By JOSE M. ROMERO
This time, it was the Whitecaps with the frustrating 1-1 draw and the Revolution happy to get a point.
The roles were reversed only four days ago, when Vancouver rallied for a stunning 3-3 draw with Sporting KC and New England was unable to defeat the Portland Timbers at home in a 1-1 draw.
Both teams were undoubtedly unhappy with head referee Baldomero Toledo, who sent off two Whitecaps and a Revs player with red cards before the night was over.
In fact, the Whitecaps played with nine men from the 56th minute until the game's end, and almost escaped with a win. But Ilija Stolica scored the tying goal in extra time, shooting in a cross from Pat Phelan that led to a Zack Schilawski header to Stolica's foot.
Atiba Harris had two good looks at the net in 22nd minute that reserve goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth stopped. Shuttleworth was playing for the injured Matt Reis, and the Revs were missing three other key players as well.
The Whitecaps lost midfielder Terry Dunfield to injury in the 38th minute, and could have been down a goal if not for a heads-up play by defender Nizar Khalfan, who cleared a shot by the Revs' Stephen McCarthy off the line.
Still, the Whitecaps had a two-man advantage after Gershon Koffie was sent off just before halftime for what Toledo must have deemed a purposeful elbow to the head. Then second-half substitute Eric Hassli gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead by converting a penalty kick in the 55th minute.
Hassli had a goal celebration planned, apparently. He scored from the spot, ran to the fans behind the Revs goal and pulled off his long-sleeve kit to reveal a short-sleeve version, tossing the jersey into the crowd. That earned him a red card and an ejection for disrepecting the game, as he'd gotten a first yellow for an elbow to New England's Kevin Alston earlier.
So the Whitecaps were in hold-on-for-dear-life mode the rest of the way, and their chances of pulling it off got better in the 74th minute when New England center back A.J. Soares was sent off for a hard tackle.
Substitute Chris Tierney played well off the bench and had a free kick saved by Vancouver's Jay Nolly in the 82nd minute. An offside call nullified a goal three minutes later, and then, with Empire Field rocking and the fans trying to help will the home team to victory, the Revolution got the equalizer.
