The Seattle Sounders played to a scoreless draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps at Lumen Field on Saturday in their final home match of the 2023 MLS regular season.
Jordan Morris nearly found the back of the net in the second straight match in the 13th minute when Léo Chú marauded down the left flank and played a ball across the middle, but it was just out of Morris’ reach.
Chú had another opportunity in the 31st minute when his right-footed effort in the box after a deflection forced a save out of goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
Three minutes into the second half, Nicolás Lodeiro found Chú on a late run to the near post, but Chú’s effort went over the crossbar. Chú returned the favor to Lodeiro a minute later, when the Uruguayan’s first-timed shot was saved by Takaoka.
Vancouver’s best chance of the evening came in the 62nd minute when Ryan Gauld struck the outside of the near post with a shot that went out for a goal kick.
Albert Rusnák got in behind in the 79th minute, but his shot was saved by Takaoka, and the subsequent shot on the rebound from Cristian Roldan was blocked.
Héber had a half-chance in the second minute of stoppage time when he took a cross off his chest, spun and fired a shot that just went wide of the near post.
Roldan almost scored in second-half stoppage time for the second match in a row when his header in the sixth minute of added time forced Takaoka into a diving save.
The Sounders will finish the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 21, when they visit St. Louis CITY SC (6 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Home dominance vs. Whitecaps continues
Seattle extended its unbeaten home record against Vancouver to 8-0-2 in the last 10 matches. The Sounders haven’t lost to the Whitecaps at Lumen Field since March 2016, with Seattle outscoring Vancouver 22-4 in that span.
Defensive record opportunity
The Sounders racked up their 13th clean sheet of the season on Saturday. They will have a chance to set a club record for fewest goals allowed in an MLS season when they visit St. Louis CITY SC on Decision Day, having conceded just 32 goals this season. Seattle’s club record is 33, which it posted in 2012.
Top-four spot up for grabs
If Seattle can earn a victory against St. Louis, it will secure a spot in the top four in the Western Conference and guarantee home field advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
