Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps women continued their rapid-fire tour of Greater Los Angeles with a 3-1 win over Ventura County Fusion on Friday night, to remain undefeated on the season after seven games.

Veteran striker Tiffeny Milbrett ended her scoring drought in a big way, as she fired in two goals while also setting up the game-winner by Sanna Talonen.

Playing their second game in three days, and with another match still to come on Sunday, coach Marc Rizzardo chose to make only minor changes from the squad that defeated the Los Angeles Legends 2-1. Forward Kirsteen Buchan made her return to the line-up, getting her first start since 2006. Meanwhile, Wednesday's scoring hero, Amy Vermeulen, dropped into midfield to replace Selenia Iacchelli.

Coach Rizzardo would make good use of his bench in the second half, however, with three players coming on to make their Whitecaps debut. The Whitecaps controlled play from the outset, and took an early lead. Just six minutes in, the ball was dropped back to Milbrett, who hit a screamer into the top right corner of the net for her first goal of the season.

The Whitecaps made it 2-0 on sixteen minutes, as Milbrett fed a through ball to Talonen, who got around the goalkeeper and then fired in her second goal on the season.

Milbrett completed the first-half routon minute 42, as she received a nice pass from German fullback Katrin Schmidt before firing home for her second of the game.

Vancouver almost added another goal before time ran out in the first half, as Kirsteen Buchan slammed a shot off the goalpost. It remained 3-0 at the break.

At the start of the second half, the Whitecaps brought on midfielder Melissa Mobilio - cousin of scoring legend Domenic Mobilio - for her first league action with the team. She was the first of three substitutes to make their Whitecaps debut, as she would be followed by defender Diane Rizzardo and midfielder Lauren Lachlan.

The home side rarely threatened during the match, but did manage to pull a goal back on minute 69, scoring with a header from Kasey Moore after Catherine Calvert played over a corner kick. That ruined the shutout bid for Whitecaps goalkeeper Sian Bagshawe, but there was never any doubt during the second half as to the outcome of this game.


"It ended up with us having an extremely young team on the field and the girls played well," said Rizzardo, adding, "We're ready for Sunday."

With this result their fourth straight win, the Whitecaps move to 5-0-2 on the year for 17 points, to take top spot in the W-League Western Conference ahead of the 5-0-0 Pali Blues.

The 'Caps now face the powerful Pali Blues side in back-to-back encounters, with games on Sunday in Los Angeles, and then the rematch the following Sunday, June 22, at Swangard Stadium. These two games may well decide Vancouver's playoff fate, as only two teams from the Western Conference will reach the post-season.

Scoring Summaries:
6' - VAN - 1-0 -Tiffeny Milbrett (Kirsteen Buchan)
As the ball was dropped back to Milbrett, the former USA international hit a screamer into the top right-hand corner of the net for her first goal of the season.

16' - VAN - 2-0 - Sanna Talonen (Tiffeny Milbrett)
Milbrett fed a through ball to Finnish international striker Talonen, who got around the Fusion goalkeeper and fired in her second goal on the season.

41' - VAN - 3-0 - Tiffeny Milbrett (Katrin Schmidt)
Milbrett completed a first-half rout, as she received a nice pass from German fullback Katrin Schmidt before firing home for her second of the game for a three-goal lead.

69' - VCF - 3-1 - Kasey Moore (Cathrine Calvert)
Ventura county pulled a goal when Moore converted Catherine Calvert's corner kick with her head to make it 3-1.

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 13 – Ventura County 4
Saves: Vancouver 2 – Ventura County 5
Fouls: Vancouver 7 – Ventura County 5
Offsides: Vancouver 11 – Ventura County 0
Corners: Vancouver 3 – Ventura County 3

Cautions:
Vancouver: none
Ventura County: Patricia Coghlan 73'

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
27.Sian Bagshawe; 6.Rachael Pelat (3.Diane Rizzardo 83'), 10.Katrin Schmidt,17.Eden Hingwing, 18.Chelsea Stang; 4.Amy Vermeulen (19.Anoop Josan 71'), 7.Rosalyn Hicks, 15.Caitlin Davie (16.Melissa Mobilio 45'); 14.Sanna Talonen (12.Mallory Outerbridge 58'), 25.Tiffeny Milbrett, 29.Kirsteen Buchan (21.Lauren Lachlan 83')

Subs not used: 00.Kasia Gwaizda

Ventura County Fusion
00.Tammy Lenham (0.Kathryn Maxwell 45'); 3.Kaitlin Gibson (16.Lauren Bustos 45'), 6.Danielle Russell, 13.Kasey Johnson, 14.Kasey Moore; 15.Ashley Copp, 20.Emily Wynne, 24.Catherine Calvert; 9.Jennifer Lilley (17.Patricia Coghlan 45'), 18.Katie Osborne (22.Sienna Kluck-Escoto 75'), 19.Megan Ohai