Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps men returned to winning ways with a 6-0 friendly win over Prince George All-Stars on Saturday afternoon.

After a well-deserved five-day break, Teitur Thordarson's side returned to action by making a visit to northern British Columbia's largest city for a special exhibition game against a local all-star XI.

A hat-trick by striker Nicholas Addlery and a first-ever Whitecaps goal from recent signing Charles Gbeke helped the USL First Division club to a comfortable six-goal victory. Jason Jordan and Vicente Arze were also on the scoresheet for the visitors, as Vancouver warmed up for an important set of home league games next week.

On a slightly overcast and breezy day at Prince George's Glen Thompson Field, an enthusiastic local crowd saw the visiting Whitecaps take the lead as early as the eighth minute. Arze's cross from the left found Addlery at the near post and the Jamaican's header struck the back of the net for 1-0.

A minute later, Gbeke scored his first-ever goal for Vancouver, despite being in his fourth spell with the club. The former Montreal Impact forward headed home Takashi Hirano's looping cross from the left at the far post for 2-0.

Addlery proved more than a handful for the Prince George defenders, with the home side's goalkeeper needing to stop a volleyed effort from the former DC United hit-man on 14 minutes.

Two minutes later, however, Addlery scored his second goal of the game. The striker got on the end of perfectly-played through ball from Arze before breaking in on the Prince George goal and slipping his finish under the goalkeeper for 3-0.

Arze then came close to a fourth goal on 17 minutes, but the Bolivian flashed a shot over the Prince George crossbar from 20 yards out before Prince George brought a save out of Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly with a low shot three minutes later.

On 26 minutes, substitute Jordan made it 4-0, as he picked up the ball in the home side's box before rounding the Prince George keeper and slipping the ball into the back of the net.

Five minutes before the break, Addlery completed his hat-trick with another breakaway goal. The forward latched on to Arze's 30-yard ball forward before running in and finishing for a 5-0 scoreline at the break.

The second half may have seen far fewer goals than before halftime, but the visitors remained dangerous in attack. On 51 minutes, Jordan curled a shot just wide of the target before Martin Nash struck a shot over the Prince George crossbar seven minutes later.

On 62 minutes, Addlery was unfortunate not to score his fourth goal of the game. After picking up a loose ball on the halfway line, the Jamaican eluded two Prince George defenders and the goalkeeper before striking a shot towards the empty net. His strike forced a last-gasp sliding Prince George challenge to clear the danger away. Five minutes later, substitute Whitecaps goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic had to save a Prince George shot from the edge of the Vancouver box.

Luca Bellisomo was unlucky not to register his first-ever Whitecaps goal on 70 minutes, as the defender struck the Prince George crossbar with a header from a Vancouver corner before Jordan hit the home side's far post with a close-range shot three minutes later.

The final goal came on 77 minutes, as Arze got on the end of a good passing sequence in the Prince George box before finishing on the left-hand side of goal for 6-0.

There were further chances for Jordan and Alfredo Valente in the game's dying stages, but the exhibition contest ended with the Whitecaps making the most of a productive 90-minute run-out. "I think we got out of it what we wanted because this was basically our first training session after taking a break," Thordarson said of Saturday's friendly win to whitecapsfc.com. "It was a good game for us, especially our performance in the second half. Though we scored more in the first half, I felt the team was better after halftime."


The Icelandic tactician admitted that the trip to northern British Columbia was an enjoyable experience for his team. "It was a very good event here in Prince George," he said. "It was well prepared and the atmosphere during the game was great. I thought the day was very nice."

The Whitecaps will return home and prepare for a vital USL-1 encounter on Wednesday night, as they host the high-flying Charleston Battery at Swangard Stadium. Kick-off is at 7:00pm.

Goal summaries:
VAN – 8' – Nicholas Addlery (Vicente Arze)
VAN – 9' – Charles Gbeke (Takashi Hirano)
VAN – 16' - Nicholas Addlery (Vicente Arze)
VAN – 26' – Jason Jordan
VAN – 40' - Nicholas Addlery (Vicente Arze)
VAN – 77' - Vicente Arze

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 23 Prince George 2
Corners: Vancouver 7 Prince George 1

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly (77.Srdjan Djekanovic); 2.Jeff Clarke (23.Vicente Arze 79'), 4.Wesley Charles, 22.Takashi Hirano (28.Diaz Kambere 45'), 24.Lyle Martin (5.Luca Bellisomo 20'); 7.Martin Nash (22.Takashi Hirano 79'), 8.Steve Kindel (15.Omar Jarun 33'), 23.Vicente Arze (9.Alfredo Valente 45'), 25.Justin Moose (27.Stefan Leslie 45'); 11.Nicholas Addlery, 98.Charles Gbeke (26.Jason Jordan 20')