The Seattle Sounders are taking on the Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday in their third and final meeting of the 2020 MLS regular season. Here is everything you need to know.
Watch on Prime Video
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Ore., although it is a home match for the Whitecaps. Due to COVID-19, MLS’ three Canadian teams are playing their home games at designated stadiums in the United States.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on JOEtv and Prime Video. The prematch show begins at 6:30 p.m. PT.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.
2020 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 9-4-5 (32 points, 2nd West), Whitecaps: 8-12-0 (24 points, 7th West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: DDLWW, Vancouver: WLWWL
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 13-7-6 all time against the Whitecaps, including a 6-3-5 mark on the road.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Seattle defeated Vancouver 3-1 at CenturyLink Field on Oct. 3. João Paulo and Raúl Ruidíaz scored for the Sounders, who also added another from an Erik Godoy own goal, to go up 3-0 just shy of the hour mark. Fredy Montero converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute for a consolation tally.
RETURNING INTERNATIONALS: The Sounders should be buoyed by the presence of midfielder Gustav Svensson (Sweden) and defender Xavier Arreaga, who return after stints with their respective national teams and a mandatory quarantine period upon returning to the United States. Seattle could potentially see the return of Ruidíaz, who tested positive for COVID-19 while away with Peru, but has since returned to the U.S. He will undergo additional testing to determine whether he is deemed a “recovered person” and eligible to play on Tuesday.
FIRST PLACE ON THE LINE: Sporting Kansas City jumped the Sounders for first place in the West over the weekend in their 4-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. A win over Vancouver would return Seattle to first place, while a draw would see the Sounders and SKC even on points, but SKC boasting the first tiebreaker of more wins.
SOMETHING BRUIN: Forward Will Bruinscored a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer against the Portland Timbers on Thursday, his first MLS goal since tearing his ACL last year. His tally might prove crucial come final Western Conference standings.
‘CAPS CLIMBING: After four straight losses, the Whitecaps have righted the ship and have now won three of their last four to catapult themselves into a playoff spot. Vancouver went down 1-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday before coming back to win 2-1.
CAVALLINI CRUISING: After just two goals in his first 11 MLS matches, new Vancouver Designated Player Lucas Cavallini has three goals in his last four games. The strong, powerful striker is in his first season with the Whitecaps after signing from Liga MX’s Puebla this past offseason.
