Match Preview: Vancouver Vs Seattle

Who: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders

Where: Vancouver, BC, 5 PM PT

TV: TSN 2

Radio: TSN 1410

To quote Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber; “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

With the post-season still a possibility, albeit a dim one, the Vancouver Whitecaps head into Sunday’s contest against the Seattle Sounders needing a victory. The Whitecaps are six points out a post-season spot, however the team currently occupying that final spot is the Seattle Sounders, who have 41 points, tied with Portland. Earning three points against Seattle would be massive and would actually inject some hope into what has otherwise been a dismal MLS regular season.
That being said, a loss would all but send the Whitecaps to the golf course, as there are only three matches remaining this season.

Last Match

The Whitecaps are coming off a convincing win over an unconvincing opponent at BC Place on Wednesday, a 4-1 triumph over Central FC, in CCL action. The win, coupled with the four goals they were able to put in the net, should give the Whitecaps some added confidence as they head into the must-win situation. That being said, I’ve been using that line for essentially the past month, and the ‘Caps are in 8th place. I’m not exactly brimming with confidence myself, here.

The Sounders, meanwhile, are coming off an important, 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday. The Sounders are not the same team as last season, with weapons like Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey no longer in the lineup. (Martins left in February, Dempsey has a heart problem) If the Whitecaps weren’t in shambles right now, I’d say this was a match ripe for the picking. Instead, I’ll say this is a winnable match for Vancouver, if they can show up in the MLS Regular Season like they’ve shown up in the CCL.

The Cascadia Cup

The Whitecaps can also improve their Cascadia Cup rankings with a win on Sunday, although I can’t imagine that’s the clubs highest priority right now. The Whitecaps have played four matches and sit second in the Cascadia Cup standings, with six points (2 wins, 2 losses). Seattle also have six points, and the Timbers lead the way with 9, however, they’ve both played five matches. The Whitecaps can knock Seattle out of Cascadia contention with a win. WhitecapsFC.com has a nice write-up of that here.

Don’t Forget the USL!

If you’re itching for some post-season soccer, don’t forget to catch the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, as they take on the Colorado Springs in the USL playoffs tonight. You can find that match streamed at WFC2.com, with kick-off set for 6 pm.

WFC2 finished sixth in the Western Conference, and take on the third ranked Springs in the single-elimination bracket.

http://www.uslsoccer.com/usl-playoffs

Who else is thankful they get to watch meaningful soccer this weekend?