Whitecaps begin playoffs with 2-0 win

September 27, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release


Vancouver Whitecaps FC got their USL First Division playoff campaign off to a fine start with a 2-0 home victory over Minnesota Thunder in the first leg of their two-match quarterfinal series.

A first-half own goal by Thunder defender Jonathan Greenfield helped the Whitecaps to an important result at Swangard Stadium on Friday evening, with substitute Justin Moose striking a crucial second goal in the dying stages to give Vancouver a two-goal lead ahead of the second leg at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota, on Sunday.

Though they came away with nothing from their first playoff contest since 2004, Minnesota caused the Whitecaps a few problems throughout an eventful game, leaving many to think that the series is far from over at the halfway stage.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to the side that started last Saturday's final regular season win at Seattle Sounders. Geordie Lyall returned from injury to come into Vancouver's defensive backline, while Mason Trafford took his place in midfield, as Whitecaps Residency youngster Ethan Gage and speedy winger Moose started the match on the substitutes' bench.

Thunder interim head coach Donny Gramenz also made two changes to the starting XI that claimed a pivotal 3-1 victory at home to Montreal Impact last Saturday. Stephen deRoux came into the visitors' midfield for Tighe Dombrowski, while Brian Cvilikas replaced the injured Nathan Knox in the Minnesota attack, with the Thunder playing in a 3-5-2 formation.

On a cool but dry early autumn evening for soccer, a Swangard crowd of 4,943 saw both sides handle the difficult pitch conditions relatively well, despite the damage caused by last weekend's Simon Fraser University football game.

The fans in attendance saw the home side have more of the first-half opportunities, with Lyle Martin flicking a Nicholas Addlery cross right across the face of the Minnesota goal on three minutes before Whitecaps goalscorer Eduardo Sebrango was unable to direct Lyall's forward ball on target three minutes later.

Just before the quarter-hour mark, Thunder defender Kevin Taylor made a timely challenge on Sebrango in the visitors' box before Minnesota goalkeeper Nicolas Platter made a good save from Sebrango's solid header two minutes later. At the other end, Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly was called into action, as he needed to tip Dale Weiler's dipping right-foot strike over his own crossbar for a Thunder corner.

On 19 minutes, Martin Nash sliced a shot wide of goal before Sebrango was unlucky to miss the target with a low drive four minutes later after doing well to control Alfredo Valente's cross from the left in the Minnesota box.

Nolly needed to be alert again to deny a chance for Cvilikas on 24 minutes, as the Whitecaps number one collided with the Thunder striker in their pursuit for a loose ball in the Vancouver box.

Three minutes later, however, the Whitecaps made their attacking play pay dividends, as they took an important lead in fortunate circumstances. Steve Kindel's cross from the left was inadvertently flicked into his own net by Greenfield, with the defender's header wrong-footing Platter in the Thunder goal as a result.

Having taken the lead, the Whitecaps kept moving forward in search of a second goal, with Valente and Trafford forcing good saves from Platter either side of the half-hour mark.

Minnesota, meanwhile, remain undeterred at being a goal behind, with Thunder captain Jeremiah Bass causing a scare for the home side with a low shot that Nolly had to redirect on to his own post before it was cleared away on 38 minutes.

Four minutes later, the Whitecaps were left disappointed by an offside decision that denied Sebrango a second goal for Vancouver, even though the Cuban hit-man connected well with Lyall's fine cross from the right.

After Cvilikas headed a Minnesota half chance wide of the target in first-half stoppage time, both sides went to their respective dressing rooms for the break, with the Whitecaps leading by a single goal at halftime.

The early stages of the second half saw Minnesota look a more positive approach in attack, with Ricardo Sanchez and Luchi Gonzalez striking shots high and wide of Nolly's goal in the first 11 minutes after the restart.

Then before being replaced by Charles Gbeke on the hour mark, Addlery was left worst for wear when he took the full brunt of a fiercely-hit Sanchez free kick in his mid-section after being in the Vancouver wall.

In a bid to freshen up his side, Thordarson made a further change on the left flank, with Takashi Hirano replacing Valente on 64 minutes before Gbeke's first contribution of the match was to hit a low drive into the Minnesota side-netting a minute later.

Then a controversial moment on 72 minutes, as the Whitecaps made appeals for a penalty when Hirano looked to have been knocked down in the Thunder box, as he tried to connect with Martin's curling cross from the right. The ball then fell to Kindel, who struck a low shot past the far post, with Sebrango and Gbeke both stretching in vain to redirect it on target. Hirano's frustration at not receiving a spot kick subsequently earned him a yellow card from match referee Carol Anne Chenard.

Two minutes later, the Thunder came ever so close to equalizing, but deRoux rolled a low shot just wide of the target before the Whitecaps introduced more substitutes in the form of Gage and Moose for Lyall and Charles respectively.

With the second leg to come in Minnesota, the Whitecaps struggled through most of the second half and were facing the prospect of having a slim advantage for Sunday's decisive contest. On 89 minutes, however, the home side gave themselves a major boost towards winning the series.

Substitute Jason Jordan played a fine through ball to Moose on the right side of the Thunder box. Platter then did well to stop the winger's initial low shot, but as the rebound returned to Moose, the former DC United midfielder was on hand to strike the ball over the goalline for his second goal in as many games.

The two-goal lead brought delight and relief to those all around Swangard, but to their credit, Minnesota kept fighting well into the four minutes of stoppage time. After heading a initial chance wide, Thunder substitute Frederico Moojen looked to have scored a late goal when the former Montreal forward found the back of the Whitecaps net. However, the goal was not allowed, as the far-side assistant referee had flagged for offside - much to the disbelief of the visitors.

The final whistle brought the series to the halfway stage, with the Whitecaps now able to turn their attentions to Sunday and the all-important second leg with the cushion of a two-goal lead.

In the two other playoff quarterfinals in USL-1 on Friday, Rochester Rhinos scored two late goals to defeat Charleston Battery 2-0 at PAETEC Park in Upstate New York, while down the road in Seattle, the Sounders overcame Montreal 2-1 at the Starfire Sports Stadium, with both sides finishing the match with ten men.



USL First Division Stories from September 27, 2008


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