VANCOUVER, BC – A Friday night Cascadia derby vs. the MLS Cup champs? Sign me up.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC host longtime rival Seattle Sounders FC on Friday at BC Place in their final home match until May 20 (limited tickets are still available).
KO: 7 p.m. PT | TICKETS:http://ow.ly/559730aM7pL | TV: TSN | RADIO: TSN 1040
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
STORYLINES
Montero faces former club: This will be the first time that Vancouver’s new Designated Player striker Fredy Montero faces his old team – a team where he still holds the franchise record for most goals scored (60 in all competitions). It will be a special night for the Colombian, who spent four seasons with Seattle from 2009-2012. Can he mark the occasion with a goal?
Sounders success at BC Place: Seattle has won three straight matches at BC Place, including last year’s 2-1 victory in October that saw each team shown straight red cards. That match also eliminated Vancouver from playoff contention. Can the ‘Caps reverse their fortunes on Friday?
Quest for Cascadia: This will be the first Cascadia derby of the 2017 season for any team. The ‘Caps claimed their record sixth Cascadia Cup last season, but Seattle one-upped them in the end by going on to win the MLS Cup. And that, if nothing else, only adds more intrigue to a rivalry that’s been going strong for more than 40 years.
KEY MATCHUPS
Fredy Montero (FWD) vs. Chad Marshall (CB): As mentioned, this is a big game for Montero. He can probably expect Marshall, a three-time MLS Defender of the Year, to be sticking to him like glue.
Matias Laba (DM) vs. Nicolas Lodeiro (AM): Lodeiro played on the right wing in Seattle’s last outing and scored this wonder goal in the process. However, he’s still a player who naturally tends to drift towards the middle of the park, so he’ll likely be seeing a lot of Laba regardless of where he lines up. The Uruguayan international has six goals and nine assists in 18 MLS regular season appearances. He also scored four goals in Seattle’s playoff run to the MLS Cup in 2016.
Tim Parker (CB) vs. Jordan Morris (FWD): Parker has been one of Vancouver’s brightest players to start the season. And on Friday, he’ll be up against a fellow young American in Morris – last year’s MLS Rookie of the Year. Both of them are hard-nosed players with pace, power, and a lot of potential.
DID YOU KNOW?
Whitecaps FC midfielder Nicolas Mezquida was born in the same city as Lodeiro in Uruguay – a city called Paysandú. They never met growing up, but a coach once told Mezquida to model his game after Lodeiro, since they are both attacking midfielders. Now, they’ve both landed in Cascadia.
QUOTABLE
"I left Seattle five or six years ago and always had it in my mind to come back to MLS. This is the situation now. I'm defending the colours of a different team, which I'm proud of. And I guarantee you I'm going to do everything I can, everything in my power to help my teammates win this game and the next games." - Whitecaps FC striker Fredy Montero
MLSSOCCER.COM INJURY REPORT
Vancouver
OUT: D - Brett Levis (ACL tear)
OUT: M - Yordy Reyna (foot surgery 2/21, out until summer)
OUT: D - David Edgar (PCL, MCL tear)
OUT: F - Erik Hurtado (left foot contusion)
OUT: M - Brek Shea (left knee sprain)
Seattle
OUT: D - Brad Evans (calf muscle strain 2/28, out 5-7 weeks) - READ
OUT: M - Aaron Kovar (groin surgery)
D - Roman Torres (left hamstring strain) - REPORT
