CHARLESTON, SC - Vancouver Whitecaps saw their three-match winning streak come to an end after a 2-0 defeat at Charleston Battery on Sunday.
A goal in each half by Osvaldo Alonso was the difference for the home side at Blackbaud Stadium as Charleston claimed their first win over Vancouver in more than two years.
Playing their third game in six days on the road, the Whitecaps struggled in the hot South Carolina conditions, as the goalscoring output that brought Friday's 3-2 win at Carolina RailHawks could not be reproduced in Charleston two nights later.
With three players in Justin Moose, Takashi Hirano, and Alfredo Valente all suspended for Sunday's game, Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made two changes to his starting XI versus the Battery. Vicente Arze came into the left side of midfield for Valente, while striker Nicholas Addlery played on the right side of midfield for Vancouver. That saw Steve Kindel drop to his familiar position of left fullback in place of the suspended Hirano.
Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser, meanwhile, made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Southern Derby rivals Atlanta Silverbacks on Friday. Kevin Nylen and John Wilson replaced fellow defenders Tim Velten and Chris Corcoran in the Charleston line-up, while Darren Spicer took the place of Aaron King in attack.
With both clubs kicking off in hot and humid early evening conditions, the first half proved less than eventful for the Blackbaud fans, as both sides seemed to be feeling the effects of playing USL-1 games only two nights earlier.
© Vancouver Sun
