Vancouver jumps out to big lead, Charleston lucky to get a tie in USL playoffs

The USL First Division playoffs kickoff last night with Miami visiting Vancouver and Charleston playing host to Puerto Rico.

The Vancouver Whitecaps came out to attack and by the halftime were up 3-0. However, Romario converted a perfect free kick for a goal to ruin the shutout in the 64th. The Whitecaps got a fourth in the 88th to give them a three-goal lead going into Sunday's match in Miami.

Vancouver fans should be feeling good for their team as they have not lost a single match this season by more then 2 goals.

The other match of the night saw the Puerto Rico Islanders outplay the Charleston Battery. However, each time the Islanders took the lead, the Battery found a way to get back into it. The final goal came right before the whistle. Charleston sent a corner into the box and Tim Karalexis got his head on it, but it bounced off the bar. However, Battery player Gavin Glinton was able to control the rebound and send the ball into net to keep the Islanders from heading home with a win.

The bad news for the Battery is they have not beat Puerto Rico all year (2 ties and 2 loses) and are 0-1-1 in Puerto Rico.

Both series conclude on Sunday, September 17th.
Vancouver at Miami - 6pm ET - Tropical Park Stadium
Charleston Battery at Puerto Rico Islanders - 7:30pm ET - Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium

The winner of the Vancouver-Miami series will play Montreal next weekend, while the winner of Charleston-Puerto Rico series will play Rochester.