VANCOUVER FALL 2-1 TO SEATTLE

July 14, 2007 - Seattle Crossfire Sounders - 2
Vancouver Whitecaps - 1

Swangard Stadium, Burnaby

Vancouver Whitecaps FC women suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Seattle Crossfire Sounders.

Match Photos - courtesy Josh Devins

A late strike from Seattle defender Kate Deines gave the Washington State club a vital three points on Saturday afternoon, as they moved above the Whitecaps and into a tie for first place in the W-League Western Conference standings with San Diego Sunwaves. Defeat for the Whitecaps meant their unbeaten home streak that stood at 33 games came to an end.

Lyndsay Patterson opened the scoring for the Sounders on 49 minutes before Sophie Schmidt equalized with a header on 66 minutes. The decisive moment came with one minute remaining, as Deines dealt a major blow to Vancouver’s chances of making the playoffs and defending their W-League title with her winning goal.

The lose all but eliminates the Whitecaps from the 2007 playoffs. In order for the Caps to earn a playoff berth there needs to be an upset either by Colorado in Seattle on Thursday or by Fort Collins in San Diego on Friday. Vancouver must then win on Saturday against Colorado, and would probably still need next Sunday’s game between San Diego and Seattle to be won by the team with the greater number of points, or possibly end in a tie.

Whitecaps head coach Bob Birarda made four changes to the side that suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at San Diego on Wednesday. In came Emily Zurrer and Selenia Iacchelli to the starting XI, while goalkeeper Sian Bagshawe and striker Rosalyn Hicks replaced Cori Alexander and Ella Masar, as the duo were away in US under-21 duty at the Nordic Cup tournament in Finland.

On a sunny and warm afternoon, and with many remnants of Swangard’s hosting on the under-20 World Cup still to be seen, both the Whitecaps and Seattle played a relatively subdued first half of soccer, with little action to be seen in the first quarter of an hour.

Tiffeny Milbrett had the first chances of note for Vancouver, with Sounders goalkeeper Carly Smolak saving both a shot and a free kick with relative ease from the former USA international. Hicks then tested Smolak with a shot of her own moments later after latching on to an Iacchelli flicked header.

It was Seattle’s turn to test Bagshawe for the first time in the game, as Patterson had a shot deflect off of Whitecaps defender Jill Oakes and into the arms of the home keeper.

Sophie Schmidt had two similar goalscoring chances at close range for Vancouver, but on both occasions, the central midfielder knocked her efforts over Smolak’s crossbar after getting on the end of two Milbrett corners.

Whitecaps fans also made claims for a first-half penalty after Milbrett went down in the box after a challenge from Seattle defender Kelli Smith, but referee Darci Konawalchuk waved away any appeals.

Seattle’s best chance of the half came just before the break, as Kathrine Reynolds got the better of Whitecaps defender Caroline Vanderpool in the Vancouver box, but her shot at goal sailed over Bagshawe’s crossbar.

With the game well poised at halftime, the Whitecaps looked for an opener soon after the restart, but Schmidt was again unable to keep her shot on target after sailing a drive over Smolak’s crossbar.

Then four minutes into the second half, Seattle drew first blood with a finely taken goal from Patterson. She got on the end of a Reynolds cross in the Whitecaps box before eluding her marker Anna Caniglia and striking home the game’s first goal.

The goal changed the complexion of the contest, and Birarda’s response was to replace Hicks with Jodi-Ann Robinson in attack, as Vancouver went in search of an important equalizer. The home side’s determination to get back into the game paid off on 66 minutes.

After making a forward run from her right fullback position, Vanderpool played a superb cross into the Seattle box, where Schmidt placed a fine header into the far corner to make it 1-1.

The game was back in the balance at this stage, and substitute Robinson nearly had a chance to score Vancouver’s second goal, but the Canadian international was unable to control Clare Rustad’s strongly-played cross from the right.

Much of Seattle’s attack threat, meanwhile, was coming through the diminutive Patterson in the second half, and only a fine tackle from Oakes denied the Sounders striker a chance for a second goal.

At the other end, Robinson was presented with an excellent opportunity, but after setting herself up a shot in the Seattle box, her effort went straight to the waiting arms of Smolak. Iacchelli then tried her luck after getting on the end of a Schmidt cross from the right, but her turn and shot flew wide.

With the game well into the dying stages, Seattle struck a body blow to the Whitecaps with a second goal from Deines on 89 minutes. Michelle French played a fine cross in from the left that the Sounders defender headed past Bagshawe and a number of Whitecaps defenders for 2-1.

The home side tried their best to get the goal back, but referee Konawalchuk blew the final whistle to inflict another significant defeat on the Whitecaps, who are now facing the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time in club history. “It’s mathematically possible, but it’s unlikely will make it,” a downcast Birarda told reporters after the game. “We will know by game time next Saturday if we can get through, but it’s been a long haul. We’ve played seven games in 22 days and done a whole bunch of traveling, so it’s been hard to find our legs in the last week. However, you can’t expect to concede one or two goals and win games.”

Birarda’s disappointment was in contrast to the jubilation felt by Sounders head coach Teddy Mitalas, as his side can still claim a first-place finish in the Western Conference. “We’ve just got to win our game at home on Thursday in order to not make it a pressure game in San Diego next Sunday,” Mitalas said. “I think we’re establishing ourselves and the team is gelling together, as they like playing for each other. The girls are excited because we wanted to win up here badly after trying several times to do so.”

The Whitecaps final regular-season game is next Saturday at Swangard Stadium against Real Colorado Cougars at 4:00 p.m.

Final Game Stats:

Shots: Vancouver - 10 Seattle - 10
Saves: Vancouver - 4 Seattle - 4
Fouls: Vancouver - 6 Seattle - 4
Offsides: Vancouver - 3 Seattle - 1
Corners: Vancouver - 3 Seattle - 4

Referee: Darci Konawalchuk

Cautions: Seattle - none - Vancouver - Tiffeny Milbrett 90'

Seattle Crossfire Sounders:
1.Carly Smolak; 22.Nicole Martinez, 19.Kelli Cronkrite, 23.Kelli Smith, 13.Zahra Lechek; 5.Kate Deines, 9.Tafara Pulse, 12.Michelle French, 14.Kathrine Reynolds (2.Chalise Baysa 52'); 4.Lyndsay Patterson, 8.Erin Redwine (20.Dani Bridges 70')

Seattle subs not used:
15.Lindsey Kasser; 18.Kassandra Riozzi, 25.Courtney Wetzel; 10.Brooke Reece

Vancouver Whitecaps FC:
1.Sian Bagshawe; 13.Anna Caniglia, 7.Jill Oakes, 2.Emily Zurrer, 30.Caroline Vanderpool; 16.Sophie Schmidt, 11.Selenia Iacchelli, 10.Stephanie Smith (21.Paige Adams 45'), 18.Clare Rustad (24.Holly Gault 86'); 12.Rosalyn Hicks (22.Jodi-Ann Robinson 56'), 25.Tiffeny Milbrett

Vancouver subs not used:
26.Michele Duncan; 8.Erin Ramsay, 9.Carly Peetz, 23.Lindsay Rohla

50/50 number - Yellow #0943867

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