USL Playoffs: Whitecaps vs Thunder -Whitecaps begin playoffs with 2-0 win

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  1. shookem

    shookem Still not a bust

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    Whitecaps begin playoffs with 2-0 win

    Vancouver Whitecaps FC got their USL First Division playoff campaign off to a fine start with a 2-0 home victory over Minnesota Thunder in the first leg of their two-match quarterfinal series.

    A first-half own goal by Thunder defender Jonathan Greenfield helped the Whitecaps to an important result at Swangard Stadium on Friday evening, with substitute Justin Moose striking a crucial second goal in the dying stages to give Vancouver a two-goal lead ahead of the second leg at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota, on Sunday.

    Though they came away with nothing from their first playoff contest since 2004, Minnesota caused the Whitecaps a few problems throughout an eventful game, leaving many to think that the series is far from over at the halfway stage.

    Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to the side that started last Saturday's final regular season win at Seattle Sounders. Geordie Lyall returned from injury to come into Vancouver's defensive backline, while Mason Trafford took his place in midfield, as Whitecaps Residency youngster Ethan Gage and speedy winger Moose started the match on the substitutes' bench.

    Thunder interim head coach Donny Gramenz also made two changes to the starting XI that claimed a pivotal 3-1 victory at home to Montreal Impact last Saturday. Stephen deRoux came into the visitors' midfield for Tighe Dombrowski, while Brian Cvilikas replaced the injured Nathan Knox in the Minnesota attack, with the Thunder playing in a 3-5-2 formation.

    On a cool but dry early autumn evening for soccer, a Swangard crowd of 4,943 saw both sides handle the difficult pitch conditions relatively well, despite the damage caused by last weekend's Simon Fraser University football game.

    The fans in attendance saw the home side have more of the first-half opportunities, with Lyle Martin flicking a Nicholas Addlery cross right across the face of the Minnesota goal on three minutes before Whitecaps goalscorer Eduardo Sebrango was unable to direct Lyall's forward ball on target three minutes later.

    Just before the quarter-hour mark, Thunder defender Kevin Taylor made a timely challenge on Sebrango in the visitors' box before Minnesota goalkeeper Nicolas Platter made a good save from Sebrango's solid header two minutes later. At the other end, Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly was called into action, as he needed to tip Dale Weiler's dipping right-foot strike over his own crossbar for a Thunder corner.

    On 19 minutes, Martin Nash sliced a shot wide of goal before Sebrango was unlucky to miss the target with a low drive four minutes later after doing well to control Alfredo Valente's cross from the left in the Minnesota box.

    Nolly needed to be alert again to deny a chance for Cvilikas on 24 minutes, as the Whitecaps number one collided with the Thunder striker in their pursuit for a loose ball in the Vancouver box.

    Three minutes later, however, the Whitecaps made their attacking play pay dividends, as they took an important lead in fortunate circumstances. Steve Kindel's cross from the left was inadvertently flicked into his own net by Greenfield, with the defender's header wrong-footing Platter in the Thunder goal as a result.

    Having taken the lead, the Whitecaps kept moving forward in search of a second goal, with Valente and Trafford forcing good saves from Platter either side of the half-hour mark.

    Minnesota, meanwhile, remain undeterred at being a goal behind, with Thunder captain Jeremiah Bass causing a scare for the home side with a low shot that Nolly had to redirect on to his own post before it was cleared away on 38 minutes.

    Four minutes later, the Whitecaps were left disappointed by an offside decision that denied Sebrango a second goal for Vancouver, even though the Cuban hit-man connected well with Lyall's fine cross from the right.
     

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