The Seattle Sounders missed an opportunity to grab three points against a depleted Vancouver Whitecaps team that was missing 18 players due to international call-ups, a gastrointestinal infection, and injuries. The Sounders were missing eight players in total, Reed Baker-Whiting and Osaze DeRosario were on international duty ,and the remaining six for the Sounders were due to injuries. Head coach Brian Schmetzer started his strongest lineup, looking to take advantage of his depleted Cascadia Rivals.
As expected, the Vancouver Whitecaps played a disciplined backline and midfield, blocking the Sounders’ attempts to find a way to unlock them. The Sounders, in turn, attempted to utilize the width and pace of Ryan Kent and Pedro de la Vega to create numerical advantages and exploit them. The Sounders had an early chance to take the lead when Kent’s cross from the left flank deflected to a wide-open Alex Roldan, who shanked the shot wide left.
Striker Jesus Ferreria made several runs behind the Whitcaps defenders, which went unrewarded due to a lack of timing and awareness by the Sounders’ Albert Rusnáck, Dela Vega, Obed Vargas, and Cristian Roldan. The older Roldan set up De la Vega with a slide rule pass, but the Argentine was unable to get a shot on goal.
WHITECAPS TAKE THE LEAD
The Sounders’ lack of courage in the final third allowed the Whitecaps to find their way into the game midway through the first half. The Whitecaps continued to send multiple players into the Sounders’ box when in possession. In addition to a lack of courage in the final third, the Sounders were atrocious when defending inside their goal box. The lack of goal box defending resulted in the Whitecaps scoring the only goal of the half in the 40th minute. Whitecaps midfielder Jean-Claude Ngando’s pass from the right side of the goal box found an open Jeevan Badwal, who slotted the ball home for the 1-0 lead. The Sounders finished the first half with zero shots on goal. The Whitecaps had the lone shot on goal, which resulted in a 1-0 halftime lead.
A GOOD BUT SHORT START
As has been the case since Brian Schmetzer became the head coach of the Sounders, the team came out with energy, purpose, and determination. Nouhou switched to a more central back role, alongside Jackson Ragen and Jonathan Bell. Within minutes of the second-half whistle, Vargas won a free kick, which ended with a de la Vega cross that was knocked out of the Whitecaps’ goal box. Kent had a shot that the Whitecaps keeper Yohei Takaoka saved. Vargas had a slalom attack into the goal box, but that was also repelled by the Whitecaps’ bunkered-down defense.
It looked like it was going to be a matter of when, not if, the Sounders would score. The Sounders’ hopes and dreams were dashed just seven minutes into the half when Nouhou received the first of two back-to-back red cards.
GAME CHANGING PLAYS
Nouhou was tracking the Whitecaps’ Mathias Laborda when he took a calamitous angle and dragged the Whitecaps fullback to the ground for a straight red. Three minutes later, Bell received the second red card when he took an incorrect angle to chase down Emmanuel Sabbi. The Sounders were down to nine men ten minutes into the second half, negating the positive start to the second half.
”I don’t know how long that lasted, that positive energy. But the guys came out of halftime with energy and determination. We were trying to get some things started,’ Said Schmetzer. “ We had a plan in place. If it didn’t work after five or eight minutes, we were going to make subs.”
And five minutes later, Schmetzer made four subs at the sixty-minute mark. Dann Musoviski replaced Kent, Paul Rothrock replaced de la Vega, Kalani Rossa-Rienzi replaced Ferreira, and João Paulo stepped in for Rusnák.
NUMERICAL ADVANTAGE DIVIDENDS
The Whitecaps doubled their lead in the 70th minute on an exquisite right-footed shot by Daniel Rios. The numerical advantage gave Rios time and space to measure his howling shot. The game was put to bed in the 88th minute when Damir Kreilach converted a penalty after João Paulo conceded a penalty kick. The spot kick conversion extended the home side’s lead to 3-0.
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