Whitecaps Make Historical Trip To Seattle

September 18, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release


Vancouver Whitecaps FC (14-7-8) complete their 2008 USL First Division regular season schedule when they visit Interstate 5 rivals Seattle Sounders (10-9-10) on Saturday evening.

Vancouver's 30th and final regular season match will be an historical one, as it is the last time that the Whitecaps will face the Emerald City outfit in a USL-1 regular season game. Next year, the Sounders make the jump to Major League Soccer - thus halting play between the two Pacific Northwest adversaries for the time being. It is also a game that may have plenty at stake in the league standings, as the Whitecaps still have a chance to finish first and win the Commissioner's Cup, though they will need league leaders Puerto Rico Islanders to lose twice over the weekend to have that opportunity.

Teitur Thordarson's side are assured of a second-place finish in USL-1 after they claimed the regular season series with Canadian rivals Montreal Impact - a 1-0 victory at Swangard Stadium last Saturday evening. Charles Gbeke scored the winning goal against his former club, as The Blue & White capped their home schedule in positive fashion.

The Whitecaps will look to build on that win by claiming another positive result at Starfire Sports Stadium, with Vancouver just one victory short of winning half of their regular season matches this year. Their last visit to Tukwila, Washington, came a month ago, and despite creating a number of quality chances, the Whitecaps were frustrated to only draw 0-0 with the Sounders. Seattle's lone trip to Swangard this season was on May 23, with Brian Schmetzer's side looking impressive in a 2-0 win over the Whitecaps. Two goals inside the first seven minutes by Josh Gardner and Sebastien Le Toux gave the Sounders a well-deserved road victory.

Saturday will be the 83rd match-up between the two Pacific Northwest clubs, with their first meeting coming back in 1994. The Sounders lead the overall series of results with a record of 43 wins, 24 defeats, and 15 draws. They also lead the all-time series of results against the Whitecaps in Seattle with 24 wins, eight defeats, and seven draws.

Going back to the North American Soccer League, the Whitecaps and Sounders met 28 times from 1974 to 1983, at which point the Sounders folded. Vancouver held a 17-11 advantage overall. That makes this the 111th meeting between the two all-time, with Seattle holding the advantage at 54-41-15.

WHITECAPS

Barring a clash between Seattle and Vancouver in the playoffs, Saturday will be the last competitive meeting involving these two storied clubs for some time. The moment has not been lost on Whitecaps fans, with numerous Blue & White supporters making the trip down Interstate 5 for the weekend game in Tukwila.

Thordarson intends not to disappoint the traveling support, as he aims to finish the regular season on a high. "I want to go there and win the game, no matter what the situation is," said Thordarson, who still hopes his side can finish ahead of Puerto Rico in the standings. "A result on Saturday will give us confidence before the first game in the playoffs, so our approach will remain the same as it has been all season. We want to go there and win."

The Starfire Stadium turf holds no fear for the Whitecaps, with Vancouver having played Seattle twice at the complex this season. Before the 0-0 draw last month, Vancouver claimed a preseason victory on March 22, with Eduardo Sebrango and Jason Jordan scoring in a 2-1 win. "Our last trip was one of our better games this season," Thordarson told whitecapsfc.com. "We created so many chances that night, so I hope we can repeat that and perform in a similar way, though it will not be easy."

The Whitecaps will be without centre back Omar Jarun in Seattle, as he serves the first game of a two-match suspension after accumulating eight yellow cards for the season. Jarun also missed the previous match due to a red card suspension. Fellow defender Geordie Lyall joins the Palestinian international on the sidelines after aggravating a groin injury in the win over Montreal. The good news for Vancouver is that centre back Wesley Charles has recovered from his leg injury and should be available for Saturday, while left fullback Takashi Hirano will be in the squad after missing the Impact match with a foot problem. Despite taking a knock in the face last weekend, Gbeke is fit to travel to Washington State.

SOUNDERS

Seattle's last-ever season in USL-1 has been a campaign of indifference. Though they seemingly had an advantageous end-of-season run-in of seven home matches, Schmetzer's side have recorded two wins, two defeats, and two draws in the current home stretch. While a playoff place was assured with Saturday's 1-1 draw with Atlanta Silverbacks, the Sounders will need to beat the Whitecaps, if they are to earn the right of choosing when to play their home leg in the first round of the playoffs. The Sounders can finish anywhere from third place to their current position of sixth place in the standings. The situation is a far cry from the 2007 championship season, where Seattle won the USL-1 regular season crown before securing their fourth league title in the playoffs.

Thordarson admits to being surprised by Seattle's struggles this season. "After seeing them in preseason, I was quite sure that they would be at the top of the table and that they would have achieved this with style," he said. "For some reason, it has not worked out for them, but I still consider Seattle as a very good team."

Injuries have taken a toll on the Sounders in 2008, with Schmetzer only working with a squad of 23 players during the course of the year. When the Whitecaps visited Starfire last month, Seattle were without two key midfielders in Josh Gardner and Leighton O'Brien, but both have since returned from their injury concerns. "I think O'Brien means a lot to Seattle," Thordarson said. "He seems to be the creator of a lot of their chances, so we might get a different game from them than we did in August. That night, they played a very direct style."

The Sounders have no major injury or suspension concerns, though defender Adam West is doubtful with a shoulder injury, while midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar is still bothered by a calf problem.

Like Thordarson, Schmetzer is looking to head into the postseason with the momentum of a win. "It isn't a must-win game for getting into the playoffs, but I want my team to play with confidence at the end of the year," he told the Sounders' official website. "Overall, we're playing well. It's just little pieces...I don't think we're far off."

CASCADIA CUP

The Whitecaps could claim some silverware in the form of the fan-based Cascadia Cup on Saturday night. While a win may still be needed in terms of Vancouver's chase for the regular season title, a draw with the Sounders will be enough for The Blue & White to claim their third Cascadia Cup title. Vancouver won the cup in 2004 and 2005, while Seattle have held possession of the trophy after winning it in 2006 and 2007. For the Sounders to retain the title, they must beat the Whitecaps in order to overtake them in the three-club standings, which also includes Portland Timbers. The Oregon outfit, who have never won the cup since its inception in 2004, registered just four points from their six games with Seattle and Vancouver, and are out of the running for this season.

Saturday's game between the Whitecaps and Seattle kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and can be seen live from Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Washington, on USLlive.com.



USL First Division Stories from September 18, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central