USL–1 Semifinals are Set

Three games took place on Sunday that determined the semifinals of the USL-1 playoffs.

Montreal, Puerto Rico and Vancouver join Commissioners Cup Winner Portland Timbers to fill out semifinal bracket.

Montreal Impact
The Montreal Impact (5th place) qualified for the USL-1 semifinals with a 2-1 win (4-1 on aggregate goals) over the Charleston Battery (4th place), Sunday at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ian Fuller scored in the 16th minute for Charleston with the assist from Stephen Armstrong. But Montreal came back in the 23rd minute with an unassisted goal by Nevio Pizzolitto. Then in the 74th minute, Tony Donatelli scored with an assist from Roberto Brown.

The game also saw Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos ejected from the game. Montreal was awarded a corner kick and then referee Mark Kadlecik blew his whistle for halftime not allowing Montreal to take the kick. While the referees were walking off the field, Dos Santos started to object. Kadlecik ejected Dos Santos immediately. Montreal say they will appeal the decision.

The Impact won the first game played in Montreal by a score of 2-0 creating a 4-1 aggregate win for Montreal.

Puerto Rico Islanders
The Puerto Rico Islanders (3rd place) will see the semifinals again this year after a 4-1 win over a 10-man Rochester Rhinos (6th place) at Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Goals by Fabrice Noel and Nicholas Addlery in the first half and a brace for Noel and Addlery in the second half was all that was needed to put down the struggling Rhinos. Rochester had beaten the Islanders at home on Thursday night by a score of 2-1.

Brent Sancho for Rochester was red carded out of the game after receiving 2 yellow cards, the first yellow card coming in the 24th minute and another just 5 minutes later in the 29th.

Puerto Rico ends up winning the series 5-3 on aggregate.

Vancouver Whitecaps
The Vancouver Whitecaps (7th place) are the final team to make this year’s 2009 USL-1 semifinals. The Whitecaps defeated a hapless Carolina RailHawks (2nd place) who were never able to find their scoring touch in either of their first round playoff games.  The Whitecaps drew the game with the RailHawks 0-0 at WakeMed Park on Sunday.

Vancouver had won Thursday’s game 1-0 in Vancouver.  The Whitecaps advance 1-0 on aggregate.

Playoff Bracket

The Portland Timbers, Commissioner’s Cup Winner and only remaining US team in the playoffs, will now face the lowest remaining seed, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The series will open in Vancouver Thursday evening at 10:30 pm ET on USLlive.com with the second match Sunday on Fox Soccer Channel at 7:00 pm ET.

The Montreal Impact, who are the third highest remaining seed, will face the Puerto Rico Islanders who were the second highest remaining seed.

The series will open in Montreal Thursday night at 7:30 pm ET and will wrap up Sunday in Bayamon at 6:00 pm ET. Both matches will be available on USLlive.com.