Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC women (1W-0L-0D) opened their 2010 United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory at home to Colorado Force FC (0W-1L-1D) in front of an enthusiastic sold-out crowd of 1,482 at Coquitlam's Percy Perry Stadium.

Both Vancouver goals came off headers from Kaylyn Kyle free kicks, with Martina Franko giving Vancouver an initial lead before substitute Melissa Tancredi netted the winner in the 89th minute of her debut for the Blue and White. Force striker Ali Andrezejewski scored a short-lived equalizer moments before Tancredi restored the lead.

The Whitecaps were without eight players, who were away with the Canadian women's national team, which meant opportunities for several new faces. English international goalkeeper Siobahn Chamberlain was one of four players who got the start to make their Whitecaps debut. The others were Canadian international fullback Robyn Gayle, American defender Danielle Sweeney, and 18-year-old midfielder Ranee Premji from Calgary, Alberta. Making their debut as substitutes were Tancredi and 17-year-old striker Abigail Raymer, who was called up from the Whitecaps Prospects program.

New head coach Hubert Busby Jr. fielded a fluid 4-3-3 formation. Franko, who has rejoined the 'Caps after a three-year absence, anchored the backline while making her 50th start for the club. Vancouver's young midfield trio of Kyle, Premji, and Monica-Lam Feist were especially impressive.

Vancouver had the first good chance just three minutes in, as Premji on the right got the ball across to Amy Vermeulen in front and she hooked a quick shot from ten yards that forced Colorado goalkeeper Maria Del Guercio into a diving stop.

Play ebbed and flowed for most of the half, with the two teams closely matched, and neither keeper seriously tested. Midway through the opening 45 minutes, Vermeulen beat her marker on the right edge of the box, and played the ball across where Julie Armstrong could only deflect it over the crossbar. Moments later, Lam-Feist found some space after pulling a spin-o-rama to lose her marker, but her 25-yard blast sailed wide.

At the other end, the Force's best chance of the half fell to forward Christie Ehrhardt, who hit a weak shot late in the half, which Chamberlain gathered easily.

It was scoreless at the break.

The pace of the game picked up significantly in the second half. On 50 minutes, Armstrong fired a hard shot, but it was straight at Del Guercio.

Colorado then had a glorious chance to open scoring on the counter-attack, as Jamaican international Hishamar Falconer got behind the Vancouver defence to lead a two-player breakaway. Her pass to teammate Yolanda Hamilton though was a poor one, as Franko got back to intercept the ball.

On 58 minutes, Franko unleashed a good header from a Premji corner kick, which Del Guercio did well to push over the crossbar. A minute later, young Raymer used her pace to get on the end of a high ball, and stab it on goal, but the keeper made the save.

The game's opening goal came on 70 minutes following a free kick just inside the Vancouver half. Kyle launched the ball into the box, where Franko got up and neatly flicked her header into the top right corner. It was the veteran's 34th all-time goal for the Whitecaps. That gives her 87 points in her Whitecaps career to move just four points back of all-time scoring leader Amber Allen.

With ten minutes remaining, Kyle almost doubled the lead with a powerful 25-yard free kick, which was stopped only by a spectacular diving save by Del Guercio. Minutes later, Raymer beat the Force keeper to a loose ball in the box, but was unable to get a shot at the empty goal, as she was forced wide by two defenders.

Vancouver seemed to be in control of the match, but the visitors were not about to make it easy for the 'Caps. On 86 minutes, Hamilton broke into the box on the left and sent a low ball from the byline to Andrezejewski in front, where she stabbed it in from six yards out to level the score.

Moments later, Force defender Corie Moore had a chance to win it with a free header from an angle to the right, but she sent it wide of the far post, as the Percy Perry crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The winning goal was much like Vancouver's first. From near the center stripe, Kyle fired a free kick forward and Tancredi headed it home in the 89th minute. The Whitecaps players, and the appreciative crowd, celebrated wildly, as Vancouver got their W-League season off on the right foot.


Busby was delighted with the win, and with the determination his players showed after Colorado equalized, saying, "The girls showed great character to come back and get the win." He also gave credit to the boisterous crowd that filled Percy Perry Stadium. "It's a great little intimate facility to come in and play our first game, and I know it definitely helped the players having the fans behind them."

Credit for the sell-out crowd and successful home opener go in part to the match hosts, Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club. The game was part of the Whitecaps Women's Soccer Series, which brings the team's regular season home matches to five different venues throughout British Columbia. Games in Langley, Richmond, Burnaby, and Victoria are still upcoming. The series is in partnership with the Girls Metro Soccer League (GMSL) and presented by BC Hydro, Flight Centre, HUB International, and Mr. Lube.

These two teams will now play again next Sunday, June 6, at Loveland Sports Park in Fort Collins, Colorado. The match is the first of five straight away matches for the Whitecaps, who do not return home until June 27, when they face two-time W-League champions Pali Blues at Langley's McLeod Athletic Park.

Scoring Summary:
70' - VAN - Martina Franko (Kaylyn Kyle)
86' - FOR - Ali Andrezejewski (Yolanda Hamilton)
89' - VAN - Melissa Tancredi (Kaylyn Kyle)

Match Stats:
Shots: Colorado 4 - Vancouver 12
Saves: Colorado 4 - Vancouver 1
Fouls: Colorado 19 - Vancouver 13
Corners: Colorado 1 - Vancouver 6
Offsides: Colorado 3 - Vancouver 4

Cautions:
43' - VAN - Monica Lam-Feist
78' - FOR - Yolanda Hamilton
80' - VAN - Melissa Tancredi
90'+ - FOR - Lisa Franke

Colorado Force FC
0.Maria Del Guercio; 23.Anne Houliston (10.Lisa Franke 78'), 20.Corie Moore, 5.Sara Gress; 21.Hishamar Falconer, 2.Erica Griffin, 3.Julie Rezac (7.Shay Powell 62'), 12.Lisa Kosena (4.Zoe Avner 73'), 22.Yolanda Hamilton; 14.Christie Ehrhardt, 19.Ali Andrezejewski

Subs not used: 1.Liz Ruiz, 8.Ashley Braam, 16.Emmalie Pfankuch

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Siobhan Chamberlain; 21.Danielle Sweeney, 19.Martina Franko, 3.Shannon Woeller, 16.Robyn Gayle; 18.Monica Lam-Feist, 8.Kaylyn Kyle, 20.Ranee Premji (28.Natalie Boyd 84'); 6.Amy Vermeulen (31.Abigail Raymer 57'), 7.Kirsteen Buchan (14.Melissa Tancredi 67'), 9.Julie Armstrong (23.Nikki Wright 90')

Subs not used: 29.Kristen Funk, 25.Rachael Pelat, 32.Erin Uchacz