Just two weeks into the season, and the Cascadia battles are already about to get underway with Whitecaps FC 2 visiting Starfire Stadium Sunday to take on S2.
The two teams have seen each other in action once before in preseason play, where the Whitecaps walked away from the rain-soaked match with a 4-3 victory. Three of the four goals for the Whitecaps came from different players, meaning the S2 back line, anchored by Damion Lowe last week, is going to need to be able to stop an attacking group that has options on how to score.
“It’s a new game and a different team, but we want to sustain that success we had last week against Sacramento,” said Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson. “Emotion will be high this week, so we need to make sure we keep that under control in these rivalry games.”
WFC 2 rolled through the preseason undefeated (3-0-1), winning its last three games. Sunday’s marks the team’s inaugural match, and it looks to carry on with its winning ways.
However, in order to do that, WFC 2 needs to stop a versatile S2 offense which hasn’t had much trouble scoring goals, rolling over defending USL champion Sacramento Republic FC 4-2 in its inaugural match last weekend. Goal-scorers Andy Craven, Sam Garza, Pablo Rossi (USL Player of the Week) and Cristian Roldan all contributed to the scoreline, while Craven, Rossi and midfielder Giuliano Frano were all named to the USL Team of the Week for their efforts.
“They have guys that can dribble and are able to attack down the wings very well,” said Craven. “Everyone talks about these rivalries as ‘epic.’ It’s an amazing experience any time you get a chance to play the local clubs.”
Beyond the numbers, there is a deep rivalry between the two clubs’ parent organizations, Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. If the preseason play between S2 and WFC 2 is any indication, a game which saw three yellow cards and two penalty kicks awarded, it would appear the Cascadia rivalry has already found its way in to USL play.
Supporters are sure to see a fierce battle between the two bitter rivals, as S2 gets a chance to settle the score while continuing on their success in Week 1, while WFC 2 has the opportunity to make a statement of its own in its opening weekend.
