Sounders FC earns 3-1 home win over Vancouver

Sounders FC (8-3-3, 27 points) kicked off its busy month of October with a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5-10-0, 15 points) on Saturday evening at CenturyLink Field. João Paulo and Raúl Ruidíaz found the net for Seattle as the home side took over sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.

After a scoreless first half, Brazilian midfielder João Paulo put Sounders FC on the board just after halftime on a long-distance strike. It marked the second goal of the 2020 MLS regular season for the central midfielder, who joined Sounders FC as a Designated Player prior to this season. Cristian Roldan then helped make it 2-0 seven minutes later when his cross was mishandled by the Whitecaps FC defense and redirected into the net for an own goal. Ruidíaz upped the score to 3-0 in the 58^th minute courtesy of assists from Jordan Morris and Nico Lodeiro, marking the Peruvian’s team-leading ninth goal of the season. Morris leads the team this year with seven assists, while Lodeiro ranks just behind him with six. 

Vancouver pulled one back in the 65^th minute on a penalty kick by former Sounder Fredy Montero, but it wasn’t enough, as the Rave Green captured their fourth win the last five matches.

MEDIA RESOURCES

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:https://sndrs.com/cn985

PHOTOS - IMAGES FOR MEDIA USE:https://sndrs.com/ndk36

AUDIO - DOWNLOADABLE POST-MATCH SOUNDBYTES: http://sndrs.com/audio

MATCH NOTES

• Saturday’s match at CenturyLink Field marked the second meeting of the season between Seattle and Vancouver, and the 142^nd meeting across all competitions between the clubs dating back to 1974, with Seattle leading the series 69-50-23.
  
• Prior to tonight’s game, Seattle previously met Vancouver in the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, with Seattle winning 3-0 on July 19.
  
• Since the rivalry advanced to MLS in 2011, Sounders FC is 13-7-6 in regular-season action against the Whitecaps, including a 7-4-1 record in Seattle.
  
• Head Coach Brian Schmetzer made one change to the starting lineup that beat the LA Galaxy 3-1 on September 27, with Raúl Ruidíaz getting the nod at forward for Will Bruin, with the former completing his one-game suspension. 
  
• João Paulo’s goal in the 46^th minute of play was his second strike of the season for Sounders FC. In 11 games for the Rave Green (10 starts) the Brazilian Designated Player also has four assists. He scored his first regular-season goal on September 10 in a 7-1 win over San Jose. He also scored twice in CONCACAF Champions League play in the series versus Honduran side C.D. Olimpia back in February, shortly after joining the club following a successful career in the Brazilian topflight.
  
• Raúl Ruidíaz added his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 58^th minute of play. Since joining the club in the 2018 summer transfer window, the Peruvian international has 30 goals in the regular season. Including postseason action, he has 37 total strikes to his name in Rave Green. 
  
• So far in 2020, Ruidíaz is tied for second in the MLS Golden Boot race with Columbus' Gyasi Zardes (nine goals each), trailing LAFC forward Diego Rossi by two goals.
  
• Among active Sounders, only Nico Lodeiro (five goals) has more than Ruidíaz’s four strikes against Vancouver in regular-season action.
  
• Former Sounder Fredy Montero recorded his fourth goal as a Whitecap against his former club, the most of any active Vancouver player against the Rave Green. He is tied with two other players for the all-time lead in this category as well.
  
• In addition to Montero, two other former Sounders were in the starting lineup for Vancouver tonight: defender / midfielder Andy Rose and goalkeeper Bryan Meredith. Rose played in Seattle’s midfield from 2012 through 2015, while Meredith departed this past offseason following two stints in the Emerald City (2011-2012 / 2017-2019).
  
• After tonight’s performance, Seattle regains the top goal difference in the league (+19), and the club is tied with LAFC for the best attack in MLS (32 goals scored).
  
• Sounders FC remains atop the Western Conference with 27 points, three points ahead of second-place Portland. In the race for the Supporters’ Shield, the club has a game-in hand of the four teams above it, with Columbus and Toronto FC leading the pack on 31 points.
  
• In ordinary times, Saturday's match would count toward the Cascadia Cup standings, the annual trophy that is awarded to the best-performing club of the regular season in the rivalry between Sounders FC, Portland and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Cascadia Cup formally started in 2004 by the biggest supporters groups for each of the three clubs: Emerald City Supporters (Seattle), Timbers Army (Portland) and the Vancouver Southsiders (Whitecaps). The competition began when all three teams were members of the USL First Division and involves all three clubs, save for 2009 and 2010, when it was between the Timbers and Whitecaps due to Seattle moving to MLS. In 2011, all three sides were in the MLS for the first time and the competition has existed in top division since then. Earlier this year, the Cascadia Cup Council decided that 2020 matches not played in front of supporters won't count towards Cascadia Cup standings.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1
Saturday, October 3, 2020

Venue: CenturyLink Field
Referee: Timothy Ford
Assistants: Cameron Blanchard, Brian Dunn
Fourth Official: Farhad Dadkho
VAR: Armando Villarreal
Attendance: Closed Door
Weather: 56 degrees and fog

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – João Paulo 46’
SEA – Erik Godoy (OG) 53’
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (Jordan Morris, Nicolás Lodeiro) 59’
VAN – Fredy Montero (penalty) 65’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

VAN – Janio Bikel (caution) 26’
SEA – João Paulo (caution) 49’
VAN – Lucas Cavallini (caution) 52’
SEA – Yeimar Gómez Andrade (caution) 65’
VAN – Janio Bikel (ejection) 68’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam (Alex Roldan 76’), Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou (Brad Smith 73’); Gustav Svensson (Jordy Delem 73’), João Paulo (Josh Atencio 89’), Cristian Roldan, Nicolás Lodeiro, Jordan Morris; Raúl Ruidíaz (Will Bruin 76’) 

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Shane O’Neill, Miguel Ibarra

Total shots: 22 (Morris, 5)
Shots on goal: 9 (Lodeiro, 3)
Fouls: 10 (Three players, 2)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 6 (Lodeiro, 5)
Saves: 1 (Frei, 1)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Bryan Meredith; Jake Nerwinski, Erik Godoy, Derek Cornelius, Ali Adnan; Cristian Dajome (Patrick Metcalfe 75’), Janio Bikel, Andy Rose (Michael Baldisimo 65’), David Milinkovic (Ryan Raposo 65’); Fredy Montero (Theo Bair 75’), Lucas Cavallini (Tosaint Ricketts 89’)

Substitutes not used: Evan Bush, Isaac Boehmer, Ranko Veselinovic, Damiano Pecile

Total shots: 3 (Cavallini, 2)
Shots on goal: 2 (Cavallini/Montero, 1)
Fouls: 17 (Cavallini, 4)
Offside: 1 (Raposo, 1)
Corner-kicks: 0
Saves: 7 (Meredith, 7)