Cleveland City Stars are the Professional United Soccer Leagues

CITY STARS DRAW VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 2-2

Tuesday June 23, 2009

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland City Stars played the defending USL-1 Champion Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-2 draw Tuesday at Middlefield Cheese Stadium. The City Stars fell behind early and rallied with two first half goals before surrendering a 90th minute goal to settle with the draw.

Vancouver (4-5-3) put Cleveland goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap under assault from the opening kick. In the 15th minute Marcus Haber rushed into the box and fired an open shot on goal but Gilstrap stepped off his line and made a sliding save just outside the six yard box.

Just a minute later, Gordon Chin won the ball from Alioune Gueye and strolled into a shot from the 18 line but Gilstrap was there to make his second straight one-on-one save, this time diving to his right and knocking the ball out to his defenders with an outstretched right arm.

In the 18th the Whitecaps created another open look as Nash found Haber in the box as Gilstrap closed in on the forward. Haber was able to get off the shot and it found the net despite deflecting between the legs of Gilstrap to give the Whitecaps the 1-0 lead.

The City Stars (2-9-3) were able to find the equalizer in the 28th minute when defender Ibrahim Kante sent a long ball that found Leo Gibson in stride. Gibson controlled on the run and dribbled into the box before sending the ball towards the far post and into the right side of the net to tie the score 1-1.

In the 45th minute Gibson was on the attack again inside the box before receiving body contact from Takashi Hirano. Although the contact was not malicious, Gibson was knocked off his path and a penalty was called.

Pato Aguilera took the penalty kick for the City Stars and tucked the ball into the left corner of the net as Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly dove right to give the City Stars the 2-1 advantage.

The second half was played almost entirely in Cleveland defensive third as Vancouver tried to rally for the tie and the City Stars packed in the defense.

The plan almost worked to perfection for the City Stars as the match made it into extra time with the same 2-1 score. Just 30 seconds into extra time the match turned for the Whitecaps as Nash controlled a deflection outside the box and fired an uncontested shot from 25 yards out. Gilstrap was screened on the play and his last second dive was too late to save the win for Cleveland and the Whitecaps escaped with the 2-2 draw.

The City Stars are back at it Saturday June 27th at 7 p.m. against the expansion Austin Aztex. Tickets are available through clevelandcitystars.com or by calling 330-425-2003.

Lineups:

Cleveland: GK Hunter Gilstrap, D Stephane Guillaume, D Ibrahim Kante, D Troy Roberts, D Anthony Stovall, M Warren Kanu, M Alioune Gueye, M Pato Aguilera (Gordon Kljestan 62'), M Joshua Boateng (Ryan Stewart 69'), F Leo Gibson (Paul Ballard 89'), F Israel Sesay (Ricardo Pierre-Louis 72')

Vancouver: GK Jay Nolly, D Lyel Martin (Ethan Gage 69'), D Mason Trafford, D Marco Reda (Randy Edwini-Bonsu 85'), D Takashi Hirano, M Wes Knight, M Gordon Chin, M Martin Nash, M Vicente Arze (Tyrell Burgess 57'), F Marcus Haber (Dever Orgill 45'), F Marlon James

Summary:

Cle: Leo Gibson (Ibrahim Kante 28'), Pato Aguilera (penalty) 45'

Van: Marcus Haber (Martin Nash) 18', (Martin Nash) 90'

Cautions:

Cle: Ibrahim Kante 83'

Attendance: 1,066