Whitecaps bow out of MLS Playoffs with 2-0 loss to Portland

Vancouver 0 – Portland 2 (Adi, Chara)

The Vancouver Whitecaps fell to the Portland Timbers 2-0 in front of 27,837 at BC Place, with Portland scoring a goal in each half to seal the deal. The Whitecaps started out strongly with Kekuta Manneh testing the Timbers early in the first half before succumbing to an ankle injury. After Manneh's removal the Whitecaps looked lifeless and the Timbers would take the advantage. Fanendo Adi struck on 30 minutes as the Whitecaps defense fell asleep on a throw in, while Diego Chara would seal the deal in 2^nd half stoppage time as the Timbers move on to face FC Dallas in the MLS Western Conference Semi-Final.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vancouver Whitecaps opened up the entire lower bowl at BC Place, allowing 27,000 plus fans to take in the 2^nd leg of the MLS Western Conference Semi-Final between the Whitecaps and Portland Timbers Sunday evening. The match was pushed back to a 7:30pm start time as the other MLS Western Conference Semi-Final match between Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas went into extra time.

Vancouver Whitecaps Head Coach Carl Robinson started David Ousted in goal, with Steven Beitashour, Tim Parker, Kendall Waston and Jordan Harvey in defense. Gershon Koffie moved back into his traditional defensive midfield role alongside Matias Laba, while Whitecaps captain Pedro Morales drew back into the starting lineup for the first time since early October. Cristian Techera and Kekuta Manneh were out on the wings and Octavio Rivero was the lone striker up front.

Just before the match started FC Dallas beat Seattle on penalties, meaning that the winner of this match would host Dallas in two weeks' time.

Kekuta Manneh had the first good chance of the match five minutes in as his low shot fizzed past the post and out. A few minute later Manneh has a dazzling run down the middle of the pitch before hitting the post from distance, with the ball bouncing off the post, off the back of Timbers keeper Adam Kwarasey and out for a corner kick.

In the 16^th minute Kendall Waston just missed a header on a ball played toward him by Cristian Techera off a scramble in the Portland box, the ball just going over the head of the unmarked Waston at the far post.

Kekuta Manneh had to be subbed off after 25 minutes after taking a knock, he tried to continue but barely made it back to the center circle before having to be subbed off for Mauro Rosales. Manneh's ankle would be shown to have an ice bag on it later in the match.

Vancouver was caught napping in the 30^th minute as Diego Valeri passed to Fanendo Adi in the box, who roofed it past David Ousted to give Portland a 1-0 lead. Portland would take that 1-0 lead into the first half, as the Whitecaps looked to extend their season past the next 45 minutes.

Portland started strong in the 2^nd half, with Valeri testing Ousted with a shot from just outside the box just after the restart, with Ousted making the save.

In the 55^th minute Octavio Rivero earned a yellow card for a shove on Jorge Villafana by the Portland bench as he let his emotions get the better of him.

Rodney Wallace would then go into the book, earning a yellow for persistant infringement, with a foul on Gershon Koffie finally getting him the card. Valeri would also get a yellow card for fouling Techera a moment later, while Darren Mattocks would come on for Gershon Koffie as the Whitecaps 2^nd substitution.

In the 67^th minute Jorge Villafana would come off for Norberto Paparatto, after looking to have sustained an injury from earlier in the match, possibly from the Rivero foul from the first half.

In the 72^nd minute Steven Beitashour would get a yellow card for a foul on Diego Valeri in the Portland end.

In the 80^th minute Portland would take out Rodney Wallace for Lucas Melano, before Ousted had to make another save on Diego Valeri on a swerving free kick.

The Whitecaps would bring on Robert Earnshaw for Steven Beitashour on 82 minutes, and Earnshaw's first touch would be a bicycle kick that just went over the bar. Portland would bring on Jack Jewsbury for Diego Valeri in response as they tried to see out the match.

Robert Earshaw would score a goal but would get it called back as he interfered with the Timbers' keeper Adam Kwarasey's kick on restarting play. Earnshaw would get a yellow card for his efforts.

The Whitecaps would get five minutes of stoppage time, but Portland would seal the deal in stoppage time, with Diego Chara getting the last kick on a counter attack to make it 2-0 Portland. The Timbers would go on to win the match and will now face FC Dallas in the MLS Western Conference Finals.

Head Coach Carl Robinson - On Kekuta coming off and the game changing after that:

"First off I want to congratulate Portland, credit to them for winning the game today, winning the two leg series so congratulations to them. It changed, it changed dramatically, the kid started out like a house on fire and put us in the acendency with playing front foot football and hit the post and had one or two half chances, but when its not your day its not your day so it wasn't our day, we didn't score a goal after two legs; when you don't score a goal after two legs, unless you're lucky and go onto penalties and win you're not going to win a game of football, that's what happened."

Mauro Rosales – Taking a playoff loss at home:

"Tough, tough, disappointed for everybody, obviously we didn't expect this result, but also I think we didn't perform as well as we played the last couple games. It was a crucial game for us, this kind of game you have to step up with a different mentality, a different approach to the game and just do your 110% every time, there's a few opportunities that we're going to have just being in this situation, semi-finals, good run during the season, and when we should perform at higher levels we didn't so, disappointed, but obviously proud of the team, how hard they worked through the year, how hard its been this season, a lot of positive things, a lot of positive players coming up doing a very good job, high level this season from many of our players and just wait for next year now."

Tim Parker – On the team's game plan:

"I think our game plan was solid, I think we knew what we had to do I think, maybe just executing a little better obviously, would have been a better result."

*Note: Canada takes on Honduras in a World Cup Qualifier Friday, November 13th at 7pm at BC Place.