Whitecaps held to 1-1draw
September 4, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
BLAINE, MN - Vancouver Whitecaps FC were held to a 1-1 away draw by Minnesota Thunder in USL First Division action on Friday evening.
Marcus Haber gave the Whitecaps the lead with a fine first-half goal, but Minnesota kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a late equalizer from second-half substitute Melvin Tarley at the National Sports Center (NSC) Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota.
Friday's draw took Vancouver's record to 9W-9L-9D, with the defending USL-1 champions remaining in seventh place and final playoff spot in the league standings. With only a point taken from the match, the Whitecaps now need five points from their final three regular season games to clinch a postseason berth.
The stalemate was equally as unsatisfactory for the Thunder, as their hopes of making the playoffs now hang by a thread. Minnesota will now need to win their final four regular season games, if they are to avoid missing the USL-1 postseason for the fourth time in five seasons.
Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to the side that started Wednesday's 3-2 home win over Austin Aztex. Both of those changes came in midfield, with Tanzanian international Nizar Khalfan replacing Gordon Chin in central midfield, while Ansu Toure took the place of fellow winger Tyrell Burgess on the left-hand side of midfield.
Thunder head coach Donny Gramenz, meanwhile, made one change to the side that started last Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Puerto Rico Islanders in the Caribbean. Brian Cvilikas replaced Melvin Tarley in the home side's attack.
On a pleasant evening in the American Midwest, both sides provided to a lively and evenly-played first half of soccer, with the Blue and White looking stronger towards the latter stages of the opening 45 minutes.
Charles Gbeke had the first chance for the Whitecaps on three minutes, as he forced a save by Thunder goalkeeper Nicolas Platter with a close-range header.
Minnesota replied seven minutes later, with captain Jeremiah Bass heading Andrew Peterson's cross from the left wide of the far post. On the quarter-hour mark, Cvilikas tried to catch Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly off guard with a quick strike following a long ball forward. The forward's effort, however, flew high and wide of the target.
At the other end, former Thunder winger Toure drilled a first-time shot into the side-netting on 17 minutes after the Liberian got on the end of a Khalfan cross that was partially cleared away from the Minnesota box. Five minutes later, Whitecaps midfielder Wes Knight eluded the attentions of his marker Peterson on the right flank before nearly finding the head of Gbeke with his dangerous cross to the far post.
Then on 25 minutes, Minnesota's Marco Terminesi looked to make the most of an acre of space on the right flank, as he made a dangerous run into the Whitecaps box. With Vancouver players closing him down, Terminesi could only hit the side-netting with a left-foot strike. At the other end, 'Caps midfielder Khalfan struck a free-kick effort into the Minnesota wall on 31 minutes before the talented East African found the arms of Platter with a long-range volley a minute later.
At the match edged towards the break, the Whitecaps struck for the game's opening goal on 35 minutes. Knight beat Peterson to the ball at the Thunder byline before playing a fine left-foot cross to Haber at the far post. The young striker rose to neatly head the ball past Platter and into the near side of the goal for a 1-0 Vancouver lead. It was Haber's seventh goal in USL-1 and eighth goal of the year.
Minnesota were disappointed to be a goal down at this stage, though Ricardo Sanchez tried to bring his side back into the contest with a free kick on 42 minutes. Unfortunately for the Mexican midfielder, his curling effort missed the target from near the edge of the Whitecaps box.
It proved to be the last opportunity of the half, as the 'Caps took a one-goal lead into the halftime break.
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USL First Division Stories from September 4, 2009
- Whitecaps held to 1-1draw - Vancouver Whitecaps
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- Whitecaps Return to Minnesota Tonight - Vancouver Whitecaps
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