Pro Game: Caps Give Up Late Goal To Tie Atlanta
Posted on Saturday, September 08 @ 20:08:56 EDT by rhi |
|
Atlanta Silverbacks - 1
Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
September 7, 2007
Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC
Attendance: 5,347
Vancouver Whitecaps were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by Atlanta Silverbacks on Friday evening.
The goals came late at Swangard Stadium, as Tony Donatelli looked to have given the Whitecaps victory with a header on 81 minutes. However, a fine 88th-minute strike by Tony McManus earned Atlanta a point from their final regular-season game and a fourth-place finish in the USL First Division standings.
Whitecaps head coach Bob Lilley made three changes to the side that started the 1-0 win over Minnesota Thunder on August 30, with striker Eddy Sebrango making his first start since the 1-1 draw at Charleston Battery back on June 30. He was partnered alongside former Atlanta forward Jason McLaughlin in the Whitecaps attack, with Josh Hansen suspended for Friday’s game after picking up a fifth yellow card against Minnesota, while Alen Marcina had to do with a place on the substitutes’ bench. Captain Jeff Clarke returned from a groin problem to replace Alfredo Valente in midfield.
Silverbacks head coach Jason Smith, meanwhile, made four changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Montreal Impact on Wednesday night. Ryan McIntosh replaced Felipe Quintero in goal, while David Hayes came into the visitors’ backline for Tweety Walters. Chilean playmaker Rodrigo Rios replaced Bolivian Luis Liendo in midfield, and Jamaican forward Machel Millwood replaced former Whitecaps striker Daniel Antoniuk in attack. Millwood was partnered up front by fellow Jamaican international and Atlanta native Warren Ukah.
A beautiful early September evening greeted a standing-room only crowd of 5,347, with Opposition Leader Stephane Dion also in attendance on Friday night. They saw a bright opening to the first half, with the Whitecaps creating the first chance of the game on seven minutes.
Sebrango’s ability to provide quality lay-offs was evident when the Cuban goalscorer set up Donatelli, and his fierce strike forced McIntosh into a fine diving save.
Atlanta, meanwhile, offered little in terms of attacking endeavour during the opening 45 minutes, but midfielder Kevin Barrow caused a bit of panic in the Whitecaps box with a dangerous cross in from the right that eventually spilled out for a goal kick.
Sebrango’s recent lack of fortune in front of goal continued on 16 minutes, as the big forward was unable to connect with Clarke’s decent low cross from the right byline after midfielder Martin Nash had found the Vancouver captain in the Atlanta box with a forward ball.
Donatelli was again unlucky not to find the target with a rising drive on 27 minutes, with Clarke then forced to leave Friday’s contest with a leg injury, as Valente replaced him in midfield seconds later.
Much of the first half saw the Whitecaps use patient play in possession, but faced a resilient Atlanta defensive set-up. In fact, the Silverbacks caused another moment of concern in the Whitecaps box just before the end of the half, as Rios’ first-time shot went just wide after he connected with Whitecaps goalkeeper Matt Nelson’s punched clearance from David Hayes’ free kick on the right.
It was the Whitecaps that finished the half in the ascendancy, with Donatelli unlucky to latch on properly to Lyle Martin’s fine cross from the right in the Atlanta box before the Vancouver midfielder found the back of the Silverbacks net seconds later, but the midfielder was adjudged to be offside after picking up Valente’s mis-struck shot in the box.
In first-half stoppage time, Brazilian Ze Roberto was given time and space to have a crack at goal from the edge of Atlanta’s box, but his shot skimmed the outside of McIntosh’s net, as both sides went to the halftime break goalless.
The second half saw Lilley make an early change in his attack, as Jason Jordan replaced Sebrango on 53 minutes, but it was Atlanta that went closest to taking the lead on the hour mark.
Nelson did brilliantly to stop Millwood’s close-range header after Hayes played a dangerous free kick into the Whitecaps box. On 63 minutes, Hayes himself tested the on-loan Harrisburg City Islanders keeper with a curling free-kick effort that the Vancouver number one tipped over his own crossbar.
On 67 minutes, Donatelli went closer to the target when he hit the post with a low shot before McIntosh made a crucial point-blank save from McLaughlin on the rebound, as Atlanta dodged a major bullet.
Five minutes later, Kindel created two headed opportunities for McLaughlin and Donatelli, but both players failed to test McIntosh with their efforts. Donatelli’s frustrations in front of goal continued moments later, as he crossed wires with Valente in trying to convert home another dangerous Kindel cross from the left-hand byline.
The game remained well poised at 0-0 on 80 minutes when Atlanta came really close to scoring, as Millwood forced a goal-line save from Nelson after Atlanta substitute Luis Liendo played in a dangerous low cross from the left.
The Silverbacks paid the price for not taking the lead, as Donatelli finally got it right in front of goal a minute later. The midfielder was left unmarked at the far post to head home Nash’s cross from the right to make it 1-0.
The joy of the Whitecaps fans seeing their side taking the lead would only last seven minutes, as Atlanta broke Vancouver’s hearts when McManus got on the end of a loose ball in the Whitecaps box before unleashing a fine strike past Nelson for 1-1.
It was an important goal for the Silverbacks, as fourth place was in sight for the Georgia-based club, and despite Ze Roberto hitting McIntosh’s side-netting in stoppage time, the game ended in a disappointing stalemate for the Whitecaps.
With their regular season campaign now at an end, the Silverbacks will await the remain weekend results before knowing who their first-round opponent will be in next week’s playoffs. The Whitecaps, meanwhile, will hope to claim a win when they host Portland Timbers in their final regular-season game on Sunday afternoon.
Scoring Summary
81' Vancouver 1-0 Tony Donatelli (Martin Nash)
Nash on the right crosses to Donatelli who powers in the header for his fourth goal of the season.
88' Atlanta 1-1 Tony McManus
McManus battles well for a loose ball at the top of the Vancouver box, makes space for a shot, then fires in a hard low shot just inside the right post from 16 yards.
Stats Van-Atl
Shots: 11-8
Saves: 3-2
Fouls: 19-16
Offsides: 5-4
Corners: 4-4
Referee: Mathieu Bourdeau
Cautions: Vancouver - Zé Roberto 35', McLaughlin 89' :: Atlanta - Buete 70'
Vancouver Whitecaps
1.Matt Nelson; 3.Steve Klein, 4.Adrian Cann, 8.Steve Kindel, 24.Lyle Martin; 2.Jeff Clarke (9.Alfredo Valente 27', 28.Diaz Kambere 85'), 7.Martin Nash, 14.Tony Donatelli, 17.Zé Roberto; 12.Eduardo Sebrango (26.Jason Jordan 53'), 15.Jason McLaughlin
subs not used
30.Richard Goddard, 6.Jay Alberts, 11.Alen Marcina, 20.Dave Morris
Atlanta Silverbacks
22.Ryan McIntosh; 5.David Hayes, 6.Matt Bobo, 19.Martyn Lancaster, 26.Omar Jarun (17.Alvin Hudson 89'); 2.Scott Buete (18.Luis Liendo 73'), 11.Rodrigo Rios, 12.Tony McManus, 21.Kevin Barrow (8.Angel Rivillo 78'); 15.Warren Ukah (9.Daniel Antoniuk 76'), 23.Machel Millwood (20.Tweety Walters 89')
subs not used
1.Felipe Quintero, 7.Dayton O’Brien
|
| |
 |
Related Links |
 |
|
|
Article Rating |
|
|
|
Options |
|
|
|
