No matter the level, Vancouver Whitecaps seem to make it hard for themselves in Cascadia derby matches.
The PDL Whitecaps had to settle for a 3-3 draw against Seattle Sounders U23’s tonight, in a thrilling match at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.
Despite dominating the game, the Caps found themselves having to battle back from 3-1 down to earn a share of the spoils, in the first football match played at the newly renovated baseball stadium in over 35 years.
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Vancouver set out their attacking intentions early when Ben Fisk blasted over in the second minute.
Callum Irving saw his first action of the match a minute later, turning a Sounders effort around the post for a corner.
As the players awaited the corner to be taken, there was concern amongst the Caps ranks as Caleb Clarke went to ground with what looked like a hamstring problem.
The stadium PA people saw the immediate chance for a plug for one of their sponsors, announcing that MVP Physical Therapy were your number one choice for sports injuries!
Thankfully Caleb didn’t need their attention and was soon back up running around.
The Caps had a chance to break the deadlock in the 13th minute.
Gagandeep Dosanjh played a neat pass through to Ben Fisk, who turned his marker before firing straight at Seattle keeper Doug Herrick.
Two minutes later, Vancouver did get the opening goal, when Dosanjh turned in a low cross from the right from close range.
The Caps kept pressing and Clarke put Fisk through in the 17th minute, but Herrick got down to his low drive.
Herrick was becoming the busiest man on the park and he had to be alert again a minute later to smother a Yassin Essa effort, after the Cap had been put clean through on goal.
The keeper came to the Sounders rescue again in the 25th minute when he acrobatically stopped a deflected Fisk shot.
Vancouver were dominating possession, and the match, and were the only attacking force.
Dosanjh nearly grabbed his, and the Caps’, second in the 27th minute when he ran at the Sounders defence, twisted and turned, and unleashed a fierce strike which crashed off the bar.
Seattle had a great chance to level things up in the 34th minute.
Fernando Monge was sent clear on the right and whipped in a perfect ball across the face of the goal but Sean Okoli was just inches away from getting something on it, when any touch would have taken the ball past Irving.
With six minutes of the half remaining, and completely against the run of play, Seattle tied the game up.
Aodhan Quinn played a short pass inside to Luis Esteves, who curled a beauty past Irving into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Vancouver went up the pitch and nearly retook the lead immediately, but Essa’s shot was scrambled off the line and the danger cleared.
Despite their dominance, Vancouver came close to finding themselves going in to the break a goal down.
A long ball forward to Okoli saw the Sounders striker do well to hold off the attentions of two Caps defenders before managing to get off a shot which flashed just wide of the right hand post.
It was one of the best halfs of football you are likely to see from a Whitecaps side this season, but as is always the case, it all counts for nothing if you can’t turn your dominance and chances into goals, and Vancouver were soon to be punished for their failings to do just that.
Seattle took the lead two minutes into the second half.
Quinn hit a superb swerving shot from 25 yards out, which wrong footed Irving and although the Caps goalie managed to get a hand on it, he was unable to keep it out.
The Whitecaps tried to get their groove back and Adam Polakiewicz had a good run up the left wing in the 49th minute, but his cross-come-chip-shot ended up on the roof of the net.
The Sounders nearly made it three two minutes later, when a neat give and go between Quinn and Esteves, ended with the scorer of Seattle’s second goalscorer missing the target so wide that it didn’t even go out for a goal kick.
A minute later though and it was three for Seattle after Okoli was played through and the local lad had the easy job of slotting home past Irving.
It was an amazing turnaround for a team that were barely in the game, but the goals reignited the Caps fire and they came roaring back.
Herrick was forced to get down well when Essa’s header from a Polakiewicz cross was looking goalbound in the 62nd minute.
Irving kept the Caps hopes alive midway through the second half with a great point blank save at his near post and it was to prove to be a turning point in the match.
Vancouver pulled a goal back in the 71st minute when Clarke collected the ball in the box and swivelled to send a rocket into the postage stamp corner, which even initially became lodged in the stanchion.
The Caps pushed for the equaliser and they nearly got it three minutes later.
Clarke was put through, hit the byeline and cut it back to Ben McKendry who shot straight at Herrick from close range. The Sounders goalie fumbled but was quick to smother the rebound as Fisk was poised to strike.
With time running out, the Caps had a good spell of pressure which ended with Dosanjh’s low drive forcing as fine stop from Herrick.
The Whitecaps finally got the reward their play deserved with four minutes remaining, when Fisk rose brilliantly to head home a cross into the bottom left hand corner of the net to make it 3-3.
Although Vancouver tried to go for the winner, they ran out of time, and although the Caps will be happy to have seen the spirited fightback, they will be left wondering why they aren’t coming out of this Cascadian derby with the full three points.
There were a lot of positives to take from the match though, and only some good goalkeeping and some spectacular strikes kept Seattle in the game.
Gagandeep Dosanjh had an excellent game and is getting better with each PDL game this season. Bryce Alderson bossed the midfield and Ben Fisk and Callum Irving had their usual stellar performances.
With another Cascadian PDL match up taking place in Portland on Friday morning, the squad won’t have much time to recover, but hopefully we can see another exciting performance from the side and this time the full three points.
You can view our slideshow of photo's from the game <a href="
And here's some more photos from the game from Susan Harris - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105230484906556037164/PDLWhitecapsVSounders053012CheneyStadium#" target="_blank">CLICKY</a>.
Vancouver’s line up against Seattle was:
Callum Irving; Bobby Jhutty, Daniel Stanese (Shawn Parkes 57), James Farenhorst, Adam Polakiewicz; Yassin Essa (Cam Hundal 64), Ben McKendry, Bryce Alderson (Gagan Josan 80), Ben Fisk, Gagandeep Dosanjh; Caleb Clarke
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