Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency saw their three-game win streak in the USL Premier Development League come to a crashing end after a 4-0 away defeat to Tacoma Tide on Saturday night.

The Tide were more like a tidal wave in the game at Curtis High School Stadium in University Place, Washington, as Tacoma hit for two quick goals within the first ten minutes. But it wasn't a one-sided contest, as the score might suggest. Whitecaps Residency battled hard to get back in the game, but simply could not convert the chances they created. Shots in the game were even at 10 for each side.

"It was one of those cases where the scoreline definitely did not reflect the game," said Residency head coach Thomas Niendorf, "everything they touched seemed to end up a goal and everything we touched didn't and stayed out of the net. We hit the post once, we hit the crossbar twice, we had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper we couldn't capitalize on, and we had a header cleared off the line."

"It was disappointing," Niendorf added, "but performance-wise, we never gave up, even when we were 3-0 down."

The Residency roster was bolstered with the addition of several players from the Whitecaps men's first team, with defender Luca Bellisomo, midfielders Admir Salihovic and Mason Webb, and forward Nick Webb all getting a start against the Tide. Also starting was forward Dever Orgill, who had just returned to the PDL roster after a spell with the USL First Division Whitecaps. Missing from the team, however, was star forward Randy Edwini-Bonsu, who had twisted an ankle in training.

All these changes to the starting eleven may have had an unsettling effect on the squad, as defensive errors soon proved costly.

In just the seventh minute of play, a poorly cleared ball from the Whitecaps defence went only as far as Tacoma winger Chase Tangney at the edge of the area, and he hit a cracking left-footer that curled into top corner of the goal to give the home side the lead.

Just three minutes later, Tacoma's Rory Agu stole the ball from Whitecaps centre back Adam Straith, and played it across for Spencer Schomaker to fire home and make it 2-0.

On 23 minutes, those two combined again, as pressure from Agu caused another poor clearance which Schomaker pounced on to make it a three-goal advantage for the Washington State club.

The Whitecaps almost pulled a goal back before halftime, as Nick Webb chipped the ball over Tacoma goalkeeper Jordan Jennings, only to see it come back off the post.

Fate dealt another unhappy blow to Whitecaps Residency - in the form of a blow to the head of Orgill, who had to leave the game in the 41st minute.

It was 3-0 to Tacoma at halftime.

The Whitecaps came out strong after the break, and had most of the game's chances, but simply couldn't buy a goal. Early in the half, Nick Webb hit the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner kick before Jennings made a brilliant save off a long-range blast from midfielder Ethan Gage. Jennings came up big again midway through the half, as Nick Webb broke in all alone, but couldn't dribble past the Tide keeper, who reacted well and grabbed the ball off Webb's bootlaces.

Even when the Whitecaps managed to beat Jennings and avoid the woodwork, they still couldn't score, as substitute Drew Russell discovered when he had a header cleared off the line by a Tacoma defender.

At the other end, Tacoma made it 4-0 on minute 65, as Tangney neatly headed in a cross from playmaker Agu for his second goal of the game.

"In the end, it was a deserved win for the opponent because they capitalized on their chances," said Niendorf afterwards.


The win moves Tacoma into a first-place tie on points with Yakima Reds in the PDL's Western Conference Northwest Division standings, as the Tide's record improves to 5-2-1. Whitecaps Residency sit third in the division at 3-1-0.

Whitecaps Residency will look to get back to winning ways next Friday night, as they host the 2-5-1 Spokane Spiders at Simon Fraser University's Terry Fox Field.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
1.Simon Thomas; 2.Greg Smith, 4.Adam Straith, 32.Luca Bellisomo, 13.William Hyde; 6.Ethan Gage, 7.Kyle Porter, 34.Admir Salihovic (14.Gagandeep Dosanjh 64'), 35.Mason Webb; 33.Nick Webb, 11.Dever Orgill (18.Drew Russell 41')

Tacoma Tide
1.Jordan Jennings; 2.Mark Lee, 12.Tucker Maxwell (8.Stephen Mohn 64'), 15.Dennis Sanchez, 19.Taylor Mueller; 3.Machael David, 6.Chase Tangney, 13.Raphael Cox, 16.Ruben Orozco; 10.Rory Agu, 21.Spencer Schomaker