Vancouver Whitecaps Women 2 Seattle Sounders 2
Published on July 1, 2008 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
TUKWILA, WA - Vancouver Whitecaps women battled to a hard-fought 2-2 tie Monday night in Tukwila, WA against the Seattle Sounders under the most difficult of circumstances. A sudden rash of illness left Vancouver desperately short of healthy players, with the Whitecaps dominating the first half to take a 2-0 lead, but then wilting in the heat as Seattle came back to tie.
The Whitecaps were supposed to be buoyed by the return of coach Bob Birarda and his triumphant squad of Canadian U-20 players, who had just flown back from Mexico on Sunday having won the CONCACAF U-20 Championships in superb fashion. Six of the U-20 players were included in the Whitecaps traveling roster to Seattle, but the after-effects of the gruelling schedule and conditions in Mexico began to catch up with them, and all six became ill on the drive down the I-5. Coach Birarda meanwhile was too sick to even make the trip, leaving assistant coach Marc Rizzardo with a lot more than he bargained imagined.
Of the six returning U-20s, three were well enough to start: goalkeeper Justine Bernier, midfielder Paige Adams, and forward Karla Schacher, who had scored Canada's game-winning-goal against the USA in the Final just days earlier. However, Bernier was the only one who would manage the full 90, as nausea and dehydration took its toll on the others. Substitute Julie Amstrong lasted only fifteen minutes after coming on at half-time, while Shannon Woeller was too ill to even take the field.
Complete match report: www.whitecapsfc.com/schedule/match06300802.aspx
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