VANCOUVER, B.C. - Sounders FC began its MLS Cup title defense on the road Sunday evening in a postseason Cascadia clash against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with Brian Schmetzer's side playing to a scoreless draw at BC Place in front of a partisan Vancouver crowd of 27,837. The first leg of the 2017 Western Conference Finals was a back-and-forth affair at BC Place, with Seattle claiming 54 percent of the possession and generating six shots over the course of 90 minutes. The two teams continue their run in the 2017 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in just four days, with the series moving Stateside to the Emerald City on Thursday, November 2. Kickoff for that decisive fixture at CenturyLink Field is slated for 7:30 p.m. PT, with FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes televising the match to a national audience.
The first half of play proved to be a cagey opening between the two sides, as both teams settled into the series. Vancouver's Nosa was issued a yellow card for an elbow to the face of Sounders FC midfielder Cristian Roldan in the 45th minute, while Whitecaps FC earned first-half advantages in possession (51.3 percent) and duels won (55.3 percent). Seattle ended the first 45 minutes with an advantage in passing accuracy, putting together a 90.3 percent mark to Vancouver's 84.6 percent.
The second half started out promising for Sounders FC, with Chad Marshall putting a header on frame in the 48th minute, in what ended up being the lone shot on goal for both teams all match. The last 45 minutes proved equally physical to the first, with a caution each issued to Vancouver's Aly Ghazel and Seattle's Cristian Roldan to go along with 10 combined fouls. Ultimately, the match would remain scoreless after 90 minutes, with Seattle out-passing Vancouver 508-435.
Following Sunday's match, the Western Conference Semifinals now shifts south of the Canadian border to CenturyLink field, where Seattle prepares to host Vancouver on Thursday, November 2 (7:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes). As the higher-seeded team at the conclusion of the 2017 regular season, Seattle earned the right to host the second and deciding match of the series, a fifth matchup between the two sides this season across all competitions. Thus far throughout the campaign, Seattle is 1-1-2 against their Cascadia rivals (including tonight's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs match at BC Place). The winner of the Western Conference Semifinals advances to the Conference Championship, facing the winner of the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo series.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 0 - Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Venue:
BC Place
Referee:
Kevin Stott
Assistants:
Jeff Hosking, Kermit Quisenberry
Fourth Official:
Ricardo Salazar
VAR:
Mark Geiger
Attendance:
27,837
Weather:
Clear
SCORING SUMMARY
None
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
VAN -
Nosa (caution) 45'
VAN
- Aly Ghazal (caution) 79'
SEA
- Cristian Roldan (caution) 87'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Chad Marshall (Lamar Neagle 78'), Kelvin Leerdam, Nouhou, Román Torres; Nicolás Lodeiro - captain, Jordy Delem (Gustav Svensson 64'), Joevin Jones, Harry Shipp (Osvaldo Alonso 74'), Cristian Roldan; Will Bruin
Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Tony Alfaro, Oniel Fisher, Henry Wingo
Total shots:
6 (Six players, 1)
Shots on goal:
1 (Marshall, 1)
Fouls:
6 (Roldan, 2)
Offside:
1 (Lodeiro, 1)
Corner-kicks:
5 (Lodeiro, 5)
Saves:
None
Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Stefan Marinovic; Jakob Nerwinski, Marcel de Jong, Tim Parker, Kendall Waton - captain; Christian Bolanos (Cristian Techera 76'), Brek Shea (Nicolas Mezquida 89'), Nosa (Yordy Reyna 62'), Tony Tchani, Aly Ghazal; Fredy Montero
Substitutes not used: David Ousted, Andrew Jacobson, Jordan Harvey, Bernie Ibini-Isei
Total shots:
7 (Montero, 3)
Shots on goal:
None
Fouls:
14 (Nerwinski/Ghazal, 3)
Offside:
None
Corner-kicks:
2 (Bolanos, 2)
Saves:
1 (Marinovic, 1)
MATCH NOTES
- Following tonight's draw, Seattle and Vancouver head into the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals this Thursday on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. With no goals scored in the first leg, the winner of Thursday's match advances to the Western Conference Championship. A scoreless draw after 90 minutes would force extra time, while a draw with any goals scored would result in Whitecaps FC advancing, due to the away goals tiebreaker.
- Sunday marked the first meeting between Sounders FC and Whitecaps FC in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. After meeting three times in the regular season, the two sides are even at 1-1-2 across all competitions in 2017. Dating back to 1974, Seattle and Vancouver have met 146 times, with the Rave Green leading the all-time series 69-52-25.
- By not allowing a goal Sunday evening, Sounders FC has recorded a shutout in its last three matches across all competitions. Dating back to September 16, Seattle has kept its opponents off the scoresheet in five of its last seven outings.
- Sounders FC is now unbeaten in its last four postseason matches, with its last loss in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs coming in last season's second leg at FC Dallas (Sounders FC advanced on aggregate). The Rave Green have lost just twice in their last 11 postseason fixtures (7-2-2), dating back 2014 Western Conference Championship.
