Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC ended a six-match winless streak with an important 2-0 home victory over Miami FC Blues on Sunday afternoon.

Two late goals by Charles Gbeke secured three valuable points for the Blue and White at Swangard Stadium, as the 'Caps moved six points clear of their South Florida rivals for the final playoff spot in the USL First Division standings. The win also sees the Whitecaps take the regular season series versus the Blues.

Though they remain in seventh place, Sunday's win improves the Whitecaps record to 8W-9L-7D. Miami FC, meanwhile, remain out the USL-1 playoff picture in eighth place with a record of 7W-12L-4D, though they have a match in hand on Vancouver at present.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made one change from the side that started Thursday's 1-1 draw versus Charleston Battery in South Carolina. Experienced Japanese defender Takashi Hirano replaced Mason Trafford at left fullback.

Miami's Brazilian head coach Zinho, meanwhile, made nine changes to the side that started last night's 3-1 defeat versus USL-1 leaders Portland Timbers in Oregon. Only midfielder Jarryd Goldberg and former Whitecaps striker Alen Marcina were retained from the starting XI that appeared at Portland's PGE Park on Saturday evening.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon on the Lower Mainland, an eighth-straight sold-out Swangard crowd of 5,288 saw the Whitecaps create all of the chances in a first half that lacked a bit of spark for large spells.

The home side created a half-chance on five minutes, with Marcus Haber hitting captain Martin Nash's cross from the right off strike partner Gbeke and out for a Miami goal kick. Four minutes later, 'Caps centre back Chris Pozniak headed Nash's free kick wide of the far post.

Whitecaps fans then had to wait until the 19th minute for another Vancouver goal scoring chance. Lyle Martin's free kick forward found Gbeke, who then played in Haber for a clear chance at goal. The youngster's point-blank shot was well saved by Blues goalkeeper Pat Hannigan before Ansu Toure's shot on the rebound struck the arm of Miami defender Zachary Kirby, with match referee Michael Edmunds awarding a 'Caps free kick just outside the visitors' box. Toure took the ensuing set-piece, but his effort struck the six-man Miami wall before the ball was cleared away.

Seven minutes later, Gbeke glanced Nash's corner from the right wide of the far post before Miami midfielder Edwin Miranda brought the only save of the half out of Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly with a strike a minute later.

Though a goal seemed far from coming, the Whitecaps looked the only side capable of finding the net first, with the home side creating more chances before the break. Toure half-hit Gbeke's lay-off wide of the target on the half-hour mark before Pozniak forced a good diving save from Hannigan with a low drive seven minutes later.

Gbeke then had the last chance of the half on 42 minutes, with the Canadian international well off target with his volleyed effort following a Wes Knight cross from the right.

It meant both sides went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0.

The start of the second half saw the Whitecaps pick up where they left off, with Tanzanian midfielder Nizar Khalfan volleying a drive high and over the Miami goal on 48 minutes after the Blues had failed to deal with a Whitecaps corner.

Then on 53 minutes, Toure had the first of two shots that forced Hannigan into a couple of diving saves, with the Liberian winger stretching the Blues keeper again two minutes later.

With the match still well poised, Miami started to come into the contest, with Tim Merritt forcing Nolly to concede a corner with a long-distance drive on 62 minutes. From Jack Traynor's ensuing corner, Khalfan pulled off some heroics by clearing Blues substitute Nelson Pizarro's goal-bound header off his own goal line.

A minute later, the talented Tanzanian struck Gbeke's lay-off wide before Thordarson made his first change of the match, as Tyrell Burgess replaced Knight in midfield.

There was action at both ends near the midway point of the half. On 66 minutes, Kirby timed his tackle to perfection to deny Haber getting a shot off in the Blues box. At the other end, Leo Inacio Nunes and Miranda struck shots wide for the South Florida club a few minutes later.

The initiative to win the match remained with the home side, with the 'Caps creating another chance on 71 minutes through Haber. However, after taking Gbeke's pass, Hannigan did well again to come off his line and smother Haber's shot. Three minutes later, Thordarson replaced Toure with Gordon Chin in midfield.

With the match edging towards the dying stages, the elusive winning goal finally came, and from the head of Whitecaps striker Gbeke on 80 minutes. Chin's high cross from the right saw the former Montreal Impact forward direct a looping header on target. The header caught Hannigan off his goal line before flying over his head and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Vancouver lead. It was Gbeke's eighth goal of the year.

Feeling more relief with the scoreline, the 'Caps nearly struck for a second time through a counter-attack on 89 minutes. Khalfan's headed clearance released Haber to run down the right flank from the halfway line. The striker then picked out an unmarked Chin with a fine square pass on the edge of the Miami box. However, Hannigan was able to rush off his line and block Chin's shot with his legs.

In the 90th minute, youngster Randy Edwini-Bonsu came on for Haber and made an immediate impact to the outcome of the contest. As the match entered three minutes of time added on, the speedy Edwini-Bonsu beat Miami FC captain John Pulido down the left sideline before breaking in clear on goal. With Gbeke rushing up to support him, the young substitute unselfishly laid the ball off to his strike partner, who duly converted the chance with right foot for his second goal of the match and ninth goal of the year.

Edwini-Bonsu was pleased with his late contribution to the match. "I feel good about myself right now, and this late spell of action today will get my confidence back, which is what the team needs with Marlon James injured," the young striker said after the match. "The team needs someone to step in and get the job done right now. Hopefully, this will lead to more victories for us."


With a 2-0 lead, Swangard was all smiles once the final whistle was blown, with the Whitecaps putting some much-needed distance between themselves and Miami FC in the USL-1 standings. It was also a positive ending to a busy run of four matches in nine days for Vancouver, as the 'Caps claimed a win and three draws from those four league contests.

Thordarson was relieved to see his players finally make the breakthrough on Sunday. "We'd been struggling with scoring goals recently, so I was very happy when we scored the first one and even more happy when we scored the second one," Thordarson said to reporters after the match. "I felt we didn’t do enough running off the ball in the first half, but that may be understandable, as it was our fourth game in nine days. With all the travel and the heat that the players experienced over the week, it's understandable that they might have felt a bit tired. However, I was again impressed with the team's effort in the second half, as we played well. We played two excellent games against Carolina and Charleston on the road this past week and deserved to win both of them, so coming away with a win today is a huge result for us."

The Whitecaps will now have a week to prepare for their next league encounter, as they host Rochester Rhinos at Swangard next Saturday night. Miami FC, meanwhile, will head for North Carolina and a clash with USL-1 high-flyers Carolina RailHawks on Wednesday evening.

Scoring Summary:
80' - VAN - Charles Gbeke (Gordon Chin)
90+' - VAN - Charles Gbeke (Randy Edwini-Bonsu)

Match Stats:
Shots: Miami 8 - Vancouver 16
Saves: Miami 6 - Vancouver 3
Fouls: Miami 15 - Vancouver 11
Offsides: Miami 3 - Vancouver 2
Corners: Miami 2 - Vancouver 5

Cautions:
29' - MIA - Jarryd Goldberg
45' - MIA - Zack Kirby
50' - MIA - Edwin Miranda
90+’ – VAN – Mason Trafford

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 24.Lyle Martin, 4.Shaun Pejic, 6.Chris Pozniak, 22.Takashi Hirano; 8.Wes Knight (25.Tyrell Burgess 64'), 7.Martin Nash (18.Mason Trafford 84'), 29.Nizar Khalfan, 16.Ansu Toure (28.Gordon Chin 74'); 14.Marcus Haber (17.Randy Edwini-Bonsu 90'), 98.Charles Gbeke

Subs not used: 31.Simon Thomas, 2.Marco Reda, 13.Kenold Versailles

Miami FC Blues
1.Pat Hannigan; 3.Zack Kirby, 18. Junior Baiano, 12.Tim Merritt, 15.Jack Traynor; 7.Edwin Miranda, 8.John Pulido, 10.Leo Inacio Nunes, 14.Jarryd Goldberg (2.Nelson Pizarro 56'); 9.Paulo Araujo Jr, 11.Alen Marcina (19.Tristan Bowen 56')

Subs not used:  25.Kenny Schoeni, 5.Gale Agbossoumonde, 6.Zourab Tsiskaridze, 16.Nicolas Torres. 22.Chris Williams