'Caps claim preseason win over Seattle

March 22, 2008

Seattle Sounders - 1
Vancouver Whitecaps - 2

Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA (Attendance: 752)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC men continued their winning ways in preseason with a 2-1 away victory over Seattle Sounders on Saturday evening.

Goals by Jason Jordan and substitute Eduardo Sebrango gave the Whitecaps a second straight victory of the week in Tukwila, Washington. Roger Levesque, who played for Vancouver in last November's goalless draw against MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy at BC Place, scored Seattle's consolation goal just before halftime.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made three changes to the side that started Thursday's 4-0 win over Portland Timbers. Jay Nolly replaced Srdjan Djekanovic in goal, while veteran Jeff Clarke came into midfield for youngster Nick Webb. Jordan, meanwhile, replaced Sebrango to partner Nicholas Addlery in the Vancouver attack.

A small but enthusiastic crowd greeted the players on a breezy spring-type evening at the Starfire Sports Complex, with the home side dawning a strip of all black for their first game since last September's USL First Division championship final triumph over Atlanta Silverbacks.

The Whitecaps – who played in their traditional colours of blue and white – contributed well to what was a competitive, yet untidy, start by the two Pacific Northwest rivals. The first chance fell to Seattle's dangerous French striker Sebastien Le Toux, but his tame strike from the edge of the area failed to test Nolly.

The Whitecaps responded with a chance of their own four minutes later, as Jordan's turn and shot rolled past the Sounders goal after newcomer Vicente Arze had picked him out in the Seattle box after receiving the ball from a Martin Nash free kick.

The visitors then took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, as Addlery made an incisive run towards the Seattle goal before seeing his initial strike deflect off a Sounders defender to an unmarked Jordan. The experienced goalscorer made no mistake by converting into an empty net for a 1-0 lead. "We’ve been working on playing high pressure soccer," Whitecaps defender Lyle Martin told whitecapsfc.com. "Teitur is very offensive-minded, as even our defensive play is set up to get us back on the attack again."

Seattle's response was immediate, as Sounders captain Danny Jackson struck the Whitecaps crossbar with a powerful after the defender connected well with Leighton O'Brien's corner from the left. Three minutes later, Levesque was presented with a great chance to strike at goal, but his shot went straight into the arms of Nolly.

The play did not pick up until the dying stages of the first half, with Arze striking a shot wide of target after taking a pass from Clarke, while Levesque was unable to catch Nolly napping in the Whitecaps goal with a close-range header from a quickly-taken Sounders free kick.

Then a minute before halftime, the USL-1 champions pulled level when Levesque rose highest to connect with a Jesus Mendoza corner from the right to make it 1-1 at the break.

As it was a preseason friendly, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer changed his entire set of outfield players for the start of the second half, while Thordarson made one change by introducing Geordie Lyall at right fullback. The move saw Martin push into left midfield for the departed Arze.

One of the new Seattle players in defender Jason Cascio was soon shown a yellow card after a robust challenge on Takashi Hirano, as the visitors started to impose their play on the Sounders' newcomers. Steve Kindel forced a save from Seattle goalkeeper Chris Eylander before Addlery sailed a strike high and wide of the target seconds later.

Then moments after Alfredo Valente and Sebrango were introduced to the game on 61 minutes, Addlery went even closer with a fine run and shot that flew just wide of the target.

Vancouver's pressure paid off with a second goal on 63 minutes, as Lyall's driving cross from the right found Sebrango, and the Cuban's flicked header flew past a sprawling Eylander for 2-1.

The goal was well deserved for the Whitecaps, as their more experienced side started to control the friendly contest. Addlery had a couple more efforts fly wide of goal, while Clarke was unable to test Eylander with a long-range strike from Valente's corner on 78 minutes. "We came out in the second half a little bit more organized and controlled the ball a little bit more," Addlery said after Saturday's friendly. "We got some crosses in and Eddy scored a great goal. It was a better second half, but the first half left a lot to be desired. In the end, this trip down to Seattle has been a great bonding experience for the team, so hats off to the club's administration and the technical staff."

The Seattle keeper then needed to make a fine save from substitute Valente with ten minutes remaining, as Eylander got down to stop his point-blank strike before denying Nash with another save from close range a minute later.

Seattle's hopes of claiming a second equalizer fell to Kenji Treschuk in the dying stages, but his free-kick effort was well saved by Nolly, as the Whitecaps held on for the win.

Thordarson's side will now return to Vancouver for more preseason training next week. Their next preseason contest is Saturday, March 29, at Mercer Stadium in New Westminster, BC, when they face the Simon Fraser University Clan. Kickoff is 10am.

VIDEO

Teitur Post Match Interview

GOAL SUMMARY:
15’ – Vancouver 1-0 - Jason Jordan (Nicholas Addlery)
Clarke forces a turnover at midfield and sends Addlery down the left flank. Addlery creates space for a shot from 15-yards out, which deflects to a wide-open Jordan at the top of the 6-yard box for an easy tap in.

44’ – Seattle 1-1 - Roger Levesque (Jesus Mendoza)
Mendoza sends a curving ball into the 18-yard box off a corner kick, which finds Levesque’s head. Levesque deflection finds the inside of the far post to tie the match

63’ – Vancouver 2-1 – Eduardo Sebrango (Geordie Lyall)
Lyall fires a rocket into the box where Sebrango heads it home to give the ‘Caps a 2-1 lead

GAME STATS
Shots: Vancouver 13 – Seattle 9
Saves: Vancouver 5 - Seattle - 3
Fouls: Vancouver 18 - Seattle - 14
Offsides: Vancouver 2 - Seattle - 3
Corners: Vancouver 1 - Seattle - 3

Cautions: Vancouver – Cann 74’ - Seattle – Jason Cascio 47’, Josh Gardner 82’

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 4. Adrian Cann, 15.Omar Jarun (13.Mason Webb 87’), 22.Takashi Hirano, 24.Lyle Martin; 2.Jeff Clarke, 7.Martin Nash, 8.Steve Kindel (9.Alfredo Valente 61’), 23.Vicente Arze (12.Geordie Lyall 45’); 11.Nicholas Addlery, 26.Jason Jordan (16.Eduardo Sebrango)

Vancouver subs not used:
3.Nick Webb, 6.Luca Bellisomo, 19.Willis Farko, 27.Stefan Leslie, 77.Srdjan Djekanovic

Seattle Sounders
1.Chris Eylander; 4.Danny Jackson (22.Yannick Boumsong 45'), 17.Zach Scott (5.Mason Trafford 45'), 20.Marcael Kipre (21.Jason Cascio 45'), 26.Taylor Graham (19.Daniel Scott 45'); 6.Jesus Mendoza (16.Kenji Treschuk 45'), 7.Leighton O'Brien (11.Jack Watson 45'), 15.Kevin Sakuda (10.Josh Gardner 45'), 77.Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (13.John Oberhalter 45'); 8.Sebastien Le Toux (9.Craig Tomlinson 45'), 18.Roger Levesque (23.Samir Imessad 45')

Seattle subs not used:
1.Ben Dragavon, 3.Andre Schmidt, 14.Collin Rigby, 31.Josh Gardner


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