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MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Whitecaps FC held to 1-1 home draw

August 30, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


BURNABY, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC were held to a 1-1 home draw by Rochester Rhinos in USL First Division action on Saturday evening.

Charles Gbeke put the Whitecaps in front midway through the second half at Swangard Stadium before former Vancouver midfielder Ze Roberto earned the Rhinos a point with a late equalizer.

Saturday's result sees the 'Caps extend their unbeaten run to five matches in USL-1, though the draw keeps them in seventh place and the final playoff spot in the league standings with a record of 8W-9L-8D. Rochester, meanwhile, extended their winless streak to four games, with the Upstate New York club staying in fifth place in the USL-1 standings with a record of 9W-8L-8D.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson kept faith with the same line-up that started last Sunday afternoon's 2-0 home win over Miami FC Blues. The only alteration came on the right-hand side of midfield, with Lyle Martin pushing into midfield, while Wes Knight dropped back into the Vancouver defensive backline.

Rhinos head coach Darren Tilley, meanwhile, made one change to the side that started last Saturday's goalless draw at home to Carolina RailHawks. Captain Brent Sancho came into the visitors' backline, with midfielder Nano Short having to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench. Rochester's starting line-up included three former Whitecaps players, with Steve Kindel making his first appearance at Swangard since joining the Rhinos late last month. Andrew Gregor and Ze Roberto were the other ex-Vancouver players to play, as the pair appeared in the Rhinos midfield.

On a beautiful late summer's evening, a ninth-straight Swangard sellout crowd of 5,288 saw an open first half of soccer from both clubs, with chances created at both ends. Saturday's sellout tied a Whitecaps record for the number of sold-out matches in a season at 10, with the mark having been first set back in the 1987 Canadian Soccer League season when the team was known as Vancouver 86ers.

The game's first chance came as early as the third minute, as 'Caps centre back Chris Pozniak headed captain Martin Nash's corner from the left over the Rochester crossbar. Two minutes later at the other end, Nash did well to dispossess Gregor with a sliding tackle in the Vancouver box following a Rhinos break forward.

Rochester's skill and work-rate was a handful for the home side, and on 11 minutes, Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly needed to concede a corner after blocking away Gregor's deflected at the near post.

There was a decent flow to the way the Whitecaps attacked Saturday's opponents, but on 17 minutes, Martin could not make more of Takashi Hirano's cross from the left, as the speedy fullback struck a volley way off target and out for a Rhinos throw instead. Two minutes later, Nolly was called on to save Gregor's close-range shot with his legs after the Rochester midfielder took advantage of a poor Pozniak back pass to the Whitecaps number one. The Rhinos were then forced into an early change, as Errol McFarlane came on for the injured Warren Ukah in the visitors' attack.

The 'Caps then created further chances, with Nash striking Ansu Toure's lay-off wide of goal on 21 minutes before Pejic headed another Nash corner over the Rhinos crossbar eight minutes later.

Then after Toure forced a routine save from Rhinos goalkeeper Tim Melia with his low cross from the left, Danny Earls struck Johnny Menyongar's lay-off just over the Whitecaps crossbar on 34 minutes.

As the match headed towards the break, 'Caps midfielder Nizar Khalfan hit a left-footed shot wide of the target on 44 minutes after taking a short pass from Martin near the edge of the Rhinos box.

There was an eventful moment in the two minutes of time added on, as Kindel got on the wrong end of Whitecaps fans after cynically taking down Knight with his late tackle near the edge of the Rochester box. The Rochester fullback was booked for his indiscretion, and so was Knight, after he sarcastically applauded match referee Carol Anne Chenard's decision to yellow card the former Whitecaps player.

Then from Nash's ensuing free kick, Toure could not take advantage of the set-piece, as he sliced his shot across the face of Rochester's goal and out for a goal kick.

As a result, both teams went to halftime deadlocked at 0-0.

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