The attack started like so many have this season for Vancouver Whitecaps FC: pressure, a flipped field and a goal. You could almost see the scorch marks from the lightning strike.
The Colorado Rapids had held out admirably for more than an hour on September 9, braving the Whitecaps’ numerous scouting missions and raids before the inevitable Vancouver arrow hit home. From the time Gershon Koffie turned over possession just outside his own box to the time Octavio Rivero headed home the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute, the Whitecaps took 17 touches in 18 seconds, covering about 80 yards.
Just a few minutes later, the Whitecaps scored again, snagging a 2-0 win that put them back atop the heap in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.
The message is clear: If you want to beat this Vancouver team, you have to catch them first.
These are the NASCAR Whitecaps that sit astride BC Place and the Western Conference standings as Sounders FC pushes north to renew one of the Cascadia Cup’s more underrated fixtures on Saturday (4:00 pm PT / JOEtv, This TV). With a win, Seattle reclaims a Cascadia Cup trophy it hasn’t had in its own case since 2011. That’ll also wrest it from the grasp of a Whitecaps side that’s won the cup in each of the past two seasons.
But this is an important fixture for Seattle for more reasons than just the regional rivalry. The club spent much of the summer dropping from pole position in the West to - for one nervy week, at least - outside the postseason discussion entirely. That’s changed now, with Seattle occupying fourth place with a two-point cushion on the San Jose Earthquakes, who only took a point from a midweek encounter with the Montreal Impact.
The Whitecaps, meanwhile, have been on a recent stretch that’s hard to downplay. Carl Robinson’s men have lost just two of their last 12 in MLS play, and they’ve lost just once at home this season.
The danger they present, as far as Sounders veteran Brad Evans is concerned, is more than evident.
“Speed, athleticism, a pretty consistent back four, a very good goalkeeper,” Evans said this week. “Through the spine they’re good. They’re just a very good team. With where they’re at in the standings, they’ve put together some very good runs this year. Especially at home, they’ve been very dangerous this year. They’re a team we’re very well aware of, but at the same time, we’ve got to make a push.”
One of the biggest question marks surrounding that push is the health and fitness of Osvaldo Alonso. The productive central midfielder has been a boon in all areas for Seattle this season, but he’s played just 113 minutes since August 1. He’s reportedly back to health, but whether he’s match fit or not in time to go 90 minutes against a lung-busting Whitecaps side on Saturday is another matter. Here’s a look at what he’s provided in his appearances this season. Hard to beat this.
Despite Alonso's potential health issues, however, there's good news elsewhere. The lineup could include a fully healthy Clint Dempsey after he went the full 90 in the team’s 1-1 draw against San Jose last weekend. He wasn’t a full participant in all of the team’s training sessions this week in an effort to return the U.S. international to full fitness in time for the Whitecaps matchup.
That could well coincide with the first start of the season for midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz, who put in a manful second half of spot duty last weekend, including a brilliant piece of service that led to Obafemi Martins’ equalizer to take home a point. Head coach Sigi Schmid’s 4-4-2 is crystalizing by the day.
Evans, meanwhile, went through a training session on his own during the team’s off-day on Wednesday, and he has been cleared to play on Saturday in Vancouver. With Román Torres on the shelf for the rest of the season and Zach Scott nursing a recently revealed fractured foot he’s dealt with for most of the season, Evans could well be in line to step in next to Chad Marshall in central defense.
This is a traditionally heated game, with a number of mood swings over the course of just this season. At close to full strength, the Sounders smashed Vancouver 2-0 in May on the road in one of its most comprehensive victories all season. But they also suffered a 3-0 loss at home to that same team on Aug. 1, a result the team is no doubt eager to avenge.
