Nuke Soccer

SEATTLE SOUNDERS 0 – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 0
BURNABY, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps earned a creditable 0-0 home draw with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon.

In what was their third friendly meeting since the Sounders entered MLS in 2009, neither side were able to make a decisive breakthrough in what was the first match of 2010 at Swangard Stadium.

With the USSF D-2 Pro League season still several weeks away from beginning, the ‘Caps again showed their ability to compete with clubs from MLS, as their commitment and skill matched the fine qualities of the Washington State outfit.

Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson made three changes to the side that started the 2-1 friendly win over 2009 MLS Cup champions Real Salt Lake in Casa Grande, Arizona, on February 20. Former D.C. United defender Greg Janicki replaced Luca Bellisomo in the Vancouver backline, while the Caribbean duo of Jamaica’s Dever Orgill and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines native Cornelius Stewart came in for the injured Marlon James and the versatile Zourab Tsiskaridze.

Fresh off a three-match trip to Spain to play in La Manga Cup II, Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid named the same starting XI that defeated Norwegian club SK Brann 1-0 on February 25. The line-up included veteran keeper and team captain Kasey Keller in goal, while in attack, former Arsenal FC star Freddie Ljungberg played alongside 2009 MLS Newcomer of the Year Fredy Montero. There were also two former United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) players in Seattle’s line-up, as Sanna Nyassi (USL-1 Sounders) and Osvaldo Alonso (Charleston Battery) started in the visitors’ midfield.

On a beautiful sunny day at Swangard, a crowd of 3,895 took in the highly-anticipated pre-season encounter between these two Interstate 5 rivals, with a large and vocal contingent of Sounders fans having made the trip to Burnaby, BC, to support their side.

What they saw was a tentative start to an even first half, with the first notable piece of action occurring on nine minutes when Stewart was booked for a late challenge on Sounders midfielder Nathan Sturgis.

It was at that point that proceedings livened up, with the Blue and White creating the first chance of the match a minute later. Stewart took Nizar Khalfan’s through ball on the right flank before playing a low cross into the path of Orgill. Unfortunately for the Jamaican youth international, the ball was just out of his reach, with Keller able to make a routine save. The Sounders response came three minutes later, as the dangerous Montero forced a good save from Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly with his volleyed strike.

Seattle then had the ball in the back of the Whitecaps net on the quarter-hour mark, but to the dismay of the travelling fans, Sounders midfielder Steve Zakuani was adjudged offside after heading home Sanna Nyassi’s cross from the right. Vancouver looked to reply two minutes later, but Takashi Hirano’s cross from the left just missed the head of Stewart in front of the Sounders goal.

One of Seattle’s qualities is their pace on the flanks with Nyassi and Zakuani. On 21 minutes, Zakuani showed his speed when he broke down the left and eluded the challenge of Whitecaps newcomer Chris Williams before forcing an excellent save from Nolly with his fierce goal-bound strike.

With the visitors starting to gain a foothold in the match, Thordarson made a substitution on 35 minutes, with youngster Alex Semenets replacing Stewart in attack. A minute later, Hirano had to be alert to clear a dangerous ball from Ljungberg in the ‘Caps box for a corner, while on 38 minutes, Orgill struck a close-range shot straight at Keller after taking a pass in the Sounders box from Khalfan.

The last chance of the half fell to former Swedish international Ljungberg, but after taking advantage of a Whitecaps turnover near the edge of the Vancouver box, the talented Scandinavian could only roll his shot across the face of Nolly’s goal and out for a goal kick.

The halftime whistle from match referee Steven Depiero meant both sides went to their respective dressing rooms level at 0-0.

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