As part of the final day's proceedings at the Cascadia Summit in Tukwila, Washington, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency suffered a 4-3 defeat to Seattle Sounders FC Academy U-18's in a thrilling friendly contest on Sunday.
After a goalless first half, fans at the Starfire Sports Stadium were treated to seven second-half goals from both sides, with Richard Grootscholten's side getting strikes from three substitutes in Doudou Toure, Coulton Jackson, and Yassin Essa. However, Seattle won the match after Jesse Klug, Glen Paden, Michael Steele, and Darwin Jones all found the scoresheet for Dick McCormick's squad.
"Our players did a lot of things very well today," Grootscholten told whitecapsfc.com. "We got back to 3-2, but then we got caught on the counter-attack for their next two goals. There will be many positive things that our team can take from today's game, even if it was a loss. Our players need to develop with their positions, as well as with the mental aspects of the game. It was really good for them to play in front of this atmosphere today, as it is all part of being a professional player."
The contest started with some excitement, as Seattle's Jones hammered a close-range shot off the post inside the first minute of play. Yet, other than another dangerous strike from Sounders FC Academy striker Sean Okoli, Residency goalkeeper Callum Irving was not tested more before the break.
In fact, it was the Residency squad that quickly came to grips with the match, with Spencer DeBoice causing Seattle particular problems on the left side of midfield. He struck two close-range shots wide of the target before playing a dangerous run and cross that Sounders FC were forced to clear for a corner on 28 minutes. Three minutes later, midfielder Kevin Cobby could not find the target after a similar darting run into the box from central midfield.
DeBoice created the last chance before halftime, as he played a dangerous byline cross back across the face of Seattle's goal on 37 minutes.
Grootscholten made changes to his line-up at the break, including men's team goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre coming on for Irving. Yet, it was Sounders FC Academy that made a bright start to the second half. On 48 minutes, Klug had a shot cleared off the Residency goal line before the hosts made the breakthrough.
On 57 minutes, a run down the left flank by Seattle's Jamael Cox allowed the midfielder to find Klug, who then finished high into the top corner of the Whitecaps FC goal for a 1-0 lead to Sounders FC Academy.
The opening goal then led to more players finding the scoresheet, with Vancouver levelling matters on 68 minutes when Toure finished from a very tight angle with his right foot to make it 1-1.
As the match started to open up, fans were then treated to no less than five goals in the last quarter-hour of the match. On 75 minutes, Paden restored Sounders FC Academy's lead before Jackson made it 2-2 two minutes later.
Whitecaps FC then claimed their first lead of the match on 79 minutes, and in spectacular fashion, as Essa struck home off the inside of the post to make it 3-2. That lead lasted only six minutes, however, as Steele hit a fine strike past Sylvestre to make it 3-3. Two minutes later, Jones claimed Seattle's winner with a free-kick strike from the edge of the Vancouver box to make 4-3.
Though Residency centre back Daniel Stanese came close to scoring an equalizer in the dying stages, Sounders FC Academy took the plaudits in what proved to be a very entertaining friendly contest.
Scoring Summary:
57' - SEA - Jesse Klug
68' - VAN - Doudou Toure
75' - SEA - Glen Paden
77' - VAN - Coulton Jackson
79' - VAN - Yassin Essa
85' - SEA - Michael Steele
87' - SEA - Darwin Jones
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
1.Callum Irving (24.Brian Sylvestre 45’); 12.Adam Polakiewicz, 20.Kalem Scott (21.Derrick Bassi 45’), 23.Daniel Stanese, 2.Dalen Babic; 12.Spencer Deboice, 6.Kevin Cobby (8.Bryce Alderson 56’), 17.Matteo Pasquotti, 7.Wesley Cain (14.Yassin Essa 66’); 11.Ben Fisk (34.Coulton Jackson 45’), 15.Carlos Marquez (9.Doudou Toure 56’)
