MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC finishes second in West with 1-1 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Seattle Sounders FC (17-8-9, 60 points) battled Vancouver Whitecaps FC (12-9-13, 49 points) to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. Since Decision Day was implemented in 2015, Seattle closed its regular season away from home for the first time, securing the Cascadia Cup in the process. With seven points against both Vancouver and Portland on the season, Sounders FC retains the regional title as the top team in the Pacific Northwest. Sunday’s match also held major implications for the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, as Brian Schmetzer’s side finishes the campaign in second place, securing a first-round matchup with Real Salt Lake, who earned a playoff berth at the death by scoring a 95th-minute winner at Sporting Kansas City. Postseason dates, kickoff times and broadcast details are being announced by MLS in the coming days. 

Montero got the visitors into the lead early, after Vancouver’s Cristian Dajome was whistled for a handball inside the area in just the sixth minute of play. Montero stepped forward to the penalty spot, and buried his attempt, good for his seventh regular-season goal of 2021 and his 54th overall in Rave Green. 

Vancouver leveled the score in the 20th minute courtesy of Ryan Gauld. A cross into the area by Brian White deflected off the head of Nouhou, with Gauld able to head the ball home across the face of goal. For the Scotsman, it was his fourth goal of the season. 

Brian Schmetzer’s side now looks ahead to its 13th consecutive postseason campaign, which begins following the upcoming FIFA international break. On top of clinching the second seed in the Western Conference and retaining the Cascadia Cup, Sounders FC also secures a spot in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League with today’s result.

MATCH NOTES

• Completing the 2021 regular season with 60 points (17-8-9), Seattle finishes the campaign in second place heading into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. 

• Seattle now readies itself for a 13th-consecutive postseason campaign, with the Rave Green holding both the active and all-time MLS postseason qualification streak. 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).

• Sunday’s match marked the 146th all-time meeting between Seattle and Vancouver dating back to 1974. Seattle leads the all-time series 71-50-25, including a current 14-match unbeaten run (9-0-5) in MLS play (including postseason), dating back to 2017. No two teams have met more in the history of U.S. and Canadian soccer. 

• In MLS regular-season play, Seattle moves to 15-7-8 all-time against Vancouver, including a 6-3-6 record at BC Place. The two sides met three total times this season, with Seattle recording a 4-1 win at Lumen Field on October 9, preceded by 2-2 draw on June 26 (also in the Emerald City). 

• Since being implemented in 2015, today’s Decision Day matchup was the first time the Rave Green have not closed a regular season at home. Coming into Sunday, Seattle was a perfect 6-0-0 on Decision Day.  

• Today’s match also determined the 2021 Cascadia Cup champion, as Sounders FC hoisted the trophy at BC Place. Contested annually since 2004 between all three Pacific Northwest teams, the competition was founded by the biggest supporters groups for each of the clubs: Seattle’s Emerald City Supporters, Portland’s Timbers Army and the Vancouver Southsiders. After pausing Cascadia Cup play in 2020 due to the pandemic, Seattle retains the cup after winning it in 2018 and 2019. 

• Since Seattle, Vancouver and Portland began playing for the Cascadia Cup in MLS in 2011, Sounders FC has won the regional competition five times, the most titles of all three participants in that span. 

• This is the second time that the Rave Green have clinched the Cascadia Cup at BC Place. Seattle sealed the 2015 title inside the venue on September 19, 2015. 

• With his penalty-kick goal in the eighth minute of play, Fredy Montero bagged his seventh MLS goal of the season, moving him into sole possession of second place in club scoring this season (behind Raúl Ruidíaz, 17 goals). Montero holds the all-time scoring record for the Rave Green across all competitions (68 goals). 

• For Montero, the penalty was his 54th regular-season goal in Rave Green, the most in club history. He now has five all-time career goals against Vancouver, behind only Nicolás Lodeiro and Raúl Ruidíaz (both have six career goals vs. Whitecaps FC). Montero also represented Vancouver from 2017 through 2020, recording 26 goals during his time at BC Place. 

• Seattle finishes second in the Western Conference standings for the fifth consecutive year.

• The Rave Green finish the season undefeated this year when scoring the first goal, playing to a 15-0-5 record.

• Sunday’s draw secures a spot for Seattle in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League. 

• Sounders FC did not fall beneath second place in the Western Conference throughout the entirety of the 2021 MLS regular season.  

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1
Sunday, November 7, 2021 

Venue: BC Place
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Assistants: Chris Wattam, Jeffrey Greeson
Fourth Official: Alain Ruch
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance: 25,117
Weather: Indoor 

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Fredy Montero (penalty) 8’
VAN – Ryan Gauld (Brian White) 20’ 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Nouhou (caution) 31’
SEA – Yeimar (caution) 35’
SEA – Danny Leyva (caution) 80’ 

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Yeimar, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou, Brad Smith (Danny Leyva 63’); Josh Atencio (Jordan Morris HT), Kelyn Rowe (Léo Chú 85’), Cristian Roldan, Nicolas Benezet; Fredy Montero

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Shane O’Neill, Reed Baker-Whiting, Ethan Dobbelaere

Total shots: 10
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 8
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 0 

Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Maxime Crepeau; Cristian Gutierrez, Ranko Veselinovic, Javain Brown (Bruno Gaspar), Jake Nerwinski; Cristian Dajome (Janio Bikel 70’), Leonard Owusu, Ryan Gauld, Florian Jungwirth, Russel Teibert; Brian White (Lucas Cavallini 90’+1’)

Substitutes not used: Thomas Hasal, Marcus Godinho, Andy Rose, Ryan Raposo, Pedro Vite, Michael Baldisimo

Total shots: 5
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 12
Offside: 5
Corner-kicks: 8
Saves: 4