USL News Release

Thursday, September 17, 2009

TAMPA, FL – While the Vancouver Whitecaps will have one eye squarely on the upcoming USL First Division playoffs and who their potential quarterfinal opponent may be, the visiting Cleveland City Stars may be completely focused on clawing their way out of the cellar in their final match of the season Friday on Fox Soccer Channel. The broadcast begins at 11:00 pm ET.

With two games remaining, the Cleveland City Stars will come into Vancouver Friday evening on the heels of a match the evening before in Portland, where the first-year USL-1 side promoted as the USL-2 champions stunned the Timbers with a 1-0 decision Sunday. The result extended a surprising home losing streak for the regular season champions to three. Trailing Austin by two points in the table, the last-place City Stars will be looking to capture a victory in Vancouver if they are unable to repeat Sunday’s feat in Portland Thursday.

The City Stars must win one of their final two games to move out of last as two draws to pull level in points would still level Cleveland on the wrong side of the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Aztex having gone winless against the expansion club at 0-2-1 on the year.

Vancouver, meanwhile, will also have one eye on the scoreboard Friday evening as it will be the peak night of the final weekend of play with half of the final four nights’ six games. The other two contests feature significant playoff seeding implications as the Carolina RailHawks host the Montreal Impact and the Charleston Battery visit the Rochester Rhinos.

The Whitecaps are currently seventh, three points back of the Rhinos. They can catch the Rhinos for sixth with victory and a Rochester loss in their finale, with the goal differential falling in their favor with the season series level at 1-1-1. But the quarterfinal match-up will be just as dependant on the results of the RailHawks, Battery and Puerto Rico Islanders.

Vancouver has yet to defeat Cleveland, playing to a pair of draws on the road in their first two meetings of the year. Martin Nash rescued a point in the first meeting with a 90th minute strike after Marcus Haber’s opener was eclipsed by Leo Gibson and Pato Aguilera, who converted a penalty, in a 2-2 draw June 23. The two played to a scoreless stalemate August 1 with Jay Nolly in goal for the Whitecaps and rookie Evan Bush in the nets for only the third time for Cleveland, posting his first professional shutout.

USL-1 Playoffs on FSC: The USL on Fox Soccer Channel schedule will switch to the weekends with two consecutive Sunday night matches featuring a second leg contest of the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds September 27 and October 4. The schedule then shifts to Saturday night with both legs of the USL-1 Championship Series October 10 and 17. Full schedule [+] 

USL Breakaway: Episode 5 of USL Breakaway will air on Fox Soccer Channel Saturday, September 19. The episode features profiles of former Richmond Kicker Clyde Simms of DC United and current Portland Timbers striker Ryan Pore. The show also takes a look back at the recent USL-2 championship as well as the 2009 USL First Division season. Check your local listings for re-air times.