TAN – The Afro News

Cornelius Stewart Forward Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs.Toronto FC Photo Preston Yip

BURNABY, BC – In their second match of the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship on Wednesday evening, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0W-0L-2D) had to settle for a disappointing goalless draw with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC (2W-0L-1D) at Swangard Stadium.

Seeking their first win in this year’s competition, Teitur Thordarson’s side worked hard to try and find a way past the Voyageurs Cup holders. Yet, as it has been in the past two home matches, the Blue and White were unable to find the decisive breakthrough, despite creating several decent goalscoring opportunities. It is the first time in the 36 years of the Whitecaps that the club have registered three consecutive 0-0 draws. Wednesday’s result also extends Vancouver’s unbeaten home record versus TFC to three matches (1W-0L-2D).

The result keeps Vancouver’s hopes of winning the Canadian Championship alive, though the ‘Caps must now claim victories in their final two tournament matches away to Montreal Impact on May 26, and Toronto FC on June 2. The winner of the 2010 Canadian Championship will move on to face Club Deportivo Motagua of Honduras in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League.

While the Whitecaps were unchanged from the starting XI that faced the Impact in USSF D-2 Pro League action on Saturday, TFC made a notable switch in their line-up, as former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway replaced Stefan Frei in the visitors goal. There was also a first appearance at Swangard for former Whitecaps defender Adrian Cann, as he partnered Nana Attakora at centre back.

Though wind warnings and a heavy late afternoon rain shower may have dampened things in Burnaby, BC, a Swangard crowd of 4,928 saw a solid first-half display from the ‘Caps, who showed more urgency to try and break the deadlock.

Vancouver’s intent to show they were far from out of this competition came as early as the seventh minute. However, stand-in captain Nelson Akwari was unable to properly connect with Ricardo Sanchez’s inswinging corner at the far post. On 14 minutes, Marcus Haber neatly slipped a forward ball to central midfielder Luca Bellisomo, who then drilled a low shot just wide of goal. Then on 19 minutes, the hard-working Sanchez caused panic in the TFC box with a dangerous free kick from the left that was eventually cleared.

In a position to win the tournament with a victory in Vancouver, TFC struggled to penetrate through the Whitecaps backline, with midfielder Nick LaBrocca and captain Dwayne De Rosario striking half chances wide of Jay Nolly’s goal.

Fittingly, the last chance of an intriguing opening half fell to the ‘Caps on 42 minutes. The industrious Cornelius Stewart did well on the left flank before driving a cross that eluded the head of strike partner Haber at the far post.

It meant that both clubs went to the halftime break tied at 0-0.

With the Whitecaps attacking their favoured south goal in the second half, Thordarson’s side picked up where they left off at the break, as they showed a continued desire to find the back of the net. In contrast, TFC seemed content with the goalless scoreline after the restart, despite playing the dangerous duo of De Rosario and second-half substitute Chad Barrett in attack.

On 51 minutes, TFC goalkeeper Conway had to collect Haber’s dangerous byline cross from the streaking Justin Moose, as the winger just missed making a connection with his head. Moments later, Sanchez drilled a left-footed shot just wide of Toronto’s goal. Then on 58 minutes, former Puerto Rico Islanders midfielder Dan Gargan did well to clear Sanchez’s well-struck free kick for a corner, as Bellisomo looked set to redirect the ball on target in the TFC box.

Looking to turn the tide of the contest their way, Thordarson used his three substitutions, with Takashi Hirano, Martin Nash, and Randy Edwini-Bonsu all entering the action. Though all three subs brought fresh impetus to the Whitecaps attacking play, the decisive goal remained as elusive as ever. On 67 minutes, Haber chipped a shot right across the face of the TFC goal before Stewart made an incisive run that resulted in a shot that also failed to test Conway moments later.

As the match entered the final stages, TFC then gave the home fans a scare. On 79 minutes, Gambian midfielder Amadou Sanyang powered a half-volleyed strike just over the Whitecaps crossbar, while three minutes later, De Rosario had a point-blank effort blocked away by the assured hands of Nolly.

Yet, most of the action in those dying stages took place at the other end, but as the ‘Caps kept knocking on the door of the TFC goal, Vancouver were still unable to walk their way through that door and register a priceless goal. Substitute Hirano had the best of those late opportunities, but the Japanese defender’s header from Stewart’s cross was well saved by Conway at the far post.

Even four minutes of time added on could not change the ultimate course of proceedings, as TFC looked more satisfied with the resulting stalemate at the final whistle. For Vancouver, only victories will do at this late stage of this year’s Canadian Championship.

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The Whitecaps will complete their five-match home stand on Saturday night when they host former head coach Bob Lilley and his Rochester Rhinos side at Swangard. Toronto FC, meanwhile, are back in MLS action on Saturday afternoon, as they host New England Revolution at their BMO Field home.

BY Nathan Vanstone

17 Randy Edwini-Bonsu Forward Vancouver Whitecaps FC 26 Dillon Barna Defender AC St. Louis Photo by Preston Yip

BURNABY, BC – Recording a third-straight clean sheet to start the 2010 USSF D-2 Pro League season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-0L-1D) defeated Athletic Club of St. Louis (0W-4L-0D) 1-0 at Swangard Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Mouloud Akloul’s first-ever goal for the ‘Caps proved to be the difference between these two NASL Conference rivals, even though Teitur Thordarson’s side looked far more comfortable in victory than the one-goal scoreline would suggest. The goal was a bittersweet moment, however, as Whitecaps debutant Akloul was forced out of the game soon after scoring the match winner with an ankle injury. The win maintained Vancouver’s undefeated start to the new campaign, while struggling St. Louis fell to a fourth-straight league defeat.

Akloul was one of three changes in the Whitecaps starting XI, as he started alongside Nelson Akwari in the centre of the Vancouver backline. In attack, Randy Edwini-Bonsu replaced the rested Marlon James to partner Marcus Haber up front, while Ansu Toure came in for Justin Moose on the left-hand side of midfield.

Though it was a cool and overcast spring afternoon, a Swangard crowd of 4,815 were treated to a first half that was dominated by the home side, with St. Louis failing to register a shot on the Vancouver goal in the opening 45 minutes.

Knowing the visitors were playing their second league game in less than 48 hours, the Whitecaps proceeded to attack the Missouri outfit from the opening kickoff, with St. Louis goalkeeper Alec Dufty kept busy in the early stages. On nine minutes, the former New York Red Bulls shot-stopper had to be alert to cut off Edwini-Bonsu’s dangerous through ball for Toure in the visitors’ box. Two minutes later, the Whitecaps made claims for a penalty when winger Wes Knight went down under a challenge from St. Louis midfielder Mark Bloom in the visitors’ box. Match referee Justin Tasev, however, immediately waved away Vancouver’s spot-kick appeals.

With much of the action taking place in the St. Louis half, it seemed only a matter of time before the ‘Caps took the lead. On 19 minutes, the opening goal arrived following a corner from Whitecaps Man-of-the-Match Martin Nash. As the Vancouver captain swung in his dangerous set-piece, Akloul made a charging run from his centre back position to beat the St. Louis pair of Christian Nzinga and Bloom in the six-yard box and knock the ball past Dufty to make it 1-0. It was the Frenchman’s first goal for his new club.

Though ‘Caps fans were delighted to see Akloul find the scoresheet, the moment proved bittersweet for the defender and the club. In his effort to convert Nash’s corner for the goal, Akloul landed awkwardly on his ankle and needed immediate attention from the Whitecaps medical staff. The severity of the ankle injury was such that Akloul’s debut with the ‘Caps lasted just 22 minutes, with substitute centre back Greg Janicki coming on in the Frenchman’s place. “It’s always tough to go in under those circumstances,” Janicki said after the match. “As a centre back, you try and prepare the best you can mentally, but you never truly expect to go in that early. Yet, I had to do what I had to do, and after getting my feet warm, we were able to keep our shape at the back and get another clean sheet.”

Thordarson’s side remained relentless in attacking their travel-weary opponents and on 31 minutes, Janicki struck the St. Louis crossbar with a header after Knight’s long throw-in flicked into the path of the substitute in the visitors’ box. A minute later, the impressive Luca Bellisomo – who was a pillar of strength alongside Nash in central midfield – just missed the target with a well-driven shot from 30 yards out.

Then on 37 minutes, the injury bug that saw Akloul’s afternoon end abruptly struck another Whitecaps player. A leg injury to Knight resulted in an early substitute appearance for Tanzanian international Nizar Khalfan on the right-hand side of midfield.

The changes, however, did little to alter the course of the game, as the Whitecaps finished the opening half in the ascendancy following chances by Edwini-Bonsu, Janicki, and Bellisomo before Tasev blew his whistle for halftime.

Where the Whitecaps commanded the first half of action, their attacking potency was not at the same level after the break, as both sets of players needed to deal with some slick conditions in the second half following a late afternoon rain shower.

The second-half chances that were created came from the home side. On 58 minutes, Dufty made a fine reaction save to stop Toure’s close-range shot in the St. Louis box after the winger got on the end of a pass from teammate Zurab Tsiskaridze. It proved to be the last contribution from the Liberian, as he was replaced by Moose a minute later.

The margin of a one-goal lead usually means there is always a chance for the trailing side to respond and draw level, however, St. Louis offered next to nothing in terms of an attacking threat at Swangard. In fact, the visitors registered just a single shot in the entire contest, with captain Jack Traynor sailing his team’s lone effort high and wide of the target on 61 minutes.

With the ‘Caps looking comfortable towards the game’s latter stages, the only thing that remained uncertain was the possibility of a second Vancouver goal. On 70 minutes, Dufty was called on to save substitute Ricardo Sanchez’s goal-bound header from Khalfan’s neat cross from the right flank, while on 88 minutes, the tireless Haber rolled a tame shot just past the St. Louis post.

As three minutes of time added on were played, the ‘Caps could have struck their second goal with two fine chances. However, Khalfan was unable to direct Sanchez’s curling cross on target at the far post, while Sanchez himself was just as inaccurate with a long-range strike at an empty St. Louis goal after Dufty was caught in the Whitecaps box trying to challenge a late St. Louis corner.

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It was a modest result to a game that should have been won in a more convincing fashion, according to Thordarson. “I wasn’t happy with the game today, even though we did well in the first half,” he told reporters after the match. “We were up in their half of the pitch and had plenty of possession, but we didn’t manage to score more than one goal. In the second half, we managed to give the initiative away. We gave the ball away on every second or third pass, so that was not good.”

With Saturday’s win, the Whitecaps now sit comfortably at the top of the NASL Conference standings with seven points from three matches played. Thordarson’s side will now prepare for a difficult trip down Interstate 5 to The City of Roses and their first meeting of the season with Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers at PGE Park on Thursday night. Still in search of their first point of the season, AC St. Louis will host Crystal Palace Baltimore next Saturday evening.

Scoring Summary:

19′ – VAN – Mouloud Akloul (Martin Nash)

by Nathan Vanstone

Email: nvanstone@whitecapsfc.com