Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps men suffered their first away defeat of the season after falling 3-0 to Rochester Rhinos on Friday evening.

Two goals by Mauricio Salles led the Rhinos to only their second win of the season, with Johnny Menyongar scoring a decisive second goal just seconds after the start of the second half. The result not only ended Vancouver's undefeated run on the road, it also saw them concede their first three goals in an away match this term.

Both sides also had a player sent off in the game at PAETEC Park, as Alfredo Valente received a second yellow card early in the second half before Rochester's John Ball also received his marching orders for throwing a punch into the face of Whitecaps midfielder Steve Kindel.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson kept faith with the side that turned around last Saturday's game at home to Portland Timbers. Striker Jason Jordan and midfielder Valente made a huge impact in the 3-1 victory at Swangard Stadium last weekend, and the experienced pair were rewarded with a start in Upstate New York. Last Saturday's starters Nicholas Addlery and Vicente Arze both had to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench. Rhinos head coach Darren Tilley, meanwhile, introduced former Aston Villa youngster Danny Earls to his starting midfield, while former Whitecaps midfielder Ze Roberto also lined up to face his former club on Friday.

Both sets of players had to wait nearly two hours for the game to begin, as inclement weather in and around PAETEC Park forced a lengthy delay to the second clash of the season between both clubs.

Once action got under way, it was Rochester that had the lions share of the play in the opening 45 minutes, with three Whitecaps players in Omar Jarun, Lyle Martin, and Valente finding referee Joe Caroccio's notebook within the first half hour of play.

One of the busiest Whitecaps players in the first half was goalkeeper Jay Nolly, as he was called on as early as the 10th minute to make a fine save from Salles' close-range header after Earls found the Brazilian attacker in the Whitecaps box.

Despite having played 120 minutes of Lamar Hunt US Open Cup soccer on Tuesday night, the Rhinos were hungry to claim their second league win of the season, with Tiger Fitzpatrick trying an ambitious long-range effort from a Rhinos free kick that flew high over Nolly's crossbar on 27 minutes.

Then on 32 minutes, Rochester stunned the USL-1 leaders with a deflected opening goal from Salles. Ze Roberto fed his fellow Brazilian before his strike deflected off the foot of Jarun and beat a sprawling Nolly for 1-0.

The goal spurred Tilley's side to look for more goals, and two minutes later, Nolly had to come to the rescue of the Whitecaps by making two more good stops from Salles at close range.

Though a goal down, Thordarson's side worked their way back into the contest with some late chances of their own. On 38 minutes, Jason Jordan set up Eduardo Sebrango with a clear opportunity, but Rhinos goalkeeper Scott Vallow did well to stop the Cuban hit-man with a diving save. At the other end, Martin made a fine defensive block from former Portland Timbers defender Luke Kreamalmeyer's close-range shot.

On 43 minutes, Kindel brought another fine diving save out of Vallow with a low strike before the last chance of the half fell to Rochester's Ze Roberto, as he struck an excellent drive that deflected off the top of Nolly's crossbar and over for a goal kick.

The Whitecaps were determined to regroup and make a positive start to the second half a goal down, but things took a turn for the worse for Vancouver right from the restart.

Vallow's long ball forward found Salles, and his neat flick freed Menyongar in the Whitecaps box. The talented Liberian struck a first-time shot past Nolly to give the Rhinos a 2-0 lead.

Moments later, the visitors were reduced to ten men, as Valente amazingly received a second yellow card for what looked to be an innocuous challenge on Kreamalmeyer along the Rochester byline. The midfielder looked far from pleased with referee Caroccio's decision, as he walked off to the Whitecaps dressing room.

Two goals behind and a man down, Vancouver tried their best to find a way back into the contest on 51 minutes, but Vallow did brilliantly to stop Sebrango's header from captain Martin Nash's driven cross from the left.

One of Thordarson's second half substitutions was the return of Takasho Hirano at left fullback for Diaz Kambere on the hour mark. The Japanese defender made his first return to action after missing the last six games with a knee injury.

His introduction failed to inspire a comeback, as Salles completed a fine night with his second goal of the game on 62 minutes. Ze Roberto was again in on the play, as he lofted the ball into his fellow South American before the former Montreal Impact player finished with aplomb for 3-0.

The eventful contest at PAETEC Park took another twist on 66 minutes, as the Rhinos lost their man advantage when Ball was sent off after striking Kindel's face, as the two challenged for the ball along the sidelines.

Though they have struggled for much of the 2008 campaign, Rochester looked to be the side that was leading the league by Friday's performance. On 81 minutes, Salles was denied a hat-trick after Nolly did brilliantly to tip his fine strike over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Menyongar had a great chance to get his second goal of the game, but Nolly stopped him in the Vancouver box.


Friday proved to be a night to forget for Thordarson, who was disappointed by his side's effort in Upstate New York. "I'm very unsatisfied with our performance tonight, as it was definitely the worst game that we have played this season," he told whitecapsfc.com. "We made far too many mistakes tonight and we got punished for them. I can assure you that everybody here is disappointed."

Though it was disappointing night all around for the USL-1 leaders, Vancouver remain top of the standings after Charleston Battery also fell to defeat on Friday. Montreal Impact recorded their first goal and win at their new Saputo Stadium to see off the second-place South Carolina club 1-0.

It is to province of Quebec where Thordarson's side will look to recover from Friday's defeat, as they embark on their quest to make the CONCACAF Champions League when they visit the Impact for a second time this season in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship on Tuesday evening. Rochester, meanwhile, will await the visit of Carolina RailHawks to PAETEC Park next Friday evening, June 20. "We got banged up here in Rochester with some injuries, so we will have to see how that turns out for us in Montreal on Tuesday," Thordarson said ahead of their next game. "It's obvious that Montreal’s win will have them very focused on the game against us. I expect that we will recover and be in the same mindset, as we want to win that game."

Goal Summary:
32' - ROC - 0-1 - Mauricio Salles (Ze Roberto)
Ze Roberto fed his fellow Brazilian Salles in the Whitecaps half before hitting a shot that deflected off the foot of Whitecaps centre back Omar Jarun before beating a sprawling Jay Nolly for 1-0.

46' - ROC - 0-2 - Johnny Menyongar (Mauricio Salles)
Rhinos goalkeeper Scott Vallow sent a long ball forward to Salles. His neat flick freed Menyongar in the Whitecaps box and allowed the Liberian to strike a first-time shot past Nolly to give the Rhinos a two-goal lead.

62' - ROC - 0-3 - Mauricio Salles (Ze Roberto)
Ze Roberto lofted the ball into his fellow the path of fellow Brazilian Salles before the former Montreal Impact forward finished with aplomb to make it 3-0.

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 12 – Rochester 15
Saves: Vancouver 6 – Rochester 4
Fouls: Vancouver 9 – Rochester 10
Offsides: Vancouver 4 – Rochester 0
Corners: Vancouver 9 – Rochester 4

Cautions:
Vancouver: Omar Jarun 18', Alfredo Valente 24' and 47', Lyle Martin 28', Steve Kindel 65'
Rochester: none

Ejections:
Vancouver: Alfredo Valente 47'
Rochester: John Ball 66'

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 15.Omar Jarun (27.Stefan Leslie 83'), 19.Chris Pozniak, 24.Lyle Martin, 28.Diaz Kambere (22.Takashi Hirano 60'); 7.Martin Nash, 8.Steve Kindel, 9.Alfredo Valente 47', 25.Justin Moose (14.Tony Donatelli 68'); 26.Jason Jordan (11.Nicholas Addlery 68'), 16.Eduardo Sebrango (23.Vicente Arze 53')

Subs not used: 3.Nick Webb, 77.Srdjan Djekanovic

Rochester Rhinos
24.Scott Vallow; 2.Nate Craft (3.Leigh Sembaluk 37'), 13.John Ball 66', 17.Scott Palguta, 23.Alfonso Loera; 4.Luke Kreamalmeyer, 6.Tiger Fitzpatrick, 10.Johnny Menyongar (11.Hamed Diallo 89'),  15.Ze Roberto, 16.Danny Earls (21.Evan Milward 79'), 8.Mauricio Salles (9.Matthew Delicate 82')

Subs not used:
32.Chase Harrison, 5.Juan Pablo Reyes, 20.Chad Severs