Bring On The Timbers!

Match Report: Carolina Railhawks v Vancouver Whitecaps (USL1)

The anticipation was huge and the reward was palpable, as Portland Timbers awaited the winners of Vancouver Whitecaps 2nd leg playoff clash with the Carolina Railhawks on Sunday.

As we’ve mentioned before in this blog, the whole playoff system in North American football devalues the League as far as we’re concerned, but once they’re here and you’re playing in them, they’re exciting as hell!

Vancouver did the business in the first leg on Thursday, taking a 1-0 lead to Carolina’s WakeMed Park. Carolina looked a poor side in the first leg but they took the surprise decision to rest some key players, all of whom were back for the second leg, including the ever dangerous Gregory Richardson.

The Whitecaps made the decision to start the match with top scorer, and USL Golden Boot winner, Charles Gbeke on the bench. It was a pacy starting line up, with the aim to clearly try and tire the Carolina side early on.

Carolina on the other hand were keen to try and get parity early on and that’s how they set their stall from the first whistle and it only took them two minutes to come close to their goal.

Daniel Paladini sent in a dangerous free kick from the left and it was a Caps head that turned it just wide for a Carolina corner.

Carolina thankfully didn’t follow up this early close call with a spell of pressure and were reduced with trying the long ball over the top of the Whitecaps defence, with little success.

The Railhawks had a penalty shout waved away after 18 minutes when Mark Schulte’s header hit off Kenold Versailles, but the replay showed that the ball clearly hit his chest.

Versailles himself then came closest to opening the scoring on the day when he picked up a loose ball in the Hawks box and crashed a powerful volley off the Carolina bar after 25 minutes. It was one hell of a shot that left the bar rattling for a while after the danger was cleared.

The Haitian international then came close again four minutes later but his header went wide.

With 34 minutes on the clock it looked like disaster had struck Vancouver when Lyle Martin tangled with Richardson in the box and bundled the speedy Guyanan over for a penalty. There was no question about it and up stepped the usually decisive Paladini. Jay Nolly brilliantly saved down to his right though to keep the score level on the day and the Caps ahead on aggregate.

Paladini then wasted a free kick from a good central position as the half drew to a close before the final chance of the half fell to Marcus Haber, but his long range shot didn’t trouble Eric Reed in the Carolina goal.

Three minutes of stoppage time came and went and Vancouver had 45 minutes to hold on to progress.

Vancouver fans knew that a tense and nervy second 45 minutes lay in store.

Carolina made a big change at the half, bringing on recent signing Matthew Delicate up front for the ineffectual Sallieu Bundu. Vancouver responded nine minutes into the half by bringing off Marlon James up front and replacing him by the super quick, and first leg goalscorer, Randy Edwini-Bonsu.

Randy nearly made an immediate impact racing into the box and seemingly being brought down by Schulte, but no penalty was given.

If defending the lead was in the Whitecaps gameplan then it wasn’t showing and with just under half an hour remaining, Haber made way for Charles Gbeke.

Gbeke was in amongst the action right away, just failing to properly connect with a cross into the box, as Vancouver pushed to kill the game off.

Carolina thought they’d levelled against the run of play in the 64th minute when they had the ball in the net but it was clearly offside.

Vancouver were having the majority of the possession in the half and Versailles found himself in room to have another header in the 69th minute, but it was high and over.

Carolina had to up the tempo and wasted a great opportunity with 13 minutes remaining after a neat one-two between John Cunliffe and Brad Rusin.

The Railhawks had a great opportunity with seven minutes left when Delicate ran onto to a long through ball but Jay Nolly came flying out of his goal to clear the danger with an amazing diving header.

As the game went in to the last five minutes, the tension was becoming unbearable, not helped by the fact that Vancouver have had a horrible habit for losing late goals this year.

Justin Moose came close for the Caps with a shot from outside the box before Edwini-Bonsu made way for Mason Trafford to tighten up the back.

The referee, who had a shocker on the whole indicated five minutes of stoppage time but it wasn’t to help Carolina as Vancouver easily closed out the game to deservedly advance.

So it’s semi final action against arch rivals Portland this coming Thursday and next Sunday. I can’t wait already!

Vancouver Take First Step In Defending Title

Match Report: Vancouver Whitecaps v Carolina Railhawks (USL1 Playoffs)

Vancouver Whitecaps started their 2009 USL1 playoff campaign off with a fine 1-0 home first leg win in their first round match up against Carolina Railhawks.

In front of a disappointingly non sold out crowd of 5,135, Vancouver dominated the match against a very poor and toothless Carolina side.

The game had 0-0 written all over it as Vancouver came close time and again.

Luca Bellisomo had the Caps best chance in the first half, with the ball falling to him just yards out but it was a case of the wrong player in the wrong position for the big defender.

The rash of second half substitutions couldn’t see Vancouver break down the Railhawks defence but the breakthrough did finally came with 13 minutes remaining thanks to Randy Edwini-Bonsu’s first goal for the Whitecaps first team.

The pacy winger has looked impressive every time he has come off the bench in recent games and it was his speed that led to the goal. Marlon James flicked on a long Jay Nolly kick into the path of Edwini-Bonsu and the young Cap evaded a Hawks defender before taking the ball round keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell and hit it home into the empty net.

The goal sent the Caps players and the Southside into raptures and gives Vancouver a slender lead going into Sunday’s second leg, with all to play for. It should be a cracker in store in Carolina but I back Vancouver to do the business as they are clearly playing like a team that believes.

After the results of the other first round, first leg matches, it’s shaping up to be a dream Vancouver run to the title. Arch rivals Portland await them in the second round if they can get past Carolina and the surrender monkeys of Montreal could give everyone of a blue and white persuasion a dream final and a chance for real justice.

The playoff dreams are alive and kicking.

Vancouver’s Season Really Gets Underway From Now

Vancouver Whitecaps played their last regular season game of the year last night, recording a 2-1 win against bottom placed side Cleveland City Stars.

The Ohio side gave the Whitecaps a sterner test than most were expecting and put Jay Nolly’s goal under a lot of pressure, especially at the start of the second half.

When the Caps took the lead after just 11 minutes, with Charles Gbeke’s diving header from a Marcus Haber cross from the byeline, many in the crowd thought that the floodgates would be opened but full credit has to go to Cleveland who fought hard and fought back with an equaliser just before halftime, when Teteh Bangura scored from a tight angle.

Cleveland started the second half well but it was Vancouver who were to wrap up the full points when Ibrahim Kante handled Randy Edwini-Bonsu’s shot in the box and Haber converted the resultant penalty.

The sold out 5,642 crowd were very vocal all night and the Southside was packed and rocking throughout. This is just what the guys need to roar them on to back to back Championships.

The win wasn’t enough for Vancouver to overhaul Rochester for the 6th placed spot and their comfortable 7th placed finish has earned them a first round playoff match up with Carolina Railhawks.

Although Carolina finished a close second to Portland in the final standings, I’m very happy with facing them in the playoffs. Vancouver’s three games against them on league business this season saw a narrow 2-1 defeat in Carolina in the first match and two draws in August. In both of the latter two games Vancouver should have taken full points and can go into the games with a lot of optimism.

Vancouver’s injury situation is the main concern going into the first game on Thursday and the full depth of the squad has been questioned and tested on a lot of occasions already this season.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m not a fan of the playoff system in place in both the USL and MLS. I feel it devalues the league and makes so much of the season seem really futile.

That said, once the playoffs are here, there’s nothing like them and the atmosphere at the games is electric and the tension so high. It’s just a shame that after watching games since April, you’re left feeling that that’s really the season starting now.

So with back to back Championships now the goal, let’s see if Vancouver can rise to the occasion. They’re going to have to do it via the most difficult route and playing all of the top sides on the way but they’ve shown over the course of the season that they have nothing to fear from any of the sides that are left.

I know Thursday can’t come quick enough as far as we’re concerned.

Whitecaps Secure Playoff Berth

Vancouver Whitecaps claimed the 7th and final USL1 playoff spot last night and they didn’t even have to kick a ball to do it.

Although most fans felt that the Caps spot was assured several games ago, the playoffs were mathematically confirmed by Miami losing 2-1 at Charleston Battery to leave them 8 points back of Vancouver with 2 games remaining.

Miami have actually fallen to 9th place now after a late season collapse that left some fans questioning how much the team wanted to make the playoffs.

Their 8th place was taken by Minnesota Thunder who trounced the second placed Puerto Rico Islanders on Thursday evening. That win left Minnesota on 30 points, six behind Vancouver with two games left, but the Whitecaps have the tiebreaking head to head sewn up against the Thunder to secure at least 7th place.

For those that don’t know, the top 7 teams in the 11 team USL1 make the playoffs. I know, I know. It makes the whole season pretty much pointless but that’s how they seem to like things in North America. The League title itself is nothing compared to the playoff winners. Crazy and just one of the reasons many football fans outside of the continent struggle to take the North American leagues seriously.

The team that finishes top of the table after the 30 regular season games wins the Commissioners Cup and receives a first round playoff bye. This season, that team should be Portland Timbers who have a 5 point gap at the top with 2 to play. Barring some serious crashing bottles they should secure the first Championship in their history and with the way they’ve played this season, deservedly so.

All that could mean nothing though depending on how they fare in the playoffs.

Vancouver’s playoff scenario is still very much up in the air. They could still finish 6th but I would say that unless Rochester Rhinos fail to take anything from their final two games it’s looking unlikely. Since one of the Rhinos games is against the faltering Miami, we can expect 7th.

That would mean a first round two-legged playoff match up against the second placed team. Just now that’s Puerto Rico but it could still be Charleston Battery or Carolina Railhawks that are our opponents. Still with me?!

All three are winnable ties. I prefer Puerto Rico from a footballing sense as I fancy our chances of winning that over two legs and it would give us the Concacaf Champions League qualifier we never had. From a logistical point of view, the players hate it and the whole trip can take up to 26 hours due to airport stopovers en route.

Get through that and the Portland Timbers await. Again, nothing to fear from the match up and it gives both sets of fans a chance to travel to the away leg. A real toughie for both teams though.

No matter what it’s going to be a hard playoff run if Vancouver want to record back to back USL Championships.

With two home games remaining, this is the Caps chance to find what line up to go with into the playoffs. The crazy match scheduling has led to a lot of changes and rotations and I doubt that Teitur Thordarson even knows who his best starting eleven is. The fans on the terraces can’t agree on that.

It’s important that the Caps get some momentum going and confidence flowing as they face the playoff road ahead and that starts tomorrow with the game against Austin.

The season starts now.

Whitecaps Chew Texans

Match Report: Vancouver Whitecaps v Austin Aztex (USL1)

Vancouver Whitecaps regular season is in it’s final stretch just now and with a relatively easy looking run in, it’s a case now of just what play off position the defending Champions can achieve.

On paper, last night’s match against the woefully named Texans looked a formality. Austin are sitting second bottom of the USL and the Caps are hitting fine form at the right time. It didn’t quite prove to be as easy as most were thinking though.

Austin are coached by a name that will be familiar to many UK based readers – former Everton star Adrian Heath. They’ve had a pretty woeful season, but fair play to them, they certainly made a game of it last night in front of 5,081 fans at Swangard Stadium.

Vancouver took the game to the Aztex from the start with both Tyrell Burgess and Chris Pozniak testing Austin goalie Nick Noble early on.

It was no real surprise when the caps made the early breakthrough and once again it came from Wes Knight’s fecking long throw. This time, it was met by Kenold Versailles’ head after 11 minutes and the Haitian international found the top corner. 1-0 Vancouver.

Midway through the second half and the lead was doubled and it was the very much on form Charles Gbeke that added to his ever increasing tally, combining well with Marcus Haber before hitting low past Noble.

2-0 to Vancouver and it was looking like an easy night, with Austin having a few chances but most of them sailing wide.

They unexpectedly pulled one back though after 34 minutes and it was another Haitian international, Jean Alexandre, that got himself on the scoresheet. Alexandre collected a pass from Kevin Sakuda just inside the box and fired off a shot that took the most amazing swerve, catching out Jay Nolly in the Caps goal who was heading in the other direction. Having a fantastic view of the effort, it was a cracking strike that would have deceived most keepers.

So 2-1 and game back on as they headed in for half time.

Austin sensed a way back into the game and had several close calls that left the Whitecaps fans a little jittery but with 65 minutes gone, up popped Gbeke once again to head home a Takashi Hirano cross for his second goal of the night and restore Vancouver’s two goal advantage.

The Texans just wouldn’t lie down though and they did well to pull another goal back with 14 minutes remaining and it was Alexandre again that did the damage, hitting home from just inside the box.

The Caps had chances to make things safe, with Versailles having an effort cleared off the line with eight minutes left.

Austin had a couple of chances to take a shock point but in the end Vancouver held on for the full three.

It wasn’t the easy game many expected in the end and full marks go to Austin for not letting their heads go down after falling two behind. If nothing else, it should act as a warning to Vancouver to keep it tight at the back.

Charles Gbeke had another outstanding game last night and Wes Knight and Kenold Versailles both had good games as well.

Onwards and upwards though and Minnesota away are next up for Vancouver tomorrow!

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 – 2 Austin Aztex

There’s Nothing Quite Like A Derby

There’s nothing quite like a ‘derby’ game. Whether it’s the Old Firm game in Glasgow, Spurs-Arsenal in London, the Milan derby (although I’ve always found the Rome derby a lot more interesting and exciting), they’re renowned around the world, the fans just love them and the atmosphere’s are usually electric.

As the years have moved on it’s been interesting to see how derbies and local rivalries have developed across the world and how different fans view different games.

Looking at Fife, for example, East Fife’s traditional local rivals, and main derby game, have always been Raith Rovers. With the 20 odd year gap when we didn’t face each other, East Fife fans have had to make do with the “pretend” derby against Cowdenbeath. We’ve got that back again this year, whilst Raith have moved on to their other Fife derby against Dunfermline Athletic. Both match ups were played out on Saturday to very different crowd numbers and atmospheres.

Opinion is split amongst the Raith support. Some, especially the younger ones who haven’t been used to anything else and still foolishly think of Raith Rovers as a “big” club, consider Rovers-Pars to be the main Fife derby. Others still know that it’s East Fife-Raith.

Dunfermline supporters don’t really care about Raith. They view their main local rivals to be outside of the Kingdom, in the shape of Falkirk. There’s real hatred there, again based on more recent games and exploits. When East Stirling still played in Falkirk, a Shire-Bairns match wouldn’t have got the juices running in any way, shape or form for the vast majority.

Such anomalies are found all across Scotland and England and it’s not inter town/city/county rivalries that matter as much any more. Liverpool-Man United generates more hatred and fervour than either Liverpool-Everton or United-City, although the latter will have added spice from this season once again. It’s always the “smaller” of the two Clubs that love the same hometown derby games it always appears.

Nottingham is a great example. Forest-County matters to the County fans, whereas Forest are more concerned with Derby County (although the Rams fans obviously have a Derby game every week!)

Saturday’s match up between the Rams and Forest was an absolute cracker. If anyone hasn’t seen it, try and get hold of highlights from somewhere. The passion on display on and off the pitch was electric. The fans cared. The management cared. The players cared – as was demonstrated by the stramash at the end of the game when Derby players took offence to Forest’s Nathan Tyson waving a celebratory corner flag past the Derby support. Five goals, hard tackling, total commitment. It’s what fans want and need from their players in such matches and something that was sadly missing from East Fife’s game against Cowdenbeath on Saturday.

On a worldwide stage, the biggest game for me is the Barcelona – Real Madrid game. It’s another example of regional rivalry taking over from inter city rivalry, but it doesn’t lose anything in the process. I don’t take too much interest in La Liga, but always make a point of watching these two combatants fight it out.

North America is so far behind this culture but it is certainly changing.

When Vancouver and Portland join the MLS in 2011, there’s some mouthwatering derby games in prospect. Portland and Seattle in particular is shaping up to be a tasty encounter for years to come. There’s real hatred between these two Pacific northwest cities on many levels. Portland fans have already set up ACES – Any Club Except Seattle. It’s a brilliant concept and I love it. It’s creating real football rivalry and as long as things don’t boil over into West Ham-Millwall type scenes (although I do have a feeling that it might!), then it’s all good, clean fun.

The media in North America are the ones that have a key part to play in developing these rivalries. As long as they let them grow and not expect Vancouver fans to cheer on Toronto, as they expected earlier this season, then the game will grow with it. It just needs journalists who “get it”.

In the meantime, I can only wait now for Hallowe’en and our next third rate derby encounter. Still, it’s better than nothing!