Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC were held to a 1-1 away draw by Minnesota Thunder in USL First Division action on Friday evening.

Marcus Haber gave the Whitecaps the lead with a fine first-half goal, but Minnesota kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a late equalizer from second-half substitute Melvin Tarley at the National Sports Center (NSC) Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota.

Friday's draw took Vancouver's record to 9W-9L-9D, with the defending USL-1 champions remaining in seventh place and the final playoff spot in the league standings. With only a point taken from the match, the Whitecaps now need five points from their final three regular season games to clinch a postseason berth.

The stalemate was equally as unsatisfactory for the Thunder, as their hopes of making the playoffs now hang by a thread after seeing their record move to 5W-12L-9D. Minnesota will now need to win their final four regular season games, if they are to avoid missing the USL-1 postseason for the fourth time in five seasons.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to the side that started Wednesday's 3-2 home win over Austin Aztex. Both of those changes came in midfield, with Tanzanian international Nizar Khalfan replacing Gordon Chin in central midfield, while Ansu Toure took the place of fellow winger Tyrell Burgess on the left-hand side of midfield.

Thunder head coach Donny Gramenz, meanwhile, made one change to the side that started last Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Puerto Rico Islanders in the Caribbean. Brian Cvilikas replaced Tarley in the home side's attack.

On a pleasant evening in the American Midwest, both sides provided to a lively and evenly-played first half of soccer, with the Blue and White looking stronger towards the latter stages of the opening 45 minutes.

Charles Gbeke had the first chance for the Whitecaps on three minutes, as he forced a save by Thunder goalkeeper Nicolas Platter with a close-range header.

Minnesota replied seven minutes later, with captain Jeremiah Bass heading Andrew Peterson's cross from the left wide of the far post. On the quarter-hour mark, Cvilikas tried to catch Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly off guard with a quick strike following a long ball forward. The forward's effort, however, flew high and wide of the target.

At the other end, former Thunder winger Toure drilled a first-time shot into the side-netting on 17 minutes after the Liberian got on the end of a Khalfan cross that was partially cleared away from the Minnesota box. Five minutes later, Whitecaps midfielder Wes Knight eluded the attentions of his marker Peterson on the right flank before nearly finding the head of Gbeke with his dangerous cross to the far post.

Then on 25 minutes, Minnesota's Marco Terminesi looked to make the most of an acre of space on the right flank, as he made a dangerous run into the Whitecaps box. With Vancouver players closing him down, Terminesi could only hit the side-netting with a left-foot strike. At the other end, 'Caps midfielder Khalfan struck a free-kick effort into the Minnesota wall on 31 minutes before the talented East African found the arms of Platter with a long-range volley a minute later.

At the match edged towards the break, the Whitecaps struck for the game's opening goal on 35 minutes. Knight beat Peterson to the ball at the Thunder byline before playing a fine left-foot cross to Haber at the far post. The young striker rose to neatly head the ball past Platter and into the near side of the goal for a 1-0 Vancouver lead. It was Haber's seventh goal in USL-1 and eighth goal of the year.

Minnesota were disappointed to be a goal down at this stage, though Ricardo Sanchez tried to bring his side back into the contest with a free kick on 42 minutes. Unfortunately for the Mexican midfielder, his curling effort missed the target from near the edge of the Whitecaps box.

It proved to be the last opportunity of the half, as the 'Caps took a one-goal lead into the halftime break.

The NSC Stadium was under floodlight once both sides returned from their respective dressing rooms for the start of the second half. The following 45 minutes saw the Whitecaps look solid defensively for the most part, while Minnesota used much of that same time to figure out a way past the Vancouver rearguard.

In fact, the lack of urgency from the Thunder was surprising, despite their need to win Friday's match. Minnesota fans were not given much confidence that a goal was coming soon, as Sanchez was well off the target with a strike on 54 minutes.

A minute later, Thordarson made his first substitution of the match, as the experienced Geordie Lyall took the place of Knight and slotted into the right fullback position, with Lyle Martin moving up into midfield.

Seeking another three points towards their playoff aspirations, Toure missed the target with a half-hit shot from Martin's cross on 59 minutes before Khalfan forced a diving save from Platter with a decent strike after Haber found the midfielder with his cutback pass from the Minnesota box three minutes later.

The Thunder continued to struggle with their forward play, as Sanchez was again unable to turn the tide of the contest after drilling a free kick high and over the Whitecaps crossbar on 68 minutes.

As the game entered the dying stages, Thordarson added more fresh legs by introducing Burgess for Toure on 76 minutes. The Bermuda international tried to make an impact two minutes later, but his free-kick effort struck the Minnesota wall and bounced out for a Vancouver corner. On 81 minutes, Martin drilled a cross from the right that Platter did well to stop from flying across the face of his own goal.

With the match still in the balance, the Whitecaps had a glorious chance to seal a valuable away victory on 86 minutes. Burgess took a pass from Khalfan in the Minnesota box before hitting a fine strike that Platter did well to save. The loose ball then fell to Gbeke, but he was unlucky to hit the post with his close-range shot.

It proved a costly miss by Vancouver, as Minnesota went down the other end and equalized on 87 minutes. Sanchez's corner from the left found the unmarked Tarley in front of the Whitecaps goal. With time and space, the Thunder substitute headed home with ease to make it 1-1.

It was disappointing goal to concede by the 'Caps, who looked relatively comfortable in their defensive shape throughout the second half. Though two minutes of time added on were played, match referee Ben Chouaf blew the final whistle, with both sides having to settle for a share of the spoils.


Though Friday's draw extended the Whitecaps unbeaten run to seven matches, Thordarson felt another two points were squandered by his side. "I'm very disappointed that we’ve dropped points again by conceding a late goal," he told whitecapsfc.com. "The game was more open in the first half than after the break. It flowed back and forth, but neither team created that many good chances before halftime. Defensively, we were better with our organization and had better control of the game in the second half, as Minnesota struggled to cause us much danger. However, when you take the lead and defend so well for so much of the game, it's so disappointing to give up a late goal like we did tonight."

The Whitecaps will now look to conclude their regular season road schedule in positive fashion by visiting Canadian rivals Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo in Quebec next Wednesday night. Minnesota, meanwhile, look to keep their playoff hopes alive in South Carolina when they face Charleston Battery on Sunday evening.

Scoring Summary:
35' - VAN - Marcus Haber (Wes Knight)
87' - MIN - Melvin Tarley (Ricardo Sanchez)

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 9 - Minnesota 11
Saves: Vancouver 6 - Minnesota 5
Fouls: Vancouver 12 - Minnesota 9
Offsides: Vancouver 1 - Minnesota 8
Corners: Vancouver 4 - Minnesota 5

Cautions:
64' - VAN - Kenold Versailles
70' - MIN - Rod Dyachenko

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 24.Lyle Martin, 4.Shaun Pejic, 6.Chris Pozniak, 22.Takashi Hirano; 8.Wes Knight (12.Geordie Lyall 55'), 13.Kenold Versailles, 29.Nizar Khalfan (17.Randy Edwini-Bonsu 90 +'), 16.Ansu Toure (25.Tyrell Burgess 76'); 14.Marcus Haber (28.Gordon Chin 81'), 98.Charles Gbeke

Subs not used: 31.Simon Thomas, 2.Marco Reda, 18.Mason Trafford

Minnesota Thunder
12.Nicolas Platter; 3.Andres Arango, 4.Andrew Peterson, 11.Richard Costanzo, 28.Jon Greenfield; 10.Ricardo Sanchez, 13.Lawrence Olum, 15.Rod Dyachenko, 22.Jeremiah Bass; 20.Brian Cvilikas (2.Melvin Tarley 59'), 23.Marco Terminesi (17.Leonel Saint-Preux 59')

Subs not used: 1.Matt Van Oekel, 6.Kevin Friedland, 9.Nathan Knox, 14.Chris Clements, 19.Brian Kallman