Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC | MLS Match Preview

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
CENTURYLINK FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
Oct. 9, 2013 (WEEK 33, MLS Game #299)
7 pm PT (TSN/RDS2; KONG/KOMO2)

The Cascadia Cup hits fever pitch this week as Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC kick things off with a midweek encounter at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC can clinch their place in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a victory, coming off a heavy 5-1 loss at the Colorado Rapids last weekend. Whitecaps FC still have their slim postseason alive, following their dramatic 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers at BC Place on Sunday.

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REFEREE: Juan Guzman. AR1 (bench): Fabio Tovar; AR2 (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Dave Gantar
MLS Career: 36 games; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 12; pens: 8

DISABLED LIST: SEA: Josh Ford
SUSPENDED: SEA: Zach Scott (through Oct. 13)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SEA: Leo Gonzalez, Djimi Traore … VAN: Jordan Harvey, Camilo Sanvezzo
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA: Osvaldo Alonso, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Adam Moffat, Brad Evans … VAN: Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert, Lee Young-Pyo, Nigel Reo-Coker
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: SEA: Brad Evans, Eddie Johnson (USA) … VAN: Johnny Leveron (Honduras); Darren Mattocks (Jamaica)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (7 meetings): Sounders FC 3 wins, 12 goals … Whitecaps FC 1 win, 9 goals … Ties 3
AT SEATTLE (3 meetings): Sounders FC 2 wins, 7 goals … Whitecaps FC 0 wins, 5 goals … Ties 1

2013 (MLS)
6/8: SEA 3, VAN 2 (Rose 9; Carrasco 70; Neagle 81 – Sanvezzo 10, 26)
7/6: VAN 2, SEA 0 (Miller 4; Mattocks 79)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Darren Mattocks and Kenny Miller scored to give Whitecaps FC a 2-0 victory on July 6 at BC Place; less than a month earlier, Lamar Neagle’s late goal capped a comeback and gave Sounders FC a 3-2 victory before a crowd of better than 53,000 at CenturyLink Field.
• The Vancouver victory in the last meeting was their first ever against their Cascadia rivals to the south since coming to MLS. Sounders FC had won three of the first six meetings, with three draws.
• The clubs have a rivalry dating back to 1974 in the old North American Soccer League, and continuing through the A-League and USL First Division.
• Coaches record: Sigi Schmid vs. VAN: P7 W3 L1 T3 … Martin Rennie vs. SEA: P5 W1 L2 T2

LAST MEETING (MLS)
HIGHLIGHTS: VAN 2, SEA 0

• Whitecaps FC took the lead after just four minutes. Kenny Miller received a long ball over the top from Corey Hertzog before cutting back on his right foot just inside the box and placing the ball in the bottom-right corner of Michael Gspurning’s goal.
• The insurance tally for Vancouver came 11 minutes from full time. Substitute Darren Mattocks latched onto a Gershon Koffie flicked header to break through on goal and finish with a left-footed effort.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-1-2-3): Brad Knighton - Lee Young-Pyo, Johnny Leveron, Brad Rusin, Jordan Harvey - Jun Marques Davidson - Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie - Corey Hertzog (Daigo Kobayashi 64), Kenny Miller (Matt Watson 90), Camilo Sanvezzo (Darren Mattocks 76).
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-4-2): Michael Gspurning - Zach Scott, Djimi Traore, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez (DeAndre Yedlin 79) - Brad Evans, Shalrie Joseph, Servando Carrasco, Lamar Neagle (Mauro Rosales 72) - Eddie Johnson, Obafemi Martins.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Seattle Sounders FC suffered one of the heaviest losses in their MLS club history, falling 5-1 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Sounders FC are in second place in the Western Conference with 52 points from 30 matches.

• READ: Martins, Dempsey will be in uniform vs. Whitecaps

LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: COL 5, SEA 1

• The Rapids took the lead with the second-fastest goal in league history. A Gabriel Torres pass set rookie Deshorn Brown free along the left side of the penalty box, and he fired home past Sounders FC goalkeeper Michael Gspurning after just 15 seconds.
• It was 2-0 after 10 minutes, when a quick corner from Vicente Sanchez picked out Dillon Powers alone in front of the net for an easy header.
• Then in the 31st minute it was 3-0, when Brown raced onto a pass over the top of the Seattle back line and coolly slotted home from inside the box. The Rapids made it 4-0 in the 41st minute when Drew Moor got the final touch to another Sanchez corner kick.
• Sounders FC pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when Eddie Johnson stroked home a shot from inside the area, but their fate was truly sealed 11 minutes from the end when Zach Scott was ejected on a second yellow card.
• Gabriel Torres completed a magical night for the hosts with a far post blast from the right side of the penalty area a minute into stoppage time.
• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made two changes to the team that reached a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at CenturyLink Field. Zach Scott came into central defense in place of Djimi Traore, and Adam Moffat started for Obafemi Martins.
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-4-2): Michael Gspurning - DeAndre Yedlin, Zach Scott (ejected 79), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Patrick Ianni 46), Marc Burch - Mauro Rosales (Dylan Remick 65), Adam Moffat, Osvaldo Alonso (Andy Rose 74), Brad Evans - Lamar Neagle, Eddie Johnson.

TEAM NEWS

• The loss to Colorado matches the club’s heaviest defeat in MLS play – equaling the 4-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on May 26 of this season – and the five goals were the most Sounders FC have ever allowed in league play.
• “I thought our fight was there,” Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid said. “I thought we came out and I thought we played well in the first 20 minutes. Overall when you look at the flow of the game, I didn’t think we got completely outplayed, I think we got countered on, and when you give up two set-piece goals and a goal in the first 30 seconds, you know, that’s unacceptable.”
• Sounders FC have now gone three games without a victory, matching their second-longest winless run this year. They opened the season winless in five matches.
• “We have to learn that that’s not good enough,” Schmid said. “You can’t walk on the field and assume that you’re going to be in the game. You have to be in the game mentally right from the beginning of the game.”
• Eddie Johnson scored his second goal in the last three matches for the lone Seattle goal. He has four goals in the last 11 matches.
• “It’s about taking your opportunities when you get them. I was a bit unlucky with the header. The ‘keeper made a good save. But I got my second chance and I wanted to make sure I put it in the net,” Johnson said. “We put ourselves in a big hole, but we came out in the second half and we responded well. Our intensity was there and we played with nothing to lose.”
• Rookie Dylan Remick, the club’s second-round selection in this year’s SuperDraft, made his MLS debut, coming on for the final 65 minutes.
• After returning from suspension, Zach Scott came back into the starting lineup – but will miss the Vancouver match after being sent off for a second time in as many games following a second yellow card.
• “It’s good to get your [butt] kicked at this time of the year, just to remind you that this is the real thing,” said Schmid. “And if you don’t come out completely prepared mentally and ready to give everything you have, you’re going to get your [butt] kicked.”
• Clint Dempsey missed a third consecutive match, and has made just a single substitute appearance in the last six league contests.
• “Obviously Clint is still recovering from his injury,” Schmid said. “(U.S. national team coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) understood that and we spoke as well. We felt that it’s a good chance for him fitness-wise to make up some things, to make sure his hamstring gets 100 percent ready. We want him ready for the playoffs. Jurgen as well wants him ready for their final things and the World Cup and everything else. It’s a win-win for both sides.”

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC saw their home winless run stretched to four games, despite coming back for a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers on Sunday evening at BC Place. Whitecaps FC are in seventh place in the Western Conference with 42 points from 31 matches.

• READ: Whitecaps uncertain on striker with Kenny Miller, Darren Mattocks likely out

LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: VAN 2, POR 2

• The Timbers took the lead in the 41st minute. Darlington Nagbe turned well outside the area and hit a full-blooded screamer that found the top left corner, beating Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted.
• Whitecaps FC pulled level in the 76th minute, when Camilo scored from a free kick from more than 30 yards out that took a deflection into the bottom corner of the goal.
• But almost before Vancouver was done celebrating, the visitors stormed back down to the other end of the field and restored the one-goal margin as Nagbe held off a defender then squared for Will Johnson to lash home from the top of the box.
• Yet a stroke of sheer brillance provided the equalizer. After a marauding build-up down the left, Darren Mattocks’ cross found Lee Young-Pyo overlapping on the right side. He pulled back for Camilo near the top of the box, and the Brazilian conjured a flying, acrobatic overhead kick that beat Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts from 16 yards.
• Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie made three changes to the team that fell 1-0 to Real Salt Lake at BC Place. Matt Watson, Daigo Kobayashi and Darren Mattocks came into the team, in place of Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert and Tommy Heinemann.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-1-3-2): David Ousted - Lee Young-Pyo, Carlyle Mitchell, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey - Jun Marques Davidson - Matt Watson (Russell Teibert 64), Daigo Kobayashi (Kekuta Manneh 71), Nigel Reo-Coker - Camilo Sanvezzo, Darren Mattocks

TEAM NEWS

• Whitecaps FC saw their home winless streak extended to four matches with the draw, having taken two of a possible 12 points since a 2-0 defeat of San Jose on Aug. 10. Vancouver has won one of their last eight league matches.
• “We’ll have to carry this momentum into Wednesday’s game. I saw the [Colorado-Seattle] result … and I was like why couldn’t they wait for us to do that. Especially with Seattle being the best team in our Western Conference, they’re going to be ready to come at us and make a statement, because something like that shouldn’t happen,” said defenderJay DeMerit. “We’ve got to be able to match them early, and if we do I think we’ve got a chance to win the Cascadia Cup. Anytime your club wins silverware, it’s always a huge confidence booster.”
• Camilo Sanvezzo scored two goals in a game for the second time in the last three matches, including a stunning flying side volley, to bring Whitecaps FC back for the result vs. Portland.
• “It was just an incredible passage of play. He scored an unbelievable free kick and then right away, we lost a goal which is very disappointing, but another minute we had scored again,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. “I think moments like that, you’re a fan of soccer. You can’t help but be excited by it and you can’t help but be thankful we have a team that is very close to being a very good team. It’s not quite there yet, but it’s not far away.”
• Camilo has scored the last four Vancouver goals; he now has five 2-goal games and is tied for the league lead in multi-goal games. He is second in the MLS Golden Boot standings with 18 goals.
• “I thought we played very well, and if we continue to play the same way the next three games we’ll have a very good chance,” Camilo said. “It’s disappointing [when being down 2-1] but the game was not over so we tried to attack and we were able to score.”
• Darren Mattocks made his first start since Aug. 24, playing the full match in attack alongside Camilo. Daigo Kobayashi also returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Sept. 7, playing 71 minutes. He had come off the substitutes’ bench each of the last two matches.
• “What a threat we were, with [Darren] Mattocks, Camilo [Sanvezzo], Kekuta [Manneh] and at times with Daigo [Kobayashi], what a threat,” Rennie said. “I think if we get those kind of players on the field and if we get Russell [Teibert] probably doing what he was doing a little bit earlier in the game, then we have a fantastic chance to do that. It's obviously a big ask, but we want to make sure now we focus on Wednesday.”
• After originally considered delaying joining the Jamaican national team, Darren Mattocks has left for international duty for the World Cup qualifying week.
• “We'd have liked to have had him, because he could have built on that performance,” Rennie said. “At times he's been unfortunate because sometimes he goes away for nearly two weeks, doesn't play, probably doesn't train and then he's out of the team again. So that's frustrating, but that's part of having players who play for their national teams.”
• Kenny Miller missed a second consecutive match with a groin injury. “I don't know that it's serious,” Rennie said. “It's just that a groin strain is going to take at least a few days to get better and we were hoping it would be better for the game [Sunday]. He pulled up again in training the day before the game I think. So I think that was the point where obviously he couldn't play. But we're not sure if he'll be able to play this game [against Seattle] or not and obviously if he can he's a big addition for us. We'll have to wait and see.”