Whitecaps FC Travel to Puerto Rico for the First Leg in the USSF D-2 Semifinal
October 13, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
VANCOUVER, BC - In a playoff semifinal series for a third straight season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (1W-1L-0D) continue their 2010 USSF D-2 Pro League playoff campaign versus Puerto Rico Islanders (1W-1L-0D) this week.
Fifth-seeded Whitecaps FC will play the eighth-seeded Islanders in the first leg in the Caribbean on Thursday night before returning home for the decisive second leg at Swangard Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The two-game series will be the third and fourth meetings between both clubs in 2010, with the 'Caps and Islanders drawing their two regular season clashes. On June 16, Vancouver drew 1-1 in Puerto Rico before both sides played out a scoreless draw at Swangard on September 5.
Thursday's first leg between Whitecaps FC and Puerto Rico Islanders from the Bayamón FC Soccer Complex in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, kicks off at 5 p.m. PT. Whitecaps fans can watch Thursday's playoff contest live online at whitecapsfc.com/live.
Sunday's second leg at Swangard kicks off at 4 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. CLICK HERE for more information on Whitecaps FC individual match tickets.
WHITECAPS FC
Satisfaction could be seen on the faces of Teitur Thordarson's men in Portland, Oregon, on Thanksgiving Sunday. A typical bruising and physical first-round series saw the 'Caps oust their Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers 2-1 on aggregate, despite a 1-0 defeat in the second leg in The City of Roses.
The 'Caps now go from being a lower seed to a higher seed for the semifinals, with the object of the Puerto Rico series to take something from the first leg on the road and complete the job at home on the weekend. "We're playing there first, so we're going to try and be strong defensively, and hope to come out of Puerto Rico with a lead. That would be ideal," centre back Luca Bellisomo told whitecapsfc.com. "We want to keep it close and tight in that first leg, and then use the home crowd to get behind us in the second leg."
For captain Martin Nash, reaching the next stage of the postseason takes him and Whitecaps FC a step closer to their ultimate goal of a USSF D-2 championship title. "The experienced players and the coaching staff have driven into the squad how important this playoff run is for us," he said. "We came together nine months ago with a goal of making it to a final and ending this season on a high. That's what we're all concentrating on, and the only thing that will satisfy us, because we want to be champions. We're going to do everything we can to accomplish that."
Whitecaps FC are still without Wes Knight after the right fullback suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury in the first-leg playoff match versus Portland. The former College of Charleston standout fell awkwardly after slipping on the Swangard Stadium pitch during the second half of last Thursday's match.
ISLANDERS
Spirits are sure to high in the Puerto Rico camp following their first-round playoff upset of USSF D-2 regular season champions Rochester Rhinos. A 3-2 aggregate victory over the Upstate New York club was particularly surprising, considering the Islanders only had one win in their last seven regular season matches.
This season, Puerto Rico could be forgiven for having their eye on matters in the CONCACAF Champions League. As Caribbean club champions, they upset Major League Soccer giants Los Angeles Galaxy in the preliminary round before putting themselves in prime position to qualify for the quarterfinals. The Islanders sit second in Group D, with one group match left to play versus Club Deportivo Olimpia in Honduras on Wednesday, October 20. "All the games against Puerto Rico have been tough and tight, as they like to play on the break and play balls into space," said Thordarson. "They are a very good team and have showed that in the CONCACAF Champions League recently."
The Islanders squad include two dangerous attackers in Englishman David Foley and Dominican Republic international Jonathan Fana. Former Whitecaps FC strikers Nicholas Addlery and Josh Hansen are also important members of Colin Clarke's side.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Thursday's first leg is the 16th all-time meeting between Whitecaps FC and Puerto Rico, dating back to the 2005 United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) season. In that time, Vancouver have recorded seven wins, two defeats, and six draws. This includes a record of two wins, two defeats, and three draws by the 'Caps in Puerto Rico. Whitecaps FC fans are sure to remember two recent encounters versus the Islanders at Swangard Stadium. On Thanksgiving Sunday 2008, Vancouver defeated Puerto Rico 2-1 to win the first USL-1 Championship Final to be contested between two clubs from outside of the United States. Then last season, the 'Caps defeated the Islanders 4-2 in a match that took over four hours to complete after severe thunderstorms delayed the July 25 game for over two hours.
USSF D-2 PLAYOFF FORMAT
Vancouver's semifinal playoff series with Puerto Rico 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*.
Should Whitecaps FC advance to the USSF D-2 championship final series, they will face the winner of the Carolina RailHawks (second seed) versus Montreal Impact (sixth seed) semifinal series. The first leg will take place at Montreal's Stade Saputo on Thursday, October 14, at 4:30 p.m. PT, with the second leg set for WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, on Sunday, October 17, at 3 p.m. PT.
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.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from October 13, 2010
- Whitecaps FC Travel to Puerto Rico for the First Leg in the USSF D-2 Semifinal - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Impact Faces the Carolina RailHawks Thursday in Semifinals - Montreal Impact
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