The results set up an all-Canadian W-League championship match Sunday, featuring the 2004 champion Whitecaps, who are in the final for the third time in six years, and the up-and-coming Fury, who reached the semifinals for the fourth straight year, progressing from fourth, to third to second each time.  Sunday's final is schedule for 8:00 pm ET, but will air on Fox Soccer Channel delayed at 11:30 ET following the FC Barcelona friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara.

 

It only took Vermeulen six minutes to score in her fourth straight playoff match after posting just four goals during the regular season. A pin-point cross from Rhian Wilkinson found Vermeulen unmarked on the far side of the box for an easy header from five yards out for the early lead.

Charlotte had a chance to level in the 22nd when flip-throw specialist Ashley Swinehart sent a long throw into the box, forcing goalkeeper Leisha Alcia to punch it away. The ball came out to Carrie Lorenz, who sent a shot back in on goal only to see it stopped in front of the line by Robyn Gayle.

The Lady Eagles had another shot at an equalizer in the 36th when Darcel Mollon got a ball on the right flank and sent it into the six for a dangerous chance only to see it cleared away.

Two minutes later 2003 W-League MVP Kelly Parker took the ball into the right side of the box before playing it back to the top for Stacey Stocco. With a virtually open goal Stocco sent her shot just wide.

The Fury controlled most of the second half with Vermeulen setting up the first good scoring chance in the 75th when she took the ball into the corner before slipping it into Parker at the near post only to see the re-direction on goal go high.

Three minutes later a drastic turn in events led to the final outcome of the match as a corner for Charlotte created a scramble in the box that several Lady Eagles were unable to put away from the top of the six. A counter-attack immediately formed out of the play, leaving a two-on-two going the other way with Parker driving up the middle of the pitch and slotting it behind the defense to an on-rushing Wilkinson. Wilkinson got behind the defense, but was taken down by goalkeeper Lindsey Deason just at the edge of the box for a free kick.

At the 80-minute mark Leah Robinson curled the ensuing free kick just over the top of the Charlotte wall and into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Not giving up, Charlotte nearly cut the lead in half three minutes later when a Christine Rife got the ball on the right side of the box and laid it off for Heather Birdsell. Birdsell's shot sailed just over the bar.

The Lady Eagles finally got their long-awaited strike via Swinehart, only for it to come in stoppage time seconds before the final whistle. The play began with a long shot from just outside the box from Lydia Vandenbergh that went off the crossbar and fell to Swinehart, who was charging into the box to put it away from six yards out.

 

Vancouver scored early, and always looked to be in control, but weren't able to completely breath easy until they the put game away with three goals in nine minutes early in the second half.

Erin McLeod only had to make one save on four shots to earn her seventh shutout of the year. Vancouver dominated the shot count with a 22 to 4 advantage.

Seattle now play the Charlotte Lady Eagles in Sunday's Third Place Game starting at 2:00 p.m. at Swangard Stadium, followed by the Whitecaps and Ottawa in the Final at 5:00 p.m.

Scoring Summary:
8' Vancouver Christine Sinclair (Brittany Timko) Timko fed Sinclair who got behind the defence on the left, strode in, and slipped it between the goalkeeper's legs.

48' Vancouver Stephanie Smith (Sophie Schmidt) Schmidt sent a long ball across the pitch from the right flank toward Christine Sinclair, who was unable to get her head on it going up with a Seattle defender. The ball fell to Smith overlapping on the left, and she fended off her marker before drilling it in from 15 yards, for her fourth on the year.

53' Vancouver Martina Franko
Franko unleashed a 35-yard screamer that left the goalkeeper no chance.
It was the defender's second goal of the season.

57' Vancouver Tiffeny Milbrett
From a 35-yard free kick on the right wing, Milbrett curled in a high hard left-footed inswinger that went just over the players in front before dipping under the bar. It was her tenth goal of the season.

81' Vancouver Christine Sinclair (Ciara McCormick) McCormick wide on the left curled in a great cross that Sinclair casually stroked into the corner of the net from six yards. It was her second of the game and team-leading eleventh on the year.

Game Notes:
Tiffeny Milbrett came close twice in the second half, forcing the keeper into a big save with a blast at 47', and then at 56' chipped the keeper when she came well off her line, but put it wide. Milbrett has scored in all six home games that she has played for Vancouver.

The Whitecaps closed out the game with a forward line of two sixteen-year-olds (Paige Adams and Rheanne Sleiman) and a seventeen-year-old (Jodi-Ann Robinson).

This was Randee Hermus' 50th career game for Vancouver. Erin McLeod's career record for Vancouver is now 28W-0L-5T.

 

Match Summary >>