Nicolás Lodeiro struck for two goals in the first half, pacing the Seattle Sounders to a 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Cascadia Cup derby between the sides at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.
The Sounders struck first just after the match kicked off after Vancouver’s Doneil Henry was whistled by referee Chris Penso for a handball in his own penalty box, giving Lodeiro a look at the go-ahead tally from the spot. The Uruguayan cashed home the finish past Whitecaps goalkeeper Stefan Marinović, giving the Sounders a 1-0 lead and a dream start just five minutes into the contest.
Lodeiro then doubled the lead in bizarre fashion in the 31st with a distance strike that knuckled before deflecting off Marinović’s hand and slowly bouncing into the net, putting the Sounders up 2-0.
The Sounders were dealt a scare on the stroke of halftime after Penso whistled Seattle’s Chad Marshall for a handball in his own box and awarded the Whitecaps a penalty, but Penso waved off the call following video review and the Sounders maintained the 2-0 lead through the break.
New Designated Player Raúl RuidÃaz checked in and made his MLS debut just after the hour mark and the Sounders continued to apply the pressure throughout the second half, and wound up playing the final 13 minutes up a man after Vancouver’s Efrain Juarez was issued a red card for making contact with Penso. However, neither side would end up finding the net in the second half and the 2-0 scoreline would hold as the final.
Raúl RuidÃaz made his MLS debut in a reserve role against the Vancouver Whitecaps. | Mike FIechtner
THREE TAKEAWAYS
BIG DEBUT
Sounders fans had been clamoring for the debut of RuidÃaz, who didn’t feature in Seattle’s 1-1 draw with Atlanta last weekend in his first match of eligibility. The Peruvian international did indeed make his first appearance for the club on Saturday, subbing on for Will Bruin in the 61st minute. Look for him to become a staple in the team’s starting XI as he trains more and increases his fitness.
LODEIRO ON FIRE
Lodeiro’s impact on Saturday’s match stretched far beyond the two goals, as the star playmaker was on fire all afternoon, setting up teammates with pinpoint passes over the top and through balls. He’s now up to four goals and five assists on the season after scoring Seattle’s only goal against Atlanta, and an in-form Lodeiro could be coming at an ideal time with Ruidiaz now also in the fold.
UNBEATEN STREAK EXTENDED
The Sounders are going to need a mammoth second-half surge to vault back into playoff contention, with points at premium in virtually every match they’ll play from here on out. There’s still a long way to go, but their recent form is a good start, as Seattle are now unbeaten in four straight matches coming off road results in Colorado, New England and Atlanta – a stretch that has seen them go 2-0-2. They’ll have to get another road result in their next match if they want to extend the streak, as the Sounders will now hit the road for a matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium on Wednesday.
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA - Nicolás Lodeiro (PK) 5'
SEA - Nicolás Lodeiro 31'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
VAN - Doniel Henry (Unsporting Behavior) 16'
SEA - Nouhou (Unsporting Behavior) 17'
VAN - Kendall Waston (Dissent) 63'
VAN - Kei Kamara (Dissent) 74'
VAN - EfraÃn Juárez (Dissent) 77'
VAN - EfraÃn Juárez (Foul and Abusive Language; ejection) 77'
