Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps women opened their USL W-League season with a dramatic 2-2 draw against the expansion Ventura County Fusion on Saturday night at Swangard Stadium.

All the goals came in the final 12 minutes of a see-saw match, as the Whitecaps took the lead through Jonelle Filigno, then threw it away, and then battled back for a dramatic injury-time equalizer by defender Emily Zurrer.

This is very much a new-look Whitecaps for 2008, and new in more ways than one. This game saw nine teenagers in the Vancouver starting eleven, and six more on the bench. Despite their youth, the starters included a good deal of both W-League and international experience, with several current members of the Canadian national team. With plenty of attacking options, Whitecaps head coach Bob Birarda opted for an offence-minded 4-3-3 formation. Seven players made their Whitecaps debut as the match kicked off, with Filigno and Julie Armstrong up front, Monica-Lam Feist in midfield, Allysha Chapman, Shannon Woeller, and Lexi Marton on defence, and former Ottawa Fury star Erin McNulty in goal.

Both teams had chances in the opening minutes, but failed to get their shots on target. Lam-Feist sent shots wide of the mark at minutes six and seven, while at the other end, Emily Wynne had several shots, including a 19th minute effort that went over the bar.

The Whitecaps pace on the flanks cause the visitors problems, with 17-year-old forward Filigno, a rising star with the Canadian national team, looking dangerous on the left, and 19-year-old Jodi-Ann Robinson, also of the national team, positioned wide right.

It was Robinson who had Vancouver's best chance of the first half, as on 41 minutes, veteran Tiffeny Milbrett flicked the ball ahead neatly for Robinson to chase. Her speed took her past the last defender, but her aim let her down, as she fired the ball wide to the left. That was a common problem for the Whitecaps in the first half, as two minutes later, Milbrett also shot wide left after good work by Filigno down the right to set her up.

It was scoreless at the break, with both teams having had chances. Vancouver brought on two more new signings at the interval in midfielders Tina Romagnuolo and Chelsea Stewart. Ventura County almost opened scoring on 63 minutes, and again it was Emily Wynne, as she won the ball at the top of the area and forced a good save from 'Caps goalkeeper McNulty with a quick shot.

The Whitecaps pressure began to mount as the half continued. As Birarda explained, "It was a very nervous start for us today, but 15 minutes into the second half, we started to get going."

And going they did. From a Milbrett corner on 75 minutes, a header from Zurrer was cleared off the line by defender Brianna Caceras. A minute later and Fusion keeper Joslyn Slovek made a fine diving save to push wide a 22-yard blast from Vancouver's Lam-Feist.

Finally on 78 minutes, the breakthrough came. Another Milbrett corner from the left saw Marton force a save from Slovek before Filigno rammed the rebound home from in close.

Marton was one of many new players to impress. Last season's Toronto Lady Lynx captain enjoyed her first game as a Whitecap and spoke highly of the standard of play. "I think the Whitecaps play at a different level," the centre back told whitecapsfc.com. "The Western Conference seems to be played at a quicker pace, so I enjoyed contributing to the standard of play tonight. I played against some great W-League teams back east, but I find the game is a bit quicker here."

The game seemed to be all Whitecaps now. Two minute after the goal, Filigno set up Milbrett in great position in front, but the veteran striker uncharacteristically fired wide. "I would like to have the one Jonelle slotted across to me back," she explained afterwards. "We are just starting out playing together and this is my first meaningful match I've had in nine months, so I've got to give myself a chance to get the legs and chemistry back."

Suddenly though, the chemistry went all wrong for the home side, as the visitors struck for two quick goals, both coming from defensive mistakes. On 83 minutes, a Fusion cross from the right skipped through the hands of McNulty, hit a Whitecaps defender, and dropped at the feet of substitute Garcia, who fired in a shock equalizer. Three minute later, Wynne broke down the left and though her cross sailed past the far post, it was unintentionally hooked back in front by a Whitecaps defender, and again fell for Garcia to fire home.

"We made two mistakes in the penalty area tonight," said Birarda, "so we gave up some goals. It's unfortunate because I thought we had finally found some attacking rhythm for about 15 minutes in the second half, and I thought we were going to get a couple more goals. You've got some really young and nervous players in the back. They are young players, so they may not have been communicating with each other. We're going to have to live with some mistakes like that this season."

The young players didn't say die however. Pushing forward into injury time, it was two of the relative veterans on the squad who combined for a glorious equalizer. Robinson on the left looped a cross that Zurrer met in the air and sent a crisp header into the net, to send the crowd home happy.


The veteran Milbrett knows that there are no easy games in this league. "Give credit to Ventura," she remarked, "they came here and made us move around by passing the ball and keeping possession. We need to be well organized as a defensive unit first before we can move forward. We can only build on that, but our opponents will become tougher and tougher every game now."

Though disappointed to have given up the late goal, Ventura head coach Michelle Myers seemed happy with the result, as the Fusion earned their first point and goals in three starts. "I hope the fans got the price of the ticket on tonight's contest," she said. "We've been tying to put things together and we still have a long ways to go, but we’re very pleased with our performance tonight. Tenley Garcia did a great job to muscle in those two goals, while Emily Wynne gave it her all up front for 90 minutes. This is a wonderful venue. Being here in Vancouver and around the likes of Tiffeny Milbrett and various Canadian national team players, we knew it was going to be tough."

Vancouver's next game is Friday, May 23, against another California expansion team in Los Angeles Legends in the opening match of a men's & women's doubleheader, with the women's game starting at 5pm at Swangard. The Fusion, meanwhile, will have two weeks before visiting southern California rivals Pali Blues on Saturday, May 31.

Scoring Summaries:
78' - 1-0 Vancouver - Jonelle Filigno (Lexi Marton)
Tiffeny Milbrett's corner kick from the left was neatly redirected on goal by Marton, and after goalkeeper Joslyn Slovek blocked it on the line, Filigno hammered in the rebound from in close.

83' - 1-1 - Tenley Garcia
Emily Wynne's cross from the left slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Erin McNulty, hit a Whitecaps defender, and dropped in front of goal, where Garcia was first to it to hit the empty net. It was the Fusion's first-ever goal as a W-League club.

88' - 2-1 Ventura County - Tenley Garcia
Emily Wynne broke down the left and sent a cross to the far post, where a Whitecaps defender tried to hook the ball away, but instead played it back in front, where Garcia volleyed it in.

90'+ 2-2 - Emily Zurrer (Jodi-Ann Robinson)
Robinson beat her marker down the right and fired a high cross in front, where Zurrer rose above everybody and sent a header into the bottom right corner. It was the centre back's first goal as a Whitecaps player.

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 16 – Ventura County 10
Saves: Vancouver 4 – Ventura County 6
Fouls: Vancouver 6 – Ventura County 4
Offsides: Vancouver 7 – Ventura County 5
Corners: Vancouver 1 – Ventura County 2

Cautions:
Vancouver: Milbrett 62’
Ventura County: none

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Erin McNulty; 2.Emily Zurrer, 3.Shannon Woeller, 4.Lexi Marton, 19.Allysha Chapman (23.Tina Romagnuolo 45’); 8.Kaylyn Kyle (11.Selenia Iacchelli 60’), 18.Monica Lam-Feist, 22.Jodi-Ann Robinson; 9.Julie Armstrong (13.Chelsea Stewart 45’), 15.Jonelle Filigno, 25.Tiffeny Milbrett

Subs not used: 26.Justine Bernier, 6.Myriam Bouchard, 17.Eden Hingwing, 20.Rheanne Sleiman

Ventura County Fusion
1.Joslyn Slovek; 3.Brianna Caceres, 5.Brandi Young, 13.Kasey Johnson, 15.Ashley Copp; 12.Katie Suits (4.Alie Avina 77’), 17.Patricia Coghlan (2.Kylie McDonald 33’, 23.Dylann Tharp 77’ ), 24.Catherine Calvert, 27.Shari Nishikawa; 20.Emily Wynne, 25.Jamie Bell (18.Katie Osborne 33’, 11. Tenley Garcia 76’)

Subs not used: 22.Sienna Kluck-Escoto