By Nathaniel Gould
The first-round of the A-League playoffs produced four survivors who will take on the top four seeds, which received first-round byes. The quarterfinals — the conference semifinals — will also consist of two-leg series determined by aggregate score.
EASTERN CONFERENCE, First Round
Richmond edges Atlanta
Defenders James Wall (Atlanta) and Peter Luzak (Richmond) scored in a 1-1 first-leg tie. Richmond didn't get the equalizer until the 90th minute despite having outshot Atlanta 25-4. Wall scored off a corner kick and Luzak scored from a long throw-in.
Richmond's Josh Henderson's first-half penalty kick was saved by Atlanta Keeper Jeff Cassar. In the 86th minute, after a Henderson-Cassar collision, both were cautioned and Wall was ejected for the scuffle that followed.
In the second-leg, Henderson struck in the 8th minute and Kevin Jeffrey gave Richmond a two-goal lead late in the first half that it held until Barry Nusum's consolation goal. Richmond gets a date with Charleston.
(Richmond wins 3-2 on aggregate)
Sept. 5 in Richmond, Va.
Richmond 1 Atlanta 1.
Goals: Luzak (Strawbridge) 90; Wall (Piesner) 37.
Att: 1,258
Sept. 8 in Atlanta
Atlanta 1 Richmond 2
Goals: Nusum (Broder) 88; Henderson 8, Jeffrey (Ferruzi) 45.
Att: 351.
EASTERN CONFERENCE, First Round
Montreal downs Charlotte in PKs
In the first leg, Charlotte notched its first A-League playoff win in franchise history thanks to a gamewinner by Dwyane Demmin, who saw only 648 minutes of time in the regular season. He headed home a Jamie Wellington corner kick for the 1-0 win.
In the second leg, Montreal's Eduardo Sebrango, who had 18 regular-season goals, tied the series on aggregate. The Cuban-born striker scored the game's only goal after intercepting a back pass from Charlotte defender Ben Johnson and lobbing over keeper Rich Goddard.
In the penalty-kick tiebreaker, five shooters from each team converted before Montreal keeper Greg Sutton saved Nate Watkins's effort to send Montreal into the conference semifinals against Rochester.
(Aggregate: 1-1. Montreal wins on penalty kicks, 6-5)
Sept. 4 in Charlotte
Charlotte 1 Montreal 0.
Goal: Demmin (Wellington) 17.
Att.: 546
Sept. 8 in Montreal
Montreal 1 Charlotte Eagles 0
Goal: Sebrango 36.
Att.: 6,883.
WESTERN CONFERENCE, First round
Minnesota beats out El Paso
Johnny Torres and John Menyongar each scored and assisted on each other's goals to give Minnesota a 2-1 comeback win over El Paso in the first leg. Orrett Prendergast was ejected in the 66th minute for a tackle from behind, four minutes after replacing Menyongar.
El Paso again took the lead in the second leg — Jose Abarca converting a penalty kick after Minnesota keeper Jon Lowery's foul on Omar Mora in the box. But Zafer Kilickan's equalizer gave the Thunder a 1-1 tie and the series victory on aggregate. Minnesota will meet Milwaukee in the Conference semis.
(Minnesota wins 3-2 on aggregate)
Sept. 5 in El Paso, Texas
El Paso 1 Minnesota 2
Goals: Frias (Mora) 7; Torres (Menyongar) 25, Menyongar (Torres) 29.
Att: 1,270.
Sept. 7 in Blaine, Minn.
Minnesota 1 El Paso 1
Goals: Kilickan (Gentile) 70; Abarca (pen.) 32,
Att: 1,567
WESTERN CONFERENCE, First round
Vancouver defeats rival Portland
The Vancouver Whitecaps stunned the Portland faithful in the first-leg with a 1-0 win at PGE Park in Portland. In the 62nd minute, Paul Dailly rapidly picked up a loose ball just past the center line and beat Portland keeper Matt Napoleon on a breakaway. Portland outshot Vancouver 12-4.
Vancouver defeated Portland 1-0 again in the second leg on a goal by Matt Kindel. Kindel scored a header from 8 yards out after Napoleon deflected a shot by Dave Morris.
Vancouver managed to shutout scoring co-champions McKinley Tennyson and Fadi Afash. Chris Roner was on loan for Portland from the San Jose Earthquakes. Vancouver will now face Seattle.
(Vancover wins 2-0 on aggregate)
Sept. 5 in Portland
Portland 0 Vancouver 1
Goals: Dailly (Morris) 62
Att: 4,771
Sept. 8 in Burnaby, British Columbia
Vancouver 1 Portland 0
Goals: Kindel (Morris) 52
Att: 4,060
A-LEAGUE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE: Quarterfinals (Conference Semifinals)
Eastern Conference
Thursday, Sept. 12
Montreal-Rochester
Friday, Sept. 13
Charleston-Richmond
Saturday, Sept. 14
Rochester-Montreal (8 pm ET on Fox Sports World)
Sunday, Sept. 15
Richmond-Charleston
Western Conference
Thursday, Sept. 12
Minnesota-Milwaukee
Friday, Sept. 13
Vancouver-Seattle Sounders
Saturday, Sept. 14
Milwaukee-Minnesota
Sunday, Sept. 15
Seattle-Vancouver