Match Thoughts: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New York Red Bulls

Dane Richards and Gershon Koffie make small talk. (AP Photo)

Consider yourself warned, MLS fans.  The Vancouver Whitecaps are making noise in the western conference and they'll make more noise in the league as a whole before all the hardware is handed out.  So often when fans think about the Cascadia teams, the thoughts are of Seattle and Portland.  Don't look now, but the 'Caps are ahead of both of them.  In this particular match both Vancouver and New York played to a scrappy draw, but Vancouver was obviously the better side for much of the match.

Despite the fact that the Whitecaps opened the match with the better possession and ball control, it was the Red Bulls that would earn the first good chance on goal.  In the 8th minute Joel Lindpere sent a cross in on a free kick that found the head of Dax McCarty.  Joe Cannon was up to the task and saved the close range header to keep the match scoreless early.

After that the Whitecaps began to come into some attacking form of their own.  In the 9th minute Martin Bonjour missed a shot after a free kick, and Davide Chumiento had a great look on a 'Caps counter attack, but his shot missed the target.  It wasn't until the 32nd minute that either team would get a good look again, and the chance fell to Camilo for Vancouver.  He found himself alone near the top of the 18 after a perfect setup ball, but somehow drug his shot wide of the goal as Ryan Meara closed him down.  The first half ended 0-0.

The second half didn't see much action until about the last 20 minutes, and it was the Red Bulls who started the party.  New York went on a break of their own and Dane Richards looked to have a 1v1 chance on the Vancouver goal.  Joe Cannon rushed off of his line and hit the deck, taking the ball off of the speedy Jamaican's foot to preserve the tie.

In the 75th minute, the Whitecaps were finally the first side to get on the board.  The ball ended up sliding into the New York penalty area after a corner kick from Alain Rochat.  The ball actually drifted by 4 'Caps players before falling to the feet of Bonjour.  The defender calmly lined up his touch and smashed the ball into the far corner of the Red Bulls' goal to make it 1-0.

However, if the Whitecaps thought they were going to cruise to the 1-0 win with the late goal, they were going to get surprised.  The Red Bulls had a last chance corner kick in the 86th minute.  The Whitecaps defense went to sleep for just a minute, but it was all Heath Pearce needed to get his head to the ball and equalize the match at 1-1, which was the full time result, ending in disappointment for Vancouver.

NOTES:  New York's Dane Richards picked up his 5th yellow card of the season, and will miss the Red Bulls match vs. DC United this weekend.