Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

In the third game of five consecutive matches on the road, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5W-2L-6D) played to a goalless draw with NASL Conference rivals Athletic Club of St. Louis (2W-7L-2D) in the USSF D-2 Pro League on Saturday evening.

In what was the Whitecaps first trip to St. Louis for a competitive match in over 33 years, neither side could find the decisive breakthrough in front of a crowd of 2,432 at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Missouri. In some ways, the 'Caps will be pleased to have claimed a point from the first of two regular season visits to St. Louis, as Vancouver were forced to play the last quarter of the match with ten men after striker Cornelius Stewart was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The result extends the Whitecaps unbeaten streak in USSF D-2 to five matches, with the Blue and White registering a win and two draws from this current run of league games away from home. The 'Caps remain at the top of the NASL Conference standings - four points clear of Canadian rivals Montreal Impact.

The visitors made two changes to the side that started the 1-1 draw with the Islanders in Puerto Rico 10 days ago. With Zurab Tsiskaridze suspended and Takashi Hirano suffering from a sore back, Chris Williams earned the start at left fullback. In attack, Tanzanian international Nizar Khalfan played alongside Stewart.

On a very hot evening in the American Midwest, the Whitecaps carried most of the play in the first half, having created the game's first set of chances. Just five minutes in, St. Louis goalkeeper Alec Dufty needed to save a free kick strike from Whitecaps captain Martin Nash. Then on 11 minutes, Stewart headed Ansu Toure's cross from the left over the St. Louis crossbar.

The Whitecaps strike pairing of Khalfan and Stewart then created further chances on 20 and 21 minutes respectively before 'Caps goalkeeper Jay Nolly was called on to make his first notable save from a St. Louis corner around the midway point of the half.

Having replaced Claude Anelka on Thursday, new AC St. Louis head coach Dale Schilly saw his side show some of the form that has led the Missouri club successfully through the first two rounds of this year's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. On 31 minutes, Nash made an important block with his chest from a dangerous shot by St. Louis striker Mike Ambersley, while Jeff Cosgriff had two efforts go wide of the target for the home side.

On 37 minutes, Dufty needed to punch away another Nash free kick in the St. Louis box before centre back Nelson Akwari headed a Vancouver corner wide of goal six minutes later.

The last chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Khalfan, but after taking a pass from Stewart, the young East African could only hit his shot wide of the target.

It meant both sides went to the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0.

The second half proved more of a challenge for Teitur Thordarson's side, with the Icelandic coach using the resources of his substitutes' bench after the restart. Inside the first 15 minutes of the half, the 'Caps made three changes, as Justin Moose, Doudou Toure, and Luca Bellisomo entered the action.

It was around the hour mark that Khalfan saw another strike go wide of the target, while youngster Doudou Toure forced an easy save from Dufty with his effort from a Wes Knight throw-in.

With the match nearing the midway point of the second half, the Whitecaps were suddenly reduced to ten men. After picking up his first yellow card for a foul just four minutes earlier, Stewart was sent off for a second bookable offence on 65 minutes. Match referee Tyler Ploeger adjudged the young Saint Vincent and the Grenadines international to have simulated a foul, and promptly gave him his marching orders.

Facing the last 25 minutes less a man, the Whitecaps then absorbed a spell of pressure from the home side. After St. Louis had a free kick blocked by a Vancouver defensive wall, Ambersley nearly broke through with a strike that flew just wide of Nolly's far post on 82 minutes. Four minutes later, Brazilian midfielder Gauchinho's deflected shot forced an important save from Nolly.

Despite those late St. Louis opportunities, the match seemed destined to end in a draw. Following a further three minutes of time added on, referee Ploeger called a halt to proceedings, as Vancouver and St. Louis had to settle for a share of the spoils in the Missouri heat.


Thordarson was happy his side earned something from Saturday's match. "Though it was not our best day, the positive thing is we came away from this game with a point," he told whitecapsfc.com. "The conditions here were very difficult, as it was almost 40 degrees Celsius in St. Louis. They also watered the pitch just before the match started, which made the playing surface a bit soft in certain areas and difficult to play on. Our first-half performance was decent in those conditions, but our second half was disappointing. I felt the heat left us totally exhausted, while we faced the last part of the game with ten men. We had some good occasions in the last 15 minutes, but we didn't manage to pull it off."

The Whitecaps will continue this extended spell on the road, as they head north to Quebec for a second league meeting of the season with arch-rivals Montreal at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night. AC St. Louis, meanwhile, make a midweek trip to Southern California to face Major League Soccer giants Los Angeles Galaxy in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night.

Scoring Summary:
none

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 6 - St. Louis 10
Saves: Vancouver 4 - St. Louis 3
Fouls: Vancouver 15 - St. Louis 7
Corners: Vancouver 4 - St. Louis 7

Cautions:
37' - STL - Brad Stisser
61' - VAN - Cornelius Stewart
65' - VAN - Cornelius Stewart
72' - VAN - Wes Knight
77' - VAN - Greg Janicki

Ejections:
65' - VAN - Cornelius Stewart

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 4.Chris Williams, 2.Nelson Akwari, 14.Greg Janicki, 8.Wes Knight (17.Randy Edwini-Bonsu 82'); 16.Ansu Toure (19.Justin Moose 45'), 12.Jonny Steele (3.Luca Bellisomo 58'), 7.Martin Nash, 15.Philippe Davies (18.Doudou Toure 53'); 29.Nizar Khalfan (99.Ricardo Sanchez 77'), 39.Cornelius Stewart

Subs not used: 31.Simon Thomas, 22.Takashi Hirano

Athletic Club of St. Louis
1. Alec Dufty; 4.Tim Velten, 21.Mark Bloom, 26.Dillon Barna, 5.Jack Traynor; 3.Troy Cole (9.Elvir Kafedzic 81'), 7.Luke Kreamalmeyer, 13.Gauchinho; 17.Brad Stisser (11.Chris Salvaggione 62'), 20.Jeff Cosgriff (23.Ryan Moore 75'); 15.Mike Ambersley

Subs not used: 22.Chad Becker, 6.John Lesko, 23.Ryan Moore, 24.Allex Titton