USL Game Report

Sunday, April 26, 2015

VANCOUVER, Canada – After scoring in his Vancouver Whitecaps FC debut last month in MLS, veteran striker Robert Earnshaw did the same for WFC2 on Sunday in a 1-1 draw against Seattle Sounders FC 2 at UBC Thunderbird Stadium.

This marked the second meeting of the season between the Cascadia rivals. S2 defeated Vancouver 4-0 in the first match.

WFC2 moved to 1-3-2 and S2 is now 3-2-1 on the season.

After a somewhat tentative start, things opened up around the 15-minute mark after an S2 goal was called back due to offside. Shortly later, WFC2 went back the other way and scored the game’s opening goal when Earnshaw alertly picked off an ill-advised back pass and tipped it into the back of the net.

WFC2 nearly made it 2-0 just a minute later, when the always dangerous Brett Levis blasted a long-distance strike off the crossbar. But S2 managed to quickly equalize against the run of play.

In the 24th minute, defender Nick Miele tapped in a flicked-on corner to bring the score level. Levis had another late opportunity, but Vancouver and Seattle entered the break knotted at one after an evenly played and entertaining opening 45 minutes.

S2’s Damion Lowe had an early chance in the second half, but WFC2 very much looked the livelier side as it pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Kianz Froese nearly put WFC2 ahead in the 63rd minute, when he danced around a pair of defenders near the touchline before seeing his left-footed attempt blocked by an S2 defender on the goal line.

The 'Caps looked in control, but S2 also had their opportunities on the counter. In the 68th minute, Darwin Jones got in behind but could not beat goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi. He had another chance just a few minutes later, this time rounding the onrushing Tornaghi before sailing his strike well wide.

Koch’s side continued to push forward in the dying stages, but was forced to settle for their second straight 1-1 draw.