Another Cascadia Cup clash takes centre stage this weekend at Lumen Field as the Seattle Sounders aim to stretch their MLS unbeaten run to three matches when they host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
Seattle are coming off a 0-0 draw versus Dallas the last time out, while the Caps missed a chance to move into first place in the Western Conference, losing 3-1 at home to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Match preview
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That first away win of the domestic campaign continues to elude the Rave Green, though claiming at least a point in consecutive games is an encouraging sign for Brian Schmetzer.
Heading into this fixture, the Sounders have not conceded in back-to-back domestic contests, allowing a goal or fewer in each of their encounters played at Lumen Field this year.
Currently 12th in the Western Conference is not a place we are used to seeing Seattle in the regular season, amassing just six points after seven league fixtures, the fewest for this side at this stage of an MLS campaign since 2018 (five) and 10 fewer than a year ago.
Dating back to the 2023 campaign, the Sounders are unbeaten in six successive regular season encounters at Lumen Field and have never been behind in any MLS home game since a 2-0 defeat to Atlanta United last August.
The Rave Green have never lost a match this season when leading at the half, though that has only happened on two occasions, thumping CF Montreal 5-0 while squandering two points in a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids.
They have continuously got the better of Vancouver in their own backyard, unbeaten in 11 straight matches against them in all competitions at Lumen Field, with eight of those results being victories for Seattle.
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On a cool April evening under the dome of BC Place, the Caps pressed hard in the final 45 minutes but were caught out in transition against a clinical Galaxy side that scored on three of their five targeted efforts.
Vanni Sartini's side are currently second in the Western Conference with 13 points, equalling their best-ever start to an MLS campaign after seven matches.
So far in 2024, the Whitecaps have been relatively sharp away from home, winning both of their domestic road matches this year by a combined margin of 5-1, and another victory on Saturday would mark just the second time in club history that they triumph in three successive regular-season contests outside Vancouver, with the previous time occurring in 2015.
The Whitecaps have found the back of the net in every MLS encounter this year but lost for the first time in 2024 last weekend when scoring in the second half.
While defending counter-attacks has been a trouble spot for them in 2024, the Caps have been particularly dangerous attacking down the flanks, utilising the speed of their wing-backs to create several numerical advantages.
While they have not claimed three points at Lumen Field since the 2016 campaign (2-1), Vancouver have picked up seven points in their previous four regular-season meetings with the Sounders, holding them to a 0-0 draw in Seattle last season.
Team News
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Pedro de la Vega sat out of his fifth successive match for the Sounders last Saturday but could be nearing a return in a week or two from a hamstring strain, while Joao Paulo has come on as a substitute in each of their previous two fixtures after missing time with a hip issue.
Braudilio Rodrigues and Reed Baker-Whiting were unavailable to the Rave Green last weekend due to right and left hamstring injuries, respectively.
Leo Chu was on the bench against Dallas but did not feature, having recently returned to full training, while Nouhou Tolo was questionable last weekend after being subbed off after only 11 minutes in their victory over Montreal, but he played the full 90 minutes against the Toros at left-back.
Vancouver were without Bjorn Inge Utvik last week because of a sore ankle, though he may be available on Saturday, while Belal Halbouni is doubtful because of a hand injury.
Luis Martins was an unused substitute versus the Galaxy but was on the team sheet for the first time since March 23, when he sustained a thigh injury, and Ralph Priso is still seeking his first start with his new club.
Ryan Gauld has at least one goal contribution in his last four encounters, while Brian White netted his third of the campaign last week, giving him 42 for the Whitecaps in all competitions, one fewer than Camilo Sanvezzo for the most all-time in club history during the MLS era.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A. Roldan, Andrade, Ragen, Tolo; Paulo, Atencio; C. Roldan, Rusnak, Morris; Ruidiaz
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Laborda, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Raposo, Vite, Cubas, Schopf; Gauld, White, Picault
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
The Sounders seem to have found a way to clean up the defensive issues we saw earlier this season, and despite the Caps possessing plenty of attacking quality, we believe they are still missing a midfield general who can unlock opposing backlines with some sharp passing and vision.
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