Sounders earn 13th consecutive playoff berth with 4-1 win over Whitecaps

The Seattle Sounders ( 17-5-6, 57 points) continued their home  scoring spree with a convincing 4-1 win over the Cascadia Rivals Vancouver Whitecaps (9-9-10, 37 points)

 The Sounders have found a home winning formula for their two current home wins. Press the opponent from the get cause, a turnover, and make the visitors pay.

GAME NOTES

• Saturday’s win at Lumen Field clinches a spot in the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs for Sounders FC. Coming into tonight’s match, the club’s previous 12-year postseason streak was already a league record, ahead of the New York Red Bulls’ current 11-year run and the LA Galaxy’s 10-year run from 1996-2005. The run also ranks second among the active postseason streak leaders in all five major U.S. men’s sports leagues, behind only the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins (15 straight postseason appearances).

• Brian Schmetzer side maintains control of the Western Conference, with Seattle now five points ahead of second-place Sporting Kansas City. The Rave Green play Sporting for the third and final time this season on October 23 at Lumen Field.

• Saturday’s match marked the 145^th all-time meeting between Seattle and Vancouver dating back to 1974. Seattle leads the all-time series 71-50-24, including a current 13-match unbeaten run (9-0-4) in MLS play (including postseason), dating back 2017. In MLS regular-season play, Seattle moves to 15-7-7 all-time.

• Tonight’s win moves Sounders FC up the Cascadia Cup standings with six total points (2-1-0) on the season, level with Portland’s six points (2-1-0) and ahead of Vancouver’s zero points (0-1-0). Two matches remain after Saturday’s fixture: Vancouver at Portland on October 21 and Seattle at Vancouver on November 7. Seattle won the Cascadia Cup in 2018 and 2019 before it was called off in 2020.

• With his opening goal in the fifth minute of play, centerback Shane O’Neill bagged his first goal of the year, and his second overall as a Sounder. O’Neill scored against FC Dallas on for the Rave Green in last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs, but he had not scored in regular-season play prior to tonight since 2014 (when playing for the Colorado Rapids).

• Summer signing Nico Benezet continued his good form for the Rave Green, scoring the second goal of tonight’s match in the 14^th minute of play. For the Frenchman, it was second goal of the season in Rave Green since joining the club from Colorado on August 5 via trade. The attacking midfielder has seven appearances since that time (four starts).

• With his corner kick in the fifth minute on O’Neill’s headed goal, João Paulo earned his team-leading 10^th assist of 2021. This is now the 12^th time in Sounders FC history a player has recorded double-digit assists in a campaign. The Brazilian is also tied for fifth in MLS in assists this season.

• With his third goal of the season in the 55^th minute of play, Will Bruin notched his 74^th goal of his career, 10^th among active players.

• Midfielder Kelyn Rowe provided assists on all three Seattle goals this evening, making him just the fifth Sounder in club history to earn a hat trick of assists in a single match. Forward Jordan Morris was the last accomplish this feat, when he recorded three helpers vs. San Jose on September 10, 2020.

• With his goal in the 90^th minute, Brazilian forward Leó Chú bagged his first strike as a Sounder. Chú joined the Rave Green from Grêmio on August 5 using Major Soccer League’s U-22 player initiative.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 4 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Venue: Lumen Field

Referee: Ted Unkel

Assistants: Peter Balciunas, Nick Uranga

Fourth Official: Victor Rivas

VAR: Jeremy Hanson

Attendance: 31,842

Weather: 56 degrees and rain

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Shane O’Neill (Kelyn Rowe, João Paulo) 5’

SEA – Nicolas Benezet (Will Bruin, Kelyn Rowe) 14’

VAN – Brian White (Ryan Gauld) 45’+1’

SEA – Will Bruin (Fredy Montero, Kelyn Rowe) 55’

SEA – Léo Chú (Fredy Montero) 90’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

VAN – Bruno Gaspar (caution) 35’

SEA – Yeimar (caution) 42’

SEA – Nicolas Benezet (caution) 43’

VAN – Ryan Gauld (caution) 72’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Shane O’Neill, Abdoulaye Cissoko (Léo Chú 85’), Yiemar, Kelyn Rowe, Jimmy Medranda; Josh Atencio, João Paulo, Nicolas Benezet (Danny Leyva 71’), Fredy Montero; Will Bruin

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Spencer Richey, Reed Baker-Whiting, Ethan Dobbelaere, Juan Alvarez

Total shots: 21

Shots on goal: 10

Fouls: 9

Offside: 3

Corner-kicks: 11

Saves: 2

Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Thomas Hasal; Bruno Gaspar, Florian Jungwirth, Jake Nerwinski; Deiber Caicedo, Leonard Owusu (Marcus Godinho 71’), Ryan Gauld, Russell Teibert (Michael Baldisimo 71’), Patrick Metcalfe (Janio Bikel 71’); Cristian Dajome (Tosaint Ricketts 78’), Brian White

Substitutes not used: Cristian Gutierrez, Evan Newton, Ryan Raposo, Kamron Habibullah

Total shots: 11

Shots on goal: 3

Fouls: 8

Offside: 2

Corner-kicks: 3

Saves: 5