Whitecaps FC and Timbers in Playoff Showdown
October 6, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
VANCOUVER, BC - Entering their 14th consecutive season of playoff action, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10W-5L-15D) take on Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers (13W-7L-10D) in the first round of the USSF D-2 Pro League playoffs this week.
Having finished as the fifth overall seed for the postseason, Whitecaps FC will host their Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion cousins in the first leg at Swangard Stadium on Thursday night. Fourth-seeded Portland will then host the decisive second leg of the two-match, aggregate score series on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 10, at 6 p.m. PT. Sunday's match will take place at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland, as the Timbers' home of PGE Park is currently undergoing renovations ahead of their move to MLS.
Thursday's playoff match between Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers at Swangard kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT. Whitecaps individual match tickets start at $21.50, plus applicable service charges, and are available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres, online at ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at 604.280.4400 or 1.800.663.9311. Visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets for more information on Whitecaps FC individual match tickets.
WHITECAPS FC
As head coach Teitur Thordarson and his squad enter the postseason, they face an opponent that they were unable to beat during the 2010 regular season. Having played the Timbers on four occasions, the 'Caps had to settle for a 0W-2L-2D record against their Oregon-based foes. This included an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Portland to close out the regular season on Saturday.
Though the decisive leg is away from home, 'Caps captain Martin Nash feels the key to Vancouver's success is to stay focused with their game plan. "It is a bit of a fine line to push for goals on Thursday, but I think we'll go out in the first half and play our game, and not necessarily worry about the need to score goals," he said at training on Tuesday. "We will be looking to find the back of the net, but we also want to be solid defensively, so it's about playing a smart game."
Thordarson nearly has a fully fit squad to choose from for this week's playoff showdown. This includes summer signing Gershon Koffie, who is available after serving a one-match suspension during Saturday's regular season finale.
TIMBERS
On a run of 10 matches without a defeat, Portland will be full of confidence ahead of this week's playoff showdown with their Interstate 5 opponents. Gavin Wilkinson's squad will also have memories of last season to motivate them, as it was Whitecaps FC that abruptly ended a fine 2009 season for Portland, in which they claimed the Commissioner's Cup as United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) regular season champions.
A physical and imposing side, the Timbers will look to the league's top goalscorer in Ryan Pore (15 goals) and in-form striker Bright Dike (10 goals) to generate their offensive firepower during these two postseason matches. Midfielder Kalif Alhassan is another player to look out for, with the Ghana U-20 international having found the back of the net during Saturday's match at Swangard. "Portland are a good team, that's pretty much the end of it," said Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Jay Nolly. "They've got good guys in the midfield and play at a high tempo. They've got the top scorer in Ryan Pore, who plays wide on the left, which is unusual for a goalscorer. Their other forwards have also been scoring a lot, while they have not conceded a lot of goals, either. It's a two-game series, so anything can happen."
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Thursday's match will be the 66th all-time meeting between Whitecaps FC and the Timbers, with both clubs facing each other for the fourth time in the postseason. During the USL-1 era, Whitecaps FC won two of three playoff series and posted a 4W-1L-1D record in the process. In 2002, Vancouver defeated Portland 2-0 on aggregate in the first round before the Timbers avenged that result with a 3-1 aggregate success in first-round playoff action in 2007. Last season, both clubs played a memorable semifinal series, with Whitecaps FC emerging as 5-4 aggregate winners. Going back to the 1975 North American Soccer League (NASL) season, the Whitecaps hold an all-time record of 32 wins, 23 defeats, and 10 draws versus the Timbers.
USSF D-2 PLAYOFF FORMAT
Vancouver's first-round playoff match-up with Portland will be contested as a two-match, aggregate score series. If the aggregate score is tied at the conclusion of the second leg, then two 15-minute extra-time periods will be played to determine the series winner. If both sides remain tied at the end of extra time, then the series will be decided using a penalty shootout. *Unlike European club competitions or the CONCACAF Champions League, the 'Away Goals' rule is not in effect as a tiebreaker in the USSF D-2 playoffs*.
The winner of the Portland Timbers versus Whitecaps FC series will advance to the semifinals to face the winner of the Rochester Rhinos (first seed) versus Puerto Rico Islanders (eight seed) first-round playoff series. The other playoff semifinal will see the winner of the Austin Aztex (third seed) versus Montreal Impact (sixth seed) series take on the winner of the Carolina RailHawks (second seed) versus NSC Minnesota Stars (seventh seed) series. The semifinals will take place between Wednesday, October 13, and Sunday, October 17.
The USSF D-2 championship final series will be played over two weekends. The first leg of the final is set for the weekend of October 23 & 24, while the second leg will take place during the weekend of October 30 & 31.
Thursday's first leg between Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers can be seen live on Shaw TV, Shaw Direct (satellite channel 299), and online at whitecapsfc.com/live.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from October 6, 2010
- Stars, RailHawks Tie Playoff First Leg 0-0 - Minnesota United FC
- Impact Begins Playoffs with 2-0 Win - Montreal Impact
- RailHawks Tie Stars 0-0 in Opening Playoff Game - North Carolina FC
- Impact Repeat 2-0 Performance in Quarterfinal First Leg - Austin Aztex
- Timbers' Danso Recalled for National Team Duty - Portland Timbers
- FSN to Televise Thursday Timbers Playoff Game - Portland Timbers
- Whitecaps FC and Timbers in Playoff Showdown - Vancouver Whitecaps
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