With the intensity on the field and in the stands at CenturyLink Field, Friday night’s clash between Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC had all the makings of a playoff match. From the passionate physicality to the 55,765 fans urging both teams on, the game took things to a new level.
A fluky goal was the only difference between the two sides as Seattle fell 1-0, allowing Vancouver to lift the Cascadia Cup for the second consecutive season.
“It was a playoff game tonight. A lot was on the line for them and they were throwing bodies around. It was a very physical game,” Sounders FC captain Brad Evans said.
After scoring eight goals in the previous two matches, Seattle was frustrated by the defensive tactics of the Whitecaps FC, who packed the middle of the field and blocked Seattle’s best attacking routes. Sounders FC outshot the Whitecaps 10-6, but both teams got just three shots on goal in a strong defensive performance.
“I don’t know if it was a game that we deserved to win, but we certainly didn’t deserve to lose,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “They’re trying to push to get into the playoffs. They were very well-organized. They really packed the middle of the field. We needed to create more in the width and didn’t quite get that done, so we’ll move forward.”
After a physically combative first half, Kekuta Manneh finally broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, bursting up the left side to take a pass from Pedro Morales. Manneh got into the box, cut to his left around Chad Marshall, then cut a shot past Stefan Frei for his fourth goal of the season, putting Vancouver up 1-0.
In the second half, Seattle pressed to find an equalizer, even changing to a three-man defensive formation over the final minutes of action. The best scoring chance came when Evans got his head to a ball from Clint Dempsey in second-half stoppage time only to have the effort cleared off the line.
In a match filled with bouts of competitive action, but not much in terms of scoring chances, Seattle’s creativity that had become its hallmark this season was limited. That, Evans said, is something the team needs to be prepared for in the final two weeks of the regular season as the postseason nears.
“From here on out, it’s going to be physical,” said Evans, who started at right back in place of DeAndre Yedlin, who was away playing in a friendly with the U.S. National Team. “Every game is going to be a playoff game. So we’ve got to be ready for it.”
Seattle’s final two matches will be against the LA Galaxy, starting on the road on October 19 at the StubHub Center and concluding on October 25 at CenturyLink Field. In those matches, the Supporters’ Shield is on the line as the top two teams in MLS prepare for battle.
“We have a lot to play for. Our goal of Supporters’ Shield hasn’t changed and our goal of MLS Cup hasn’t changed,” Schmid said. “We might need a little bit of help from Dallas, but we need to take care of business in the last two games.”
