 3-1-2 in games played on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday this year, and they've outscored their opponents 7-4 and posted four shutouts.

Tuesday's match will also represent the sixth series finale of 2009 for the RailHawks, and they are 2-2-1 in closeout games this season. The RailHawks have won their last two closeout games (3-0 vs. Austin; 2-0 vs. Cleveland) after going winless over their first three (0-2-1).

STAT LEADERS*

Goals: Sallieu Bundu, Daniel Paladini (5)

Assists: Daniel Paladini (5)

Minutes: Mark Schulte (2,351)

Shots: Daniel Paladini (47)

Fouls: Amir Lowery (40)

*includes USL-1 matches, U.S. Open Cup matches and five friendlies in 2009

CAROLINA VS USL-1*

The following are the RailHawks' team statistics for the year and in parentheses is where they rank in each category compared to the rest of the USL First Division.

Shots: 249 (4th)

Shots allowed: 235 (6th)

Goals scored: 28 (4th)

Goals allowed: 13 (10th)

Saves: 70 (10th)

Shutouts: 14 (1st)

Times shut out: 5 (T-10th)

*based only on USL-1 matches

2008 VS 2009 SEASON COMPARISON

Through 21 games in 2008: 4-9-9, 21 points, 18 GF, 30 GA, 5 SO

Through 21 games in 2009: 13-5-3, 43 points, 28 GF, 13 GA, 14 SO

USL STANDINGS

Portland 13-1-9, 48 points

Charleston 12-4-8, 44 points

Carolina 13-5-4, 43 points

Puerto Rico 11-5-8, 41 points

Rochester 9-8-5, 32 points

Montreal 7-10-5, 26 points

Vancouver 7-9-5, 26 points

Miami 7-10-4, 25 points

Minnesota 4-10-7, 19 points

Austin (-2) 3-12-8, 15 points

Cleveland 2-14-7, 13 points

USL-1 SCHEDULE - WEEK 20

Tuesday, Aug. 18 Vancouver at Carolina, 7 p.m. Montreal at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 19 Minnesota at Rochester, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 20 Vancouver at Charleston, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22 Minnesota at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Carolina at Rochester, 7:35 p.m. Miami at Portland, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 23 Austin at Montreal, 3:45 p.m. Miami at Vancouver 7 p.m.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks will close out their season series against Rochester on Saturday at Marina Auto Stadium at 7:35 p.m. The RailHawks won both of the season's other meetings 1-0. On April 18, Sallieu Bundu scored the game's only goal in the 53rd minute at WakeMed Soccer Park, while on Aug. 5 in Rochester, Kupono Low scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



USL First Division Stories from August 17, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central