It's been a tumultous season for the Vancouver Whitecaps. They entered as defending USL-1 champions, but had substantial offseason turnover and decided to go with a youth movement to build towards their 2011 MLS entrance. Off the field, they've been dealing with issues surrounding both the construction of a retractable roof on B.C. Place and the transfer of USL-1 ownership to a new group. On the field, they struggled initially in the league, but made a great run in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and were set to claim its associated berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. Of course, that was before Montreal rolled over and played dead in the final game, allowing Toronto FC to come away with a 6-1 victory on the road and the necessary goal differential to claim the trophy.
That loss thanks to factors out of their control seemed to inspire the team, though. The made a tremendous stretch run and snuck into the final USL-1 playoff spot. They then upset the first and second-ranked teams in the playoffs (Portland and Carolina) to clinch a revenge match against Montreal in the final. The stage seemed set for their second straight USL-1 championship and a glorious ending to a disappointing season.
Last week in the first leg, an unexpected twist showed up. Montreal came away with a 3-2 victory on the road, and the Whitecaps lost captain Martin Nash to a red card, making him unavailable for today's match. Now, their backs are against the wall. Fortunately for them, away goals have no particular importance in the USL, so Vancouver could force overtime with just a 1-0 win. That's still going to be tough, though.
Don't write the Whitecaps off yet, though. For one thing, they have perhaps the most lethal group of forwards in the league, including USL-1 goalscoring leader Charles Gbeke, the talented Marlon James, speed demon Randy Edwini-Bonsu and rookie sensation Marcus Haber. As Haber said after last week's game, being down a goal isn't as big of a concern with this side as it might be with other teams.
"We're confident in our group that we're going to score goals," he said.
For another, they've got plenty of motivation, and for another, they've always stepped up when faced with adversity. Head coach Teitur Thordarson said after the game last week he loved his team's play in the second half, despite being down a man.
"I was unhappy with the first half, but the second half was fantastic," he said. "The guys stepped up; they didn't quit."
Thordarson said that never-say-die attitude may pay dividends today.
"If we go to Montreal with that attitude, anything can happen," he said. "We have shown that we can win there. We've done it this year."
Thordarson said no one should write his team off yet.
"We're not out of this."
Join in the live blog below and find out how this breaks down!
Showing posts with label 2009 USL playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 USL playoffs. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Whitecaps. Impact. USL Final. Round Two.
The Blogs With Balls conference wrapped up yesterday, and it was amazing. I'll finish my Fear, Loathing and Blogs series breaking down each panel later this weekend. However, before then, we interrupt this program to bring you a live blog of the second leg of the USL-1 final. For those who don't know much about the USL, it's the second level of pro soccer in North America, just below the MLS. What makes this year's edition of the final even more interesting is that it's played over two legs for the first time, it features two Canadian teams with good reasons to dislike each other and it features two teams aiming for MLS in the near future and currently embroiled in a dispute with the league's new owners. This leg will be in Montreal at 2:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30 a.m. Pacific. The Montreal Impact come into the second leg fresh off a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on the road last week; I was there in person for that one, but I'll be bringing you coverage of today's game direct from Las Vegas! Come join me here for it then. I'm also hoping to have a full game preview up in the morning.
[Note: I'm also planning to be part of The CIS Blog's live blog of the Western-Queen's CIS football showdown, which starts at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific. Feel free to come by there for that one too!)
[Note: I'm also planning to be part of The CIS Blog's live blog of the Western-Queen's CIS football showdown, which starts at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific. Feel free to come by there for that one too!)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Whitecaps. Impact. USL-1 Final. Live blog.
My 24th Minute colleague Andrew Bates already laid out what's at stake in tonight's first leg of the USL-1 final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact, so I'll only touch on it briefly. Suffice it to say that you couldn't write a better script, though. The Whitecaps had low expectations going into this year, and they didn't perform all that well at the start, but they did look set for glory in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. However, in the final game of the three-team tournament, Montreal rolled over and played dead against Toronto FC, losing 6-1 to give TFC the championship and its associated berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. That seemed to motivate Vancouver, who finished the season on a hot streak, snuck into the last playoff spot and promptly defeated No.2 Carolina and No.1 Portland to make it into the USL-1 final. Now, as Sportsnet.ca's Ryan Johnston wrote, they have a chance at revenge.
On the field, they should have a good chance at it, too. Up front, Vancouver has perhaps the most impressive strike force in the league with USL-1 lead scorer Charles Gbeke, newly-announced Rookie of the Year winner Marcus Haber, the always-dangerous Marlon James and the blazing speed of Randy Edwini-Bonsu. The midfield has plenty of options, even with injuries to Ansu Toure and Gordon Chin; Martin Nash, Kenold Versailles, Wes Knight and Nizar Khalfan are likely to start, with Mason Trafford, Chris Pozniak and Justin Moose available off the bench. On defence, Luca Bellisomo and Shaun Pejic have been very good in the centre, and Takashi Hirano is a solid wingback. The other wingback spot is a bit up for grabs if Knight moves up to the wing, but either Pozniak, Trafford or Marco Reda could earn a start on defence. In net, they have Jay Nolly, one of the best keepers in the league. They also have quite the tactical mastermind in coach Teitur Thordarson, who just received a contract extension.
Montreal has a good lineup of their own, though. Three of their key players are former Whitecaps, Joey Gjertsen (who was a guest on Jared Montz's podcast this week), Eduardo Sebrango and David Testo, so they'll all have extra motivation to beat their old team. Matt Jordan can be a great keeper, but he's sometimes streaky. When he's in form, though, he can be tough to beat. Roberto Brown and Leonardo DiLorenzo are always dangerous as well. It certainly won't be easy for the Whitecaps, especially with the key second leg in Montreal next week. Tune in tonight at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Pacific for the live blog!
On the field, they should have a good chance at it, too. Up front, Vancouver has perhaps the most impressive strike force in the league with USL-1 lead scorer Charles Gbeke, newly-announced Rookie of the Year winner Marcus Haber, the always-dangerous Marlon James and the blazing speed of Randy Edwini-Bonsu. The midfield has plenty of options, even with injuries to Ansu Toure and Gordon Chin; Martin Nash, Kenold Versailles, Wes Knight and Nizar Khalfan are likely to start, with Mason Trafford, Chris Pozniak and Justin Moose available off the bench. On defence, Luca Bellisomo and Shaun Pejic have been very good in the centre, and Takashi Hirano is a solid wingback. The other wingback spot is a bit up for grabs if Knight moves up to the wing, but either Pozniak, Trafford or Marco Reda could earn a start on defence. In net, they have Jay Nolly, one of the best keepers in the league. They also have quite the tactical mastermind in coach Teitur Thordarson, who just received a contract extension.
Montreal has a good lineup of their own, though. Three of their key players are former Whitecaps, Joey Gjertsen (who was a guest on Jared Montz's podcast this week), Eduardo Sebrango and David Testo, so they'll all have extra motivation to beat their old team. Matt Jordan can be a great keeper, but he's sometimes streaky. When he's in form, though, he can be tough to beat. Roberto Brown and Leonardo DiLorenzo are always dangerous as well. It certainly won't be easy for the Whitecaps, especially with the key second leg in Montreal next week. Tune in tonight at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Pacific for the live blog!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Schedule for today
Couple of things to let readers know about. I'll be appearing on Norman James' great show The Hook on London, Ontario's AM 980 later today around 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific to discuss CIS football. Tune in via their listen live service if you're interested in catching the show! There are plenty of interesting matters to cover, especially the upcoming Western - Queen's game next weekend. Check out my Top 10 ballot from this past week for a general idea of my thoughts on where the various teams stand, and as always, look at The CIS Blog for all the recent CIS news and opinion pieces from Neate, the rest of the cast and myself.I'm also going to be live-blogging the first leg of the Vancouver Whitecaps - Montreal Impact USL-1 final live from Swangard Stadium later in the day. That will take place here and at The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. The game is at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Pacific; it can be heard on The TEAM 1040 and seen on USL Live. I'm hoping to have a full preview of that match up here tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to turn in for either or both, whichever interests you!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Setting up the Whitecaps - Timbers clash
[Second leg live blog is above]
The first leg of the USL-1 semifinal was a bit of a tricky win for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yes, they won 2-1, but they conceded a penalty along the way after a ball bounced off Lyle Martin's hand. That tied the score after an early goal from Charles Gbeke, and Vancouver only won thanks to a late goal from Marcus Haber off a Gbeke cross.
Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson said he was impressed with the team's resilence.
"I think they responded very well to the goal," he said.
Thordarson wasn't happy with the penalty call, though.
"From my perspective, it's very harsh to give that penalty there," he said. "He just covered his face and the ball hit him. I've never seen that before."
Gbeke said he was confident the team would come back despite a 1-1 tie at halftime, and he figured Haber would notch one of his opportunities.
"In the locker room, I told Marcus he was going to score today," he said.
Gbeke, who led USL-1 with 12 goals this season, played one of his best games of the year. He was dominant all night, scoring the first goal and setting up the second. He's played in a variety of roles this year thanks to the Caps' depth up front, but he said he isn't concerned if he starts or not.
"It doesn't matter if Coach wants me to start or wants me to come in off the bench," he said.
Haber said the team didn't get frustrated when they fell behind.
"We knew we had to keep pressuring them," he said. "We knew we'd get our chances."
They did indeed get them, and Haber notched home the winner off a lovely cross from Gbeke. Still, Vancouver only has a one-goal lead going into this second leg at Portland, a place where they've struggled recently. The temptation might be to play defensively, but Thordarson said that won't be the case.
"We will try to go down there and play our game," he said. "I feel the team is very confident. It will be a totally different game down there; whether that will suit us beter than them is yet to be seen."
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
The first leg of the USL-1 semifinal was a bit of a tricky win for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yes, they won 2-1, but they conceded a penalty along the way after a ball bounced off Lyle Martin's hand. That tied the score after an early goal from Charles Gbeke, and Vancouver only won thanks to a late goal from Marcus Haber off a Gbeke cross.
Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson said he was impressed with the team's resilence.
"I think they responded very well to the goal," he said.
Thordarson wasn't happy with the penalty call, though.
"From my perspective, it's very harsh to give that penalty there," he said. "He just covered his face and the ball hit him. I've never seen that before."
Gbeke said he was confident the team would come back despite a 1-1 tie at halftime, and he figured Haber would notch one of his opportunities.
"In the locker room, I told Marcus he was going to score today," he said.
Gbeke, who led USL-1 with 12 goals this season, played one of his best games of the year. He was dominant all night, scoring the first goal and setting up the second. He's played in a variety of roles this year thanks to the Caps' depth up front, but he said he isn't concerned if he starts or not.
"It doesn't matter if Coach wants me to start or wants me to come in off the bench," he said.
Haber said the team didn't get frustrated when they fell behind.
"We knew we had to keep pressuring them," he said. "We knew we'd get our chances."
They did indeed get them, and Haber notched home the winner off a lovely cross from Gbeke. Still, Vancouver only has a one-goal lead going into this second leg at Portland, a place where they've struggled recently. The temptation might be to play defensively, but Thordarson said that won't be the case.
"We will try to go down there and play our game," he said. "I feel the team is very confident. It will be a totally different game down there; whether that will suit us beter than them is yet to be seen."
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Whitecaps - Timbers live blog coming up
Just a quick note that I'll be live-blogging today's second leg of the Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers USL-1 semifinal here and at The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. Vancouver enters with a 2-1 lead on aggregate after their win at home Thursday, but they have struggled in Portland recently. Come by at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific today to see if they can change that! I'll have a full preview up before then as well. Hope to see you then!
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers match (preview here) here and at The 24th Minute and Epic Footy starting at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific. Come join me here then!
Setting up the USL-1 semifinals
The USL-1 semifinals kick off today, and both matchups are intriguing. Here's a brief breakdown of what we're likely to see. Both series involve home-and-home, total-goals clashes with no away-goals rule. If still tied after both legs, the teams will go to extra time and then a shootout. The winner of each series will advance to the USL-1 final.
(1) Portland versus (7) Vancouver:
On paper, the seeding system makes this one (which I'll be live-blogging) look like a bit of a mismatch. However, as I wrote before the Whitecaps' first-round matchup against the second-seeded Carolina RailHawks, their low ranking is a bit deceiving. The team has plenty of talent and a surprising amount of depth. They've struggled with consistency this year, partly due to personnel issues (especially in central defence), partly thanks to their emphasis on giving young players plenty of experience and perhaps even partly as a championship hangover, but they've been in fine form lately, putting up a 5-1-6 record in their last 12 USL-1 games. The defence in particular looked strong over two legs against the RailHawks; they allowed a few chances and even conceded a penalty (which was brilliantly parried by keeper Jay Nolly), but kept Carolina off the scoreboard and dealt with their dangerous scoring threats. As Nolly mentioned on Full Time Sunday, the team sees themselves as more of a fourth or a fifth seed than a true seventh seed. Shaun Pejic has also been a nice fit in central defence since joining the team partway through the year.
The Whitecaps' depth is especially evident up front where USL-1 goal-scoring leader and All-League First Team member Charles Gbeke started on the bench in Sunday's second leg against Carolina. Gbeke, Marcus Haber, Marlon James and Randy Edwini-Bonsu can all fill the net, and they'll all likely see playing time against Portland. Picking who to start will be a difficult decision for head coach Teitur Thordarson, but that's a nice problem to have.
Portland comes into this as a significant favourite, and for several months earlier this year, they were the most dominant team in the USL. They struggled a bit down the stretch, though, and their first-round bye means they haven't seen playoff action yet. Their key players are keeper Steve Cronin (19 goals against in 28 games, 10 shutouts), midfielder Ryan Pore (10 goals and two assists in just 21 starts) and forward Mandjou Keita, the team's top scorer with 11 goals and seven assists in 29 games.
There's a long history between these sides dating back to the NASL days. Portland beat Vancouver in a home-and-home series in 1978, but Vancouver got revenge in their next playoff clash, in USL-1 in 2002. Portland has the most recent victory, though, defeating the Whitecaps 3-1 on aggregate in the 2007 playoffs.
As Marc Weber of The Province wrote this week, the key to this one may be who does more with home-field advantage. Vancouver is 15-1-2 against Portland at home all-time and 31-21-7 overall, but just 16-20-5 on the road. That includes just one win in their last nine games at Portland's PGE Park. As this series is total-goals, it may come down to who can win by more goals at home. My prediction's for a Vancouver upset win, as they're really clicking into nice form at the moment.
I'll be live-blogging both legs of this one. The first leg is tonight at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/ 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Swangard Stadium. The second leg follows Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.
(3) Puerto Rico vs. (5) Montreal:
This one should be quite interesting as well. The Impact are coming off an impressive 4-1 aggregate victory over the Charleston Battery, while the Islanders thumped the Rochester Rhinos 5-2. Both teams can fill the net, so the question here is whose defence will be better.
On paper, I'd give the defensive edge to the Islanders. They have a solid defensive line and one of the best keepers in the league in Bill Gaudette, while Montreal has the less impressive tandem of Matt Jordan and Srdjan Djekanovic. Puerto Rico's also received strong performances from defensively-minded players like Christian Arrieta and Noah Delgado
I like Puerto Rico's offence, too. Former Vancouver striker Nick Addlery has done quite well with the Islanders, and Fabrice Noel forms an excellent strike pairing with him. Montreal looked to upgrade their offence this past season by acquiring former Vancouver striker Eddy Sebrango, but he's had a disappointing season with only four USL-1 goals. Roberto Brown led the Impact with seven goals and three assists, but it took him 1568 minutes to do that.
The one mark against the Islanders is that they had to play a CONCACAF Champions League match Tuesday, so they'll be less rested than the Impact. They've had to travel a lot in the last week, too, which also doesn't help. However, head coach Colin Clarke elected to rest several of his key players in Tuesday's game (a 2-0 loss to Cruz Azul), sending them straight to Montreal. It's a bold gambit, and we'll see if it pays off. In the end, I'm picking Puerto Rico in this one; I like their depth and their defence. It could be a close one, though.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
(1) Portland versus (7) Vancouver:
On paper, the seeding system makes this one (which I'll be live-blogging) look like a bit of a mismatch. However, as I wrote before the Whitecaps' first-round matchup against the second-seeded Carolina RailHawks, their low ranking is a bit deceiving. The team has plenty of talent and a surprising amount of depth. They've struggled with consistency this year, partly due to personnel issues (especially in central defence), partly thanks to their emphasis on giving young players plenty of experience and perhaps even partly as a championship hangover, but they've been in fine form lately, putting up a 5-1-6 record in their last 12 USL-1 games. The defence in particular looked strong over two legs against the RailHawks; they allowed a few chances and even conceded a penalty (which was brilliantly parried by keeper Jay Nolly), but kept Carolina off the scoreboard and dealt with their dangerous scoring threats. As Nolly mentioned on Full Time Sunday, the team sees themselves as more of a fourth or a fifth seed than a true seventh seed. Shaun Pejic has also been a nice fit in central defence since joining the team partway through the year.
The Whitecaps' depth is especially evident up front where USL-1 goal-scoring leader and All-League First Team member Charles Gbeke started on the bench in Sunday's second leg against Carolina. Gbeke, Marcus Haber, Marlon James and Randy Edwini-Bonsu can all fill the net, and they'll all likely see playing time against Portland. Picking who to start will be a difficult decision for head coach Teitur Thordarson, but that's a nice problem to have.
Portland comes into this as a significant favourite, and for several months earlier this year, they were the most dominant team in the USL. They struggled a bit down the stretch, though, and their first-round bye means they haven't seen playoff action yet. Their key players are keeper Steve Cronin (19 goals against in 28 games, 10 shutouts), midfielder Ryan Pore (10 goals and two assists in just 21 starts) and forward Mandjou Keita, the team's top scorer with 11 goals and seven assists in 29 games.
There's a long history between these sides dating back to the NASL days. Portland beat Vancouver in a home-and-home series in 1978, but Vancouver got revenge in their next playoff clash, in USL-1 in 2002. Portland has the most recent victory, though, defeating the Whitecaps 3-1 on aggregate in the 2007 playoffs.
As Marc Weber of The Province wrote this week, the key to this one may be who does more with home-field advantage. Vancouver is 15-1-2 against Portland at home all-time and 31-21-7 overall, but just 16-20-5 on the road. That includes just one win in their last nine games at Portland's PGE Park. As this series is total-goals, it may come down to who can win by more goals at home. My prediction's for a Vancouver upset win, as they're really clicking into nice form at the moment.
I'll be live-blogging both legs of this one. The first leg is tonight at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/ 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Swangard Stadium. The second leg follows Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.
(3) Puerto Rico vs. (5) Montreal:
This one should be quite interesting as well. The Impact are coming off an impressive 4-1 aggregate victory over the Charleston Battery, while the Islanders thumped the Rochester Rhinos 5-2. Both teams can fill the net, so the question here is whose defence will be better.
On paper, I'd give the defensive edge to the Islanders. They have a solid defensive line and one of the best keepers in the league in Bill Gaudette, while Montreal has the less impressive tandem of Matt Jordan and Srdjan Djekanovic. Puerto Rico's also received strong performances from defensively-minded players like Christian Arrieta and Noah Delgado
I like Puerto Rico's offence, too. Former Vancouver striker Nick Addlery has done quite well with the Islanders, and Fabrice Noel forms an excellent strike pairing with him. Montreal looked to upgrade their offence this past season by acquiring former Vancouver striker Eddy Sebrango, but he's had a disappointing season with only four USL-1 goals. Roberto Brown led the Impact with seven goals and three assists, but it took him 1568 minutes to do that.
The one mark against the Islanders is that they had to play a CONCACAF Champions League match Tuesday, so they'll be less rested than the Impact. They've had to travel a lot in the last week, too, which also doesn't help. However, head coach Colin Clarke elected to rest several of his key players in Tuesday's game (a 2-0 loss to Cruz Azul), sending them straight to Montreal. It's a bold gambit, and we'll see if it pays off. In the end, I'm picking Puerto Rico in this one; I like their depth and their defence. It could be a close one, though.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Whitecaps - RailHawks Part Deux!
The Vancouver Whitecaps take on the Carolina RailHawks today in the second leg of their USL-1 playoff series. Vancouver claimed the first match 1-0 at home. It's a total-goals series, with overtime and a shootout if it winds up tied, so today's game should be interesting. Join me in the live blog below starting at 5 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Pacific!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Whitecaps get a leg up on RailHawks
The first leg of the 2009 USL-1 playoff series between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Carolina RailHawks was a tight battle, but the home team came out on top tonight at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium. It wasn't traditional threats Charles Gbeke, Marcus Haber or Marlon James who scored, although they all saw action and created chances. When it came down to it, though, 19-year-old supersub forward Randy Edwini-Bonsu was the only one who managed to find the back of the net, and keeper Jay Nolly preserved the clean sheet for Vancouver. Nolly said holding the RailHawks off the scoreboard was key for the Whitecaps.
"The first game of the playoffs, to get the clean sheet, I think that's great for our defensive mind," he said. "They've been weathering a lot of goals of late, so this will keep them up."
Both sides created substantial chances throughout the game. Vancouver finished with 11 shots, but only three of them hit the target. By contrast, Carolina only managed seven shots, but they forced Nolly to make six saves, some of them tough. The possession was reasonably even, but Vancouver seemed perhaps more determined to attack (likely thanks to the lack of an away-goals tiebreaker in USL-1), and they had the better chances.
Nolly, who was named the team MVP before the match, has played every minute of all 30 USL games this year for the Whitecaps, 2700 minutes in total. He is believed to be the first Whitecaps' goalkeeper to play an entire league season since Arnie Mausser played 26 games in the Whitecaps' 1977 season. Nolly said he isn't fatigued, though.
"When you get a win like this, it's hard to be tired," he said.
Nolly said the workload has helped him maintain consistency and improve his game.
"Definitely," he said. "You pick up little things. Every game, you become better. It's been great for me to play 30-something games this year. It's been great for my development."
Edwini-Bonsu's goal came in the 77th minute after Nolly booted the ball downfield. James flicked it on for the young striker, and he promptly blew past RailHawks defender Jeremy Tolleson before beating Carolina keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell and neatly tucking the ball into the net. It was his first goal for the senior team, and it came in his first playoff start.
"It feels amazing," he said afterwards. "I've been waiting so long for this, and it finally came at an important time. It's a great win right now."
The Whitecaps now go to Carolina for the second leg of the two-game aggregate series Sunday (5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific, to be live-blogged here). They have struggled on the road at times this year, but Edwini-Bonsu said he's optimistic that will change.
"We just have to come together as a team and work hard for the whole 90 minutes, not let up in the last five minutes like we've been doing lately," he said. "Just work hard for the whole game and we'll get the result."
Head coach Teitur Thordarson said both teams were defensively-minded tonight.
"Both teams didn't want to lose," he said. "It was more that than the will to win."
Thordarson said he brought that defensive mindset to the game tonight because he was confident his strikers would capitalize, even on limited opportunities.
"Our main assignment to the players was don't let in a goal," he said. "We knew we could create chances."
Thordarson said Carolina will have to attack Sunday thanks to being down a goal, which may open up scoring opportunities for Vancouver.
"It will be a new game down there, and they will have to open up," he said. "I just hope we can defend as well as we did today."
Thordarson said he was impressed with Edwini-Bonsu's play off the bench.
"He's done extremely well as a player," Thordarson said. "He has really done his things well every time he's come on."
Tonight's game saw four different Whitecaps' players up front. Gbeke and Haber started, with Edwini-Bonsu and James in relief. Thordarson said he appreciated having players with their speed on the bench to change the tempo of the game.
"It surprises the opponent every time we do it," he said. "It's extremely nice to have opportunities off the bench where you can change the game tactically."
Thordarson said although Gbeke and Haber were the first-choice pairing for much of the year, they may not get the start Sunday. He said he wants to evaluate his options before then. Regardless of who starts, the others may appear in relief.
Team captain Martin Nash said it's a tremendous asset to the Whitecaps to have so many quality attacking options
"We have a lot of depth," he said. "The young players are great. They've taken their lumps over the year, they've been up and down at times, but that's to be expected of young players. All in all, they've been great. They were great tonight, so hopefully they can keep up this effort."
Nash returned to the lineup after missing time with an injury and played all 90 minutes, creating some excellent scoring chances off passes and set pieces. He said his teammates were key to him getting through the match.
"I haven't played for months, so it's not easy to walk back in, but the guys around me gave it everything they've got and that made it easier for me to contribute," he said.
Nash said the team will have their work cut out for them on their trip to Carolina Sunday.
"It's going to be tough; they're a great team," he said. "We've got to go work our ass off and hopefully we'll get the result."
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute].
"The first game of the playoffs, to get the clean sheet, I think that's great for our defensive mind," he said. "They've been weathering a lot of goals of late, so this will keep them up."
Both sides created substantial chances throughout the game. Vancouver finished with 11 shots, but only three of them hit the target. By contrast, Carolina only managed seven shots, but they forced Nolly to make six saves, some of them tough. The possession was reasonably even, but Vancouver seemed perhaps more determined to attack (likely thanks to the lack of an away-goals tiebreaker in USL-1), and they had the better chances.
Nolly, who was named the team MVP before the match, has played every minute of all 30 USL games this year for the Whitecaps, 2700 minutes in total. He is believed to be the first Whitecaps' goalkeeper to play an entire league season since Arnie Mausser played 26 games in the Whitecaps' 1977 season. Nolly said he isn't fatigued, though.
"When you get a win like this, it's hard to be tired," he said.
Nolly said the workload has helped him maintain consistency and improve his game.
"Definitely," he said. "You pick up little things. Every game, you become better. It's been great for me to play 30-something games this year. It's been great for my development."
Edwini-Bonsu's goal came in the 77th minute after Nolly booted the ball downfield. James flicked it on for the young striker, and he promptly blew past RailHawks defender Jeremy Tolleson before beating Carolina keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell and neatly tucking the ball into the net. It was his first goal for the senior team, and it came in his first playoff start.
"It feels amazing," he said afterwards. "I've been waiting so long for this, and it finally came at an important time. It's a great win right now."
The Whitecaps now go to Carolina for the second leg of the two-game aggregate series Sunday (5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific, to be live-blogged here). They have struggled on the road at times this year, but Edwini-Bonsu said he's optimistic that will change.
"We just have to come together as a team and work hard for the whole 90 minutes, not let up in the last five minutes like we've been doing lately," he said. "Just work hard for the whole game and we'll get the result."
Head coach Teitur Thordarson said both teams were defensively-minded tonight.
"Both teams didn't want to lose," he said. "It was more that than the will to win."
Thordarson said he brought that defensive mindset to the game tonight because he was confident his strikers would capitalize, even on limited opportunities.
"Our main assignment to the players was don't let in a goal," he said. "We knew we could create chances."
Thordarson said Carolina will have to attack Sunday thanks to being down a goal, which may open up scoring opportunities for Vancouver.
"It will be a new game down there, and they will have to open up," he said. "I just hope we can defend as well as we did today."
Thordarson said he was impressed with Edwini-Bonsu's play off the bench.
"He's done extremely well as a player," Thordarson said. "He has really done his things well every time he's come on."
Tonight's game saw four different Whitecaps' players up front. Gbeke and Haber started, with Edwini-Bonsu and James in relief. Thordarson said he appreciated having players with their speed on the bench to change the tempo of the game.
"It surprises the opponent every time we do it," he said. "It's extremely nice to have opportunities off the bench where you can change the game tactically."
Thordarson said although Gbeke and Haber were the first-choice pairing for much of the year, they may not get the start Sunday. He said he wants to evaluate his options before then. Regardless of who starts, the others may appear in relief.
Team captain Martin Nash said it's a tremendous asset to the Whitecaps to have so many quality attacking options
"We have a lot of depth," he said. "The young players are great. They've taken their lumps over the year, they've been up and down at times, but that's to be expected of young players. All in all, they've been great. They were great tonight, so hopefully they can keep up this effort."
Nash returned to the lineup after missing time with an injury and played all 90 minutes, creating some excellent scoring chances off passes and set pieces. He said his teammates were key to him getting through the match.
"I haven't played for months, so it's not easy to walk back in, but the guys around me gave it everything they've got and that made it easier for me to contribute," he said.
Nash said the team will have their work cut out for them on their trip to Carolina Sunday.
"It's going to be tough; they're a great team," he said. "We've got to go work our ass off and hopefully we'll get the result."
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute].
Whitecaps - RailHawks live blog
It's USL-1 playoff action, live from the Swangard Stadium press box! The Vancouver Whitecaps take on the Carolina RailHawks. My game preview is here; check it out, then join in the live blog below!
Whitecaps - Railhawks preview: Not as one-sided as it may look
The Vancouver Whitecaps begin their title defence tonight against the Carolina RailHawks, but the Whitecaps squad that will take the pitch will be very different from the team that hoisted the USL-1 trophy last season. Gone are Alfredo Valente, Steve Kindel, Wesley Charles, Nicholas Addlery, Jason Jordan, Eduardo Sebrango, Jeff Clarke and others who were key parts of that team, and as Marc Weber of The Province wrote today, some of the team's tenaciousness may have departed with them.
Unlike last year's championship squad, which was primarily a group of talented veterans hitting their stride at the right time, this season's been dominated by a focus on youth, as I talked about in my post on their first match of the regular season. Young players like Marcus Haber, Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Ethan Gage, Wes Knight and Luca Bellisomo have all made their impact felt on the team this year. Haber in particular has impressed; many thought the team might struggle to score goals this season after the departure of Sebrango and Addlery, but that void up front was nicely filled by Haber (eight goals, four assists), Charles Gbeke (a league-high 12 goals and one assist) and Marlon James (nine goals). Haber finished seventh in league scoring with 20 points, while Gbeke tied for second with 25 points and James placed eighth with 18 points in 17 games. Meanwhile, Addlery put up 17 points in 22 USL games this year and Sebrango only recorded 10 points in 28 games in all competitions.
If the Whitecaps have improved up front, they have perhaps taken a step back in midfield and defence. The midfield's seen plenty of talented players, including Gage, Ansu Toure, Martin Nash and Vicente Arze, but injuries have made it difficult to establish a consistent lineup there. The same is even more true at the back; Knight (who tied for the league assist lead with eight and was the team's nominee for the USL Rookie of the Year award) and Takashi Hirano have been solid presences on the wings, but the centre's seen a revolving cast, much of it inexperienced. The release of Wesley Charles, the team's most experienced defender, was a good move from a team chemistry point of view after two bizarre on-field incidents (including a punch-up with Gbeke during a game), but it showed that the Caps are painfully thin at the back. The retirement of Justin Thompson didn't help matters either. Goalkeeper Jay Nolly has been solid as always, leading the USL in minutes played, finishing second in saves and recording seven shutouts, but he hasn't received a lot of defensive help this season, and that's one of the key reason why the team heads into the playoffs as the seventh seed.
This isn't a one-sided matchup, though. Carolina was very good this year, finishing with a 16-7-7 record, and Vancouver's 11-10-9 mark is much less impressive, but the Whitecaps turned it on down the stretch, going 4-1-5 to clinch a playoff spot. The team faced some of the typical struggles observed when using young players earlier in the season, but their young stars have found ways to contribute and the team has gelled down the stretch. Moreover, Vancouver may have gone 0-1-1 against Carolina this year, but the Whitecaps played well in both games. They could have won the game in Carolina, and they dominated the August 15 contest at Swangard. I'm expecting a tough physical battle tonight, and a great contest. Tune in here for the live blog at 10:30 Eastern/7:30 Pacific!
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Unlike last year's championship squad, which was primarily a group of talented veterans hitting their stride at the right time, this season's been dominated by a focus on youth, as I talked about in my post on their first match of the regular season. Young players like Marcus Haber, Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Ethan Gage, Wes Knight and Luca Bellisomo have all made their impact felt on the team this year. Haber in particular has impressed; many thought the team might struggle to score goals this season after the departure of Sebrango and Addlery, but that void up front was nicely filled by Haber (eight goals, four assists), Charles Gbeke (a league-high 12 goals and one assist) and Marlon James (nine goals). Haber finished seventh in league scoring with 20 points, while Gbeke tied for second with 25 points and James placed eighth with 18 points in 17 games. Meanwhile, Addlery put up 17 points in 22 USL games this year and Sebrango only recorded 10 points in 28 games in all competitions.
If the Whitecaps have improved up front, they have perhaps taken a step back in midfield and defence. The midfield's seen plenty of talented players, including Gage, Ansu Toure, Martin Nash and Vicente Arze, but injuries have made it difficult to establish a consistent lineup there. The same is even more true at the back; Knight (who tied for the league assist lead with eight and was the team's nominee for the USL Rookie of the Year award) and Takashi Hirano have been solid presences on the wings, but the centre's seen a revolving cast, much of it inexperienced. The release of Wesley Charles, the team's most experienced defender, was a good move from a team chemistry point of view after two bizarre on-field incidents (including a punch-up with Gbeke during a game), but it showed that the Caps are painfully thin at the back. The retirement of Justin Thompson didn't help matters either. Goalkeeper Jay Nolly has been solid as always, leading the USL in minutes played, finishing second in saves and recording seven shutouts, but he hasn't received a lot of defensive help this season, and that's one of the key reason why the team heads into the playoffs as the seventh seed.
This isn't a one-sided matchup, though. Carolina was very good this year, finishing with a 16-7-7 record, and Vancouver's 11-10-9 mark is much less impressive, but the Whitecaps turned it on down the stretch, going 4-1-5 to clinch a playoff spot. The team faced some of the typical struggles observed when using young players earlier in the season, but their young stars have found ways to contribute and the team has gelled down the stretch. Moreover, Vancouver may have gone 0-1-1 against Carolina this year, but the Whitecaps played well in both games. They could have won the game in Carolina, and they dominated the August 15 contest at Swangard. I'm expecting a tough physical battle tonight, and a great contest. Tune in here for the live blog at 10:30 Eastern/7:30 Pacific!
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Whitecaps - RailHawks live blog tonight!
It's a big day for the Vancouver Whitecaps as they enter the playoffs to start the defence of their USL-1 title. First up is a home-and-home series with the Carolina RailHawks. The first match takes place at 10:30 p.m. Eastern (7:30 p.m. Pacific) tonight at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium. I'll be live-blogging it here and at The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. Come join me here then! I'm planning to have a full game preview posted later today as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
