Whitecaps Earn Draw

Eric Hurtado gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a valuable needed point the road with a late goal allowing the Whitecaps to earn a 2-2 draw with New York City FC moving them to within a point of the last and final playoff spot in the west standings.

With key players not in the line-up including two that were serving one game suspensions for yellow card warnings and the resting of some of the older players on the squad despite their not dressing for the game the squad battled New York tooth and nail in a key MLS match up.

Vancouver,s Nicolas Mezquida opened the scoring beating New York keeper Brad Stuver in the 22nd minute after the Caps starters gave the NY team fits in the opening minutes after some heavy pressure early for their defense to clear the are on dangerous attacks.

New York withstood the early pressure managing to get the equalizer just before halftime as Jesus Mecina and Valentin Castellanos scored a minute apart to giving New York a 2-1 lead at the  half.

Vancouver came out in the second half playing a good road match regaining their composure and taking runs at the New York “D” coming close early and often testing New York’s goalkeeper Brad Stuver to make several remarkable stops keeping his team in the lead for most of the second half.

Caps “keeper” Stefan Marinovic did his job to keep Vancouver in the match being tested from various areas of the pitch managing to turn away the New York attack giving his squad a chance for a comeback with the match coming to a close.

It was the 87th minute that saw Eric Hurtado beat Brad Stuver on a set-up by Brek Shea and Russell Teibert that saw Hurtado send a full volley past the keeper to make it a 2-2 game.

Vancouver now improves to 8-6-9 in the west for 30 points, a close four out a playoff spot that has them sitting in 7th place.

New York improved their record to 13-5-5 for 44 points, just four back of first place Atlanta who has 48.

Vancouver returns to action Wednesday night at BC Place in the first of a two game with Toronto in the Canadian Championship game time 7 pm with second leg back in Toronto on August 15th.

Thanks to Bruce Nolte for the info

MATCH DETAILS

Budweiser Man of the Match: Russell Teibert

Attendance: 20,802

Scoring Summary

22’ – VAN – Nicolás Mezquida (Bernie Ibini)

45’+1 – NYC – Jesus Medina (Anton Tinnerholm, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi)

46’ – NYC – Valentin Castellanos (Jo Inge Berget, Maximiliano Moralez)

87’ – VAN – Erik Hurtado (Brek Shea, Russell Teibert)

Statistics

Possession: NYC 72.7% – VAN 27.3%

Shots: NYC 22 – VAN 8

Shots on Goal: NYC 4 – VAN 5

Saves: NYC 3 – VAN 2

Fouls: NYC 20 – VAN 5

Offsides: NYC 1 – VAN 2

Corners: NYC 13 – VAN 2

Duels won: NYC 46 – VAN 53

Tackles won: NYC 9 – VAN 15

Cautions

55’ – NYC – Ronald Matarrita

68’ – NYC – Maximiliano Moralez

89’ – NYC – Alexander Callens