Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
MLS Regular Season
Saturday, May 24; 4 pm PT; BC Place
TV/Radio: JoeTV (KZJO channel 22/cable 10); KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; THIS-TV, KOMO2 (Spanish); ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
Vancouver's Record: The Whitecaps are 4-2-4 and fourth in the Western Conference, including a 3-1-1 record at home.
Head-To-Head: This is the first of three meetings between the Cascadia rivals. The second will come in Vancouver on July 5 and the final match will be at CenturyLink Field on October 10.
All-Time Series: Seattle is 3-2-3 all-time against Vancouver in MLS play and holds a 63-48-21 edge all-time over the NASL, A-League/USL and MLS dating back to 1974 when both teams entered the North American Soccer League.
Injury Report: Sounders FC – OUT: D Damion Lowe (Hip Surgery); F Kevin Parsemain (ACL Tear). QUESTIONABLE: None. Whitecaps FC – OUT: D Sam Adekugbe (R Knee); M Mehdi Ballouchy (L Knee); D Ethen Sampson (R Knee). QUESTIONABLE: F Darren Mattocks (L Hamstring).
Key Player: Pedro Morales has made a quick transition in his first year in MLS. The Chilean midfielder has three goals and two assists and is central to the Vancouver attack. Morales, 28, played for Malaga in Spain for two seasons before coming to Whitecaps FC, and also spent time with Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, where he played in UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
Notes: Sounders FC will play without forward Clint Dempsey and defender DeAndre Yedlin while both are away with the U.S. National Team in preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup next month. Midfielder Brad Evans returned to Seattle on Thursday. … Vancouver won't have defender Steven Beitashour (Iran) and midfielder Bryce Alderson (Canada). … Both teams have shown a propensity toward scoring late goals. Of Vancouver's 16 goals this season, six have come in the final 15 minutes, while seven of Seattle's 23 goals have come in that stretch. Further, Seattle has scored 12 times over the final 30 minutes of its matches. … Vancouver has allowed five goals in the final 15 minutes out of 12 allowed total, while six of Seattle's 19 goals conceded have come in the first 15 minutes. … Both clubs are celebrating their 40th anniversaries.
