VANCOUVER, BC –
Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders FC this Saturday at BC Place.
KICKOFF:
4 p.m. PT
TV:
TSN1
RADIO:
TSN 1410
MOBILE:
bell.ca/mobiletv
ONLINE:
TSN GO
Here are three storylines to get you set for the match.
Cascadia
The ‘Caps go into Saturday’s matchup against last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners
sitting on top of the MLS Western Conference as well as the Cascadia Cup rankings.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go this season and with three matches still to play against our Rave Green rivals it could well very be that the matchups between these two sides determines which city the Cup will be residing in by the end of this year.
Needless to say it’s a big match, one that everyone’s looking forward to.
"It's a big rivalry and everyone's excited,"
said Whitecaps FC midfielder Russell Teibert
. "From the fans to guys in the locker room to staff, there's a buzz in the city and it's going to be a great game."
“It’s a lot of fun,”
David Ousted told reporters before training on Thursday.
“These are some of the best games of the whole year, just because of the Cascadia rivalry and the way that BC Place always gets packed and the fans are behind us; so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Irresistible force meets immovable object
The ‘Caps boast one of the best defensive records in the league so far this season with a miserly nine goals conceded in the 11 matches they’ve played so far. Only D.C. United and Montreal Impact, who’ve played six games less, boast a better record at the back.
However, those figures only tell half of the story. With six clean sheets, David Ousted has put up zeroes in more than half of Vancouver's matches so far in 2015; while the likes of Kendall Waston, Matias Laba and Steven Beitashour are among the league leaders in terms of in headed clearances, tackles, and interceptions.
Clearly, this current crop of ‘Caps are a well-oiled defensive machine, or an immovable object if you’re willing to stretch the analogy. In contrast, Saturday’s opponents are very much the irresistible force. Seattle have scored 15 goals so far this season, which is good for second in the league. Spearheaded by Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, who have combined for 13 of those 15 strikes, they boast one of the most potent attacks in all of MLS.
It will be fascinating to see how these two teams shape up against each other at BC Place on Saturday in a clash that might just answer the footballing equivalent of the age old conundrum of who wins out: the irresistible force or the immovable object?
Show me the Manneh
Kekuta Manneh knows a thing or two about scoring against Seattle. The fleet-footed winger has netted four in four against the Cascadia rivals, including
and his
from last October.
The 20-year-old has been in and out of the team so far this season but given his habit of scoring against our near neighbors you’d imagine he’d be in Robbo’s plans for this Saturday’s clash, especially given how Seattle’s right hand side was exposed last time out against Columbus Crew.
However, despite his knack of netting against Seattle, Manneh is by no means a guaranteed starter for this match. Alongside Cristian Techera, who impressed after coming on against Philadelphia Union last Saturday, Robbo also has the likes of Darren Mattocks, Erik Hurtado, Nicolas Mezquida and potentially Mauro Rosales to choose from and it will be interesting to see who he plumps for come Saturday afternoon.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets
