Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC women downed the visiting Real Colorado Cougars 2-1 at Coquitlam's Percy Perry Stadium Sunday afternoon, to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Kirsteen Buchan netted the second-half winner, after assisting on Jodi-Ann Robinson's first-half opener, to send 1,317 fans home happy. The Whitecaps are on a two-match winning streak in the USL W-League - their longest of the season.

Whitecaps head coach Alan Koch made no changes from the 4-3-3 formation that defeated Ventura County Fusion on Canada Day. This was a critical match for Vancouver as well as Real Colorado, with both sides needing a win to keep pressure on Seattle Sounders women in the W-League Western Conference playoff race.

The Cougars had the better of the early play, but neither side was able to generate a good scoring chance inside the first twenty minutes. Play soon opened up though, and on 22 minutes, Real Colorado forward Beth West tested Sian Bagshawe with a low shot, but the Whitecaps keeper was equal to it.

A minute later, the 'Caps opened the scoring, as Buchan did well to hold the ball at the top of the Cougars box before playing it to Robinson. The Canadian international then curled a shot inside the right post from 20 yards out for her seventh goal of the season. The strike also extended Robinson's goalscoring streak to four matches.

Two minutes later, off a Katie Thorlakson free kick, Randee Hermus flicked a header, which Cougars goalkeeper Taylor Vancil went to ground to stop at the near post.

Real Colorado then drew level on 27 minutes from a corner. Beth West took the set-piece on the left and Kellyn Farrell got up well to head the ball home from eight yards out.

Both goalkeepers made good saves in the final minutes of the first half. On 43 minutes, a blast from Buchan in the Cougars box was well held by Vancil before Bagshawe stopped a hard shot from Rebecca Mays two minutes later.

It was 1-1 at the break, following an evenly-played opening 45 minutes.

The Whitecaps came out strong after the interval, creating chance after chance. On 47 minutes, Moscato turned well in midfield, then sent Robinson chasing a through ball, but Vancil came out quickly and just barely won the race for the ball. A minute later, Moscato blasted a shot just over the crossbar from 20 yards.

The 'Caps regained the lead on a goal that seemed to come from nothing. Thorlakson pumped a long ball into the Cougars box, which Buchan battled for and won. She then slotted her shot past Vancil from 10 yards out for 2-1 on 50 minutes. It was the striker's third goal of the season.

Real Colorado almost equalized on the hour mark, as Karter Haug's hard shot from inside the Vancouver box on the right rattled off the underside of the crossbar and stayed out.

On the counter-attack, Moscato pushed it ahead to Buchan in the visitors' box, and she stabbed her shot on net, forcing a spectacular diving save from Vancil.

Real Colorado were applying good pressure, keeping Vancouver pinned in their own end. This was the third game in eight days for the home side, and it was showing. "You could tell the legs were very heavy toward the end and we were hanging on," said Koch, "but give the players credit, they dug down deep and grinded out the result."

The Cougars came close again on 76 minutes, as West went for goal with an inswinging free kick from the left, which had Bagshawe in trouble, but hit the crossbar. In the ensuing scramble, Elle Sweeney cracked a shot from the edge of the box, but Bagshawe dived to her left to push it wide.

The Whitecaps had weathered the storm, and were the stronger side in the closing minutes. Vancil made a good diving save to stop Robinson's crisp shot from just inside the area on 81 minutes. Finally on 85 minutes, Robinson sent a great through ball to Chelsea Buckland, but her point-blank shot struck Vancil in the head.


Goalscorer Buchan was thrilled to get the much-needed win, in the unfamiliar but picturesque confines of Percy Perry Stadium. "It was our last home game, and we've been craving wins all season," said Buchan, "so anywhere we win is good, especially in front of a loud and supportive crowd like that."

Koch credited Real Colorado's playing skills, saying, "they have the ability to knock it around and, at times, I think they did a better job than we did." He then explained that it was his side's ability to adapt that was key. "We chose to be a little more direct and that's how the second goal came. You have to have the ability to play in different ways and change it up."

The victory saw the Whitecaps improve to 3W-2L-5D for 14 points to move back into third place in the Western Conference standings - two points ahead of Real Colorado and one point back of Seattle. This is the first time this season that the Whitecaps have held a winning record. Real Colorado, meanwhile, drop to 3W-5L-3D, leaving them all but mathematically eliminated from postseason play.

"Before the last game, we spoke to the players and said we've got four games left and we have to win all four to make the playoffs," said Koch. "Give the players credit, we won the last two games. Now we've got a huge trip to Colorado."

The Whitecaps final two regular season matches are on the road and at altitude. On Friday, July 17, they face Colorado Force FC in Fort Collins, Colorado. Their regular season wraps up on Sunday, July 19, in a rematch with Real Colorado in Denver.

Scoring Summary:
23’ – VAN – Jodi-Ann Robinson (Kirsteen Buchan)
27' - RCC – Kellyn Farrell (Beth West)
50' - VAN – Kirsteen Buchan (Katie Thorlakson)

Match Stats:
Shots: Real Colorado 14 - Vancouver 15
Saves: Real Colorado 7 - Vancouver 4
Fouls: Real Colorado 10 - Vancouver 16
Offsides: Real Colorado 3 - Vancouver 3
Corners: Real Colorado 5 - Vancouver 1

Cautions:
64’ – VAN – Chelsea Stewart
82’ – RCC – Rebecca Mays

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Sian Bagshawe; 3.Shannon Woeller, 8.Rachael Pelat, 11.Randee Hermus, 16 Katie Thorlakson (19.Eden Hingwing 61’); 13.Chelsea Stewart (22.Rosalyn Hicks 90’, 7.Ashley McGhee 90’) 18.Monica Lam-Feist (17.Kim McMullen 80’), 29.Carmelina Moscato; 4.Kirsteen Buchan (25.Chelsea Buckland 75’), 6.Amy Vermeulen, 10.Jodi-Ann Robinson (2.Kate Qually 89’)

Subs not used: 27.Stephanie Panozzo

Real Colorado Cougars
1.Taylor Vancil; 4.Kerstyn Farrell, 8.Emily Stewart (2.Kathryn Schubert 89'), 15.Elle Sweeney, 17.Brittney MacDonald; 6.Kellyn Farrell, 7.Nicole Lukens, 14.Taryn Hemmings, 16.Karter Haug; 3.Rebecca Mays (20.Brianna Pugh 86'), 10. Beth West

Subs not used: Briana Schulze