Vancouver drops Sounders FC 3-0 in Cascadia Cup clash

SEATTLE, WASH. – Two goals from defender Pa Modou Kah and a third tally from second-half substitute Pedro Morales secured a 3-0 victory for Vancouver Whitecaps FC (12-8-3, 39 points) over Seattle Sounders FC (10-11-2, 32 points) on Saturday night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. With the loss, Sounders FC drops to second in the 2015 Cascadia Cup standings with six points, now trailing Vancouver by two points. Portland (five points) remains at the bottom of the standings for the regional competition contested between Major League Soccer’s three Pacific Northwest clubs. Saturday night also marked the first of four full-stadium matches for Sounders FC in 2015, with CenturyLink Field playing host to 53,125 fans. The club’s next Cascadia Cup game is also the second full-stadium contest of the year: an August 30 showdown with the Portland Timbers.

Vancouver wasted little time in getting on the score-sheet, as Kah vaulted Whitecaps FC into an early lead in the sixth minute of play by converting a Nicolas Mezquida free-kick. Kah helped double his side’s lead just after halftime, this time with a back-heel conversion following a Whitecaps FC corner-kick. Morales added an insurance strike during a free-kick in the 75^th minute to conclude the night’s action for Vancouver.

Saturday’s match featured the return of several Sounders FC players, including goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Brad Evans and forward Clint Dempsey, all of whom played 90 minutes tonight for Seattle. Dempsey and Evans return to the Rave Green from U.S. National Team duty in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Dempsey last appeared for the club in MLS play on June 13, with Evans’ most recent start prior to tonight coming on June 28. Frei makes his return to the team following a shoulder injury suffered on July 3.

Tonight’s match marks the beginning of packed month of August for the Rave Green, as Sigi Schmid’s side plays eight matches throughout the month across all competitions. Sounders FC returns to action in just four days, with Seattle heading across the Canadian border to face Whitecaps FC in the opening match of group play in the 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. Kickoff for the match is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT from Vancouver’s BC Place on Wednesday, August 5. Sounders FC then heads to Southern California for a nationally televised MLS clash with the LA Galaxy on Sunday, August 9 (1:00 p.m. PT / ESPN, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). 

Seattle Sounders FC 0 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Venue: Xbox Field at CenturyLink Field
Referee: Mark Geiger
Assistants: CJ Morgante, Mike Rottersman
Fourth Official: Alejandro Mariscal

Attendance: 53,125
Weather:  Clear and 84 degrees

SCORING SUMMARY

VAN – Pa Modou Kah 6’
VAN – Pa Modou Kah (Cristian Techera, Kekuta Manneh) 49’
VAN – Pedro Morales 75’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Clint Dempsey (caution) 53’
VAN – Kendall Waston (caution) 67’
SEA – Osvaldo Alonso (caution) 74’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans – Captain, Chad Marshall, Dylan Remick; Erik Friberg, Gonzalo Pineda (Cristian Roldan 60’), Osvaldo Alonso, Thomàs (Andy Rose 76’); Clint Dempsey, Chad Barrett (Lamar Neagle 63’)

Substitutes not used: Troy Perkins, Oniel Fisher, Darwin Jones, Zach Scott

Total shots: 12 (Dempsey, 5)
Shots on goal: 7 (Dempsey, 2)
Fouls: 19 (Friberg, 4)
Offside: 2 (Thomàs/Barrett, 1)
Corner-kicks: 8 (Thomàs, 3)
Saves: 4 (Frei, 4)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC – David Ousted – Captain; Steven Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Pa-Modou Kah, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Gerson Koffie, Cristian Techera (Cristian Techera 86’), Nicolas Mezquida (Pedro Morales 72’), Kekuta Manneh (Darren Mattocks 79’), Octavio Rivero

Substitutes not used:  Paolo Tornaghi, Deybi Flores, Erik Hurtado Tim Parker, Russell Teibert

Total shots: 10 (3 players tied at 2)
Shots on goal: 7 (Kah, 2)
Fouls: 14 (Waston/Laba, 2)
Offside: 2 (Rivero, 2)
Corner-kicks: 2 (Techera, 2)
Saves: 3 (Ousted, 3)

MATCH NOTES

• Seattle Sounders FC is currently 10-11-2 in the 2015 regular season. With 32 points, the club remains in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference.
• Vancouver now leads Seattle 5-4-4 in the regular season series. The two sides face each other one more time in league action on September 19 at Vancouver. That match will also decide the Cascadia Cup, as Vancouver currently has a two-point lead over Seattle, but Sounders FC has one game in-hand against Portland.
• Saturday’s match featured the return of several Sounders FC players, including goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Brad Evans and forward Clint Dempsey, all of whom played 90 minutes tonight for Seattle. Dempsey and Evans return to the Rave Green from U.S. National Team duty in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Dempsey last appeared for the club in MLS play on June 13, with Evans’ most recent start prior to tonight coming on June 28. Frei makes his return to the team following a shoulder injury suffered on July 3.
• In the second half, Sounders FC set a new club record of 362 consecutive minutes without a goal, with the last goal coming from Tyrone Mears on July 3 against D.C. United in the 88^th minute.
• With tonight’s attendance of 53,125, the Rave Green is now 10-2-1 in front of home crowds of 50,000 or more.