These two Cascadia rivals renew their derby as for the first time since 2008 the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders meet in league play. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders have met 111 times over two eras (74-83 and 94-08) and now meet again as the Cascadia clubs renew their rivalry at Qwest Field on Saturday. Over the years the Whitecaps held the advantage in the NASL days while Seattle had a better head to head record in the USL.
In the past no matter who had the better record in the league, the games were always closely contested and filled with intensity. It is unknown whether that same level can be reached on the pitch with such a different cast of players since their last meeting in the USL. The teams met twice in the preseason with the Sounders winning 1-0 in Arizona and the Caps claiming a 3-2 victory in the Cascadia tournament.
For the Whitecaps, expect a similar lineup as the one that played Chivas ten days ago in Los Angeles as once again the Caps will welcome back Eric Hassli, from a suspension, to play as the target striker. Chiumiento should get his third game playing behind Hassli as the withdrawn striker and with a week of training should be able to show more in that position. The midfield should stay the same with Koffie and Morfaw in the middle and Salinas with Camilo on the wings.
Jonathan Leathers could be close to returning to the starting eleven but if doesn’t then either Duckett or Knight will start at RB opposite Rochat. With the team struggling to score the Whitecaps need Alain Rochat to not only play his strong defensive game but also contribute going forward. DeMerit combining with Akloul in the middle of the backline in front of Joe Cannon who after his performances from last week should remain as the starter in goal and keep Jay Nolly on the bench.
While it won’t be an easy task for the Whitecaps to beat Keller, they first must make into scoring areas which will be a difficult task in itself. The Caps will have to use the wings as the Sounders are very solid defensively in the center of the pitch but can be had exposed on the wings. If Camilo and Salinas can make some early runs down the sides it will open up the middle for Chiumiento to work his magic.
The Sounders are constantly attacking when they play at Qwest Field and are backed by Emerald City Supporters. There needs to be a full ninety minutes of tight defensive play as the backline will be under an extreme amount of pressure. Their midfield is the strength of the Sounder attack even with Zakuani and designated player Fernandez unable to play due to injury. Seattle have been very dangerous on set pieces, especially on corner kicks, as their central defenders have come up and scored two of their last three goals.
The Whitecaps need to be on top of their game in this clash of Cascadia rivals and with a week of training in this new system there can be no more excuses. When these two teams play one can essentially throw out the records and the club’s place in the standings and expect a battle on the pitch. In a league where anything is possible the Whitecaps are due for some luck and with some luck and tight formational play, an upset could be in the cards for the expansion side.
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