Skip to content

Sounders-Whitecaps FC Preview

Kekuta Manneh has come through each of the last two years to help the Vancouver Whitecaps win the Cascadia Cup and stun the Seattle Sounders' crowd.

This time, he can help the Whitecaps capture the trophy at home.

The Cup will be on the line Saturday afternoon when these teams play the first of two games in a five-day span.

This marks the final MLS meeting between these rivals. They play Wednesday in Seattle in a CONCACAF Champions League contest in which the Whitecaps can eliminate the Sounders from that competition.

First, the teams will decide the winner of the Cascadia Cup - the three-team table between Pacific Northwest MLS clubs that includes Portland. Seattle (13-13-3) has nine points and Vancouver (15-10-3) has eight so Saturday's winner will capture the Cup while a draw will give the trophy to the Sounders for the first time in four years.

"That's definitely in the back of our minds, to get that trophy for the fans," goalkeeper David Ousted told the Whitecaps' official website. "It'd be fantastic to get them on the pitch and lift that trophy. That's going to mean the world to them, and therefore mean the world to us."

Vancouver trailed Seattle by one point each of the last two years ahead of decisive road wins to earn the Cup. Manneh had a hat trick in a 4-1 win Oct. 9, 2013, before he scored in a 1-0 victory Oct. 10.

Home field hasn't been much of an advantage this year. These teams have split two MLS meetings, with each winning on the road including Seattle's 2-0 victory May 16. They played to a 1-1 draw in Vancouver in a CONCACAF match Aug. 5.

Pa-Modou Kah scored twice in Vancouver's 3-0 win at Seattle on Aug. 1.

"They play with a lot of energy, and we handled it very well the two times we've played in Vancouver," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "The one time we played down here, we didn't handle it so well, but those were also set-piece goals that cost us in that game. So we've just got to make sure we handle their speed like we have in the past."

Seattle star Obafemi Martins has yet to play against Vancouver this year. He has 12 goals, with five in his last five games.

"You know he gets in good positions in the box," Ousted said. "His finishing is clinical and he's fast as well. It's going to be a tough challenge but a challenge I think we're up for."

Martins and Clint Dempsey have never scored in nine combined games against the Whitecaps, who have won four straight at home.

The Sounders are on a 2-0-1 run after last Saturday's 1-1 draw at San Jose that ended a club-record seven-game road losing streak. Their last road win was in Vancouver.

While Vancouver has 48 points and is vying to finish atop the Western Conference, Seattle has 42 and knows that a playoff spot isn't secure.

"It's a six-point game," Seattle captain Brad Evans said. "For us, we can leap up in the standings and separate ourselves from the pack. But there's also Cascadia Cup, so there's multiple things on the line in this game."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox