Match Report:

By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps FC women (2W-0L-2D) stormed to a big 4-0 away win over the expansion Santa Clarita Blue Heat (0W-2L-0D) on Thursday night, to move into a first-place tie in the United Soccer Leagues W-League Western Conference standings. Forward Melissa Tancredi scored twice to pace the Whitecaps attack, with Jodi-Ann Robinson and Sophie Schmidt adding a goal and an assist apiece.

Despite being a new team, the Blue Heat have recorded some impressive results in preseason and league play against crosstown rivals and two-time defending W-League champions Pali Blues. Santa Clarita were expected to be tough opposition, especially with Thursday's match being their home opener at the College of the Canyons Cougar Stadium. However, the Whitecaps came out quickly and took the game to their hosts.

In the opening minutes, youngster Ranee Premji tested Blue Heat goalkeeper Anjuli Ladron de Guevara with a hard shot, which produced a good diving stop from the former Mexican international.

The Blue Heat goalkeeper could do nothing about the next shot she faced, as on five minutes, Schmidt fed a great pass to Tancredi making a diagonal run, and she hit a left-footed strike into the top left-hand corner of the goal to make it 1-0.

At the other end, Whitecaps goalkeeper Stephanie Panozzo tipped away a Santa Clarita dangerous cross, then moments later, stopped a shot that was straight at her. This was Panozzo's first game of the season, as starting goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain was away in Spain with the England women's national team.

The majority of the action was in the Santa Clarita half. On 16 minutes, Robinson hit a sharp-angle shot which produced a sprawling save from Ladron de Guevara. Just past the half-hour mark, a Tancredi header was turned back with a diving stop by the Blue Heat keeper.

A decisive moment of the match came late in the first half. Blue Heat defender Justyne Freud could not contain Robinson and ended up dragging the Vancouver striker to the ground. She was shown a straight red card, reducing the home side to ten players. The foul was doubly costly, as Robinson then scored her second goal of the season from the ensuing free kick at the edge of the Santa Clarita box.

As a result, Vancouver led 2-0 at halftime.

Soon after the restart, the elusive Robinson again had the Blue Heat defence in a panic, and she was taken down, this time in the Santa Clarita box. Schmidt stepped to the spot and converted the penalty for her first goal of the year on 49 minutes.

Just four minutes later, Vancouver struck again. Tancredi got the ball from Robinson, and hit a good shot which Ladron de Guevara stopped, but the ball bounced loose in front. Tancredi showed good determination to slide in and force it over the goal line for a 4-0 Whitecaps lead. It was the Canadian international's team-leading third goal of the season.

The game continued at a fast pace, with the Whitecaps in full control and passing the ball with authority. It ended with a flurry of chances for the visitors, with Ladron de Guevara making good saves to stop Monica Lam-Feist, Kirsteen Buchan, and Schmidt from adding to the Vancouver lead.


This was easily the 'Caps best performance of the year. In fact, Thursday's victory was the biggest win for the women's team since 2007 and the biggest road win since the championship season of 2006.

The Whitecaps have little time to savour Thursday's victory, however, as they now head out of the valley down to the Los Angeles coast, where they face W-League powerhouse Pali Blues (2W-0L-2D) on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT. Vancouver will be looking to become the first team to ever defeat Pali, with first place in the Western Conference on the line.

The Whitecaps next home match is Sunday, June 27, as Pali Blues pay a visit to Langley's McLeod Athletic Park.

Scoring Summary:
5' - VAN - Melissa Tancredi (Sophie Schmidt)
42' - VAN - Jodi-Ann Robinson
49' - VAN - Sophie Schmidt (penalty)
53' - VAN - Melissa Tancredi (Jodi-Ann Robinson)

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 16 - Santa Clarita 10
Saves: Vancouver 6 - Santa Clarita 9
Fouls: Vancouver 9 - Santa Clarita 7
Corners: Vancouver 1 - Santa Clarita 0
Offsides: Vancouver 5 - Santa Clarita 0

Cautions:
26' - VAN - Melissa Tancredi

Ejections:
41' - SAC - Justyne Freud

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
27.Stephanie Panozzo; 17.Chelsea Stewart, 16.Robyn Gayle, 19.Martina Franko, 3.Shannon Woeller; 13.Sophie Schmidt, 18.Monica Lam-Feist, 20.Ranee Premji (15.Kara Lang 56'), 9.Julie Armstrong (11.Desiree Scott 53'); 10.Jodi-Ann Robinson (7.Kirsteen Buchan 58'), 14.Melissa Tancredi (6.Amy Vermeulen 56')

Subs not used: 29.Kristen Funk, 2.Emily Zurrer

Santa Clarita Blue Heat
1.Anjuli Ladron de Guevara; 8.Brooke Beeson (19.Tenley Garcia 61'), 15.Justyne Freud, 2.Shannon Omahen, 13.Kendall VanDine, 3.Marie Yempuku (7.Amanda Lisberger 61'), 6.Milan Cabrera (12.Elizabeth Lambert 45'); 5.Alba Janet Mendez (4.Katie Tarrant 41'), 11.Yvonne Northover; 9.Ambree Ako (16.Alyson Drake 45'), 10.Cherelle Khassal (14.Helena Melin 65')