Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency got the New Year off to a winning start with a convincing 5-0 victory over Poco City men’s side on Tuesday evening. After a well deserved break over the holiday season, Thomas Niendorf’s squad returned to action for the first time in over a month, as they met their Fraser Valley Soccer League Premier Division opponents for a second time this winter in Port Coquitlam. Last month, the first meeting between the two sides resulted in an emphatic 5-1 win for Whitecaps Residency.Fully aware of the residency team’s abilities after the December 12 contest, Poco City fielded a stronger starting XI for Tuesday’s friendly at Gates Park. The changes, however, had little effect on the game’s outcome, as Poco City rarely threatened goalkeeper Simon Thomas in the Residency team’s goal.Playing a 4-4-2 formation, Whitecaps Residency took the lead after just 11 minutes when Devin Gunenc converted Kyle Porter’s cross with a first-time finish from close range. They doubled their lead when Japanese trialist, Masami Sato, converted three minutes later, as Niendorf’s side took a two-goal lead into halftime.Nine minutes after the break, Sato struck his second goal of the game to make it 3-0 before he was replaced in attack by Dever Orgill on 66 minutes.The Jamaican youth international, who had just returned from an extended break in the Caribbean on Monday, capped what was a solid team performance with two late goals. Orgill’s first strike came on 73 minutes before the 17-year-old struck his second marker two minutes later.The win takes the Residency team’s unbeaten run since last October’s trip to Germany to five games and gives the group a positive start to what will be a busy 2008 calendar. In late March, the team will to take part in the U-19 Super Group division of Dallas Cup XXIX before embarking on their inaugural campaign in the USL Premier Development League in the summer.
Whitecaps FC Residency - line-up v Poco City FC
Simon Thomas; Antonio Rago, Adam Straith, Anthony DiNicolo, Navid Mashinchi (William Hyde 45’); Kyle Porter (trialist 45’), Devin Gunenc (Ethan Gage 58’), Gagandeep Dosanjh, Alex Semenets; Marcus Johnstone (trialist 66’), Masami Sato (Dever Orgill 66’)
Subs not used
Karm Shergill (GK), Philippe Davies
