VANCOUVER, B.C. – In the 150th all-time matchup between two Cascadia rivals, Seattle Sounders FC (10-7-5, 35 points) defeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC (6-6-7, 25 points) 3-2 in comeback fashion at BC Place on Saturday night. Twice the Rave Green battled from behind to draw the match level, with their first two goals scored by Léo Chú, before Yeimar Gómez Andrade found the game-winner in stoppage time to keep Seattle at second place in the Western Conference.
Vancouver opened the scoring via a set piece in the 24th minute, as Ryan Gauld sent a ball in that found the head of Ranko Veselinovic, who angled it into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. Seattle answered off a corner kick in the 60th minute. Nico Lodeiro provided service to the near post for Jackson Ragen, who headed it on to Chú for a redirect into goal to level the score.
Gauld gave Vancouver the lead in the 72nd minute, finding a lane through the Seattle backline after Brian White headed on a goal kick from Yohei Takaoka. The Scottish international finished the one-on-one chance for his fifth goal of the season.
Seattle answered moments later in the 76th minute, with Chú scoring his second goal of the night. Lodeiro looped a ball into the area following a free kick that once again found the head of Ragen, who sent it across the face of goal to a sliding Chú. The Brazilian stabbed it home to tie the game at 2-2 and complete his first multi-goal game for Seattle.
The Rave Green found their winner in the first minute of stoppage time courtesy of Yeimar. Albert Rusnák played a ball into Chú, whose shot was deflected to the feet of Yeimar, who fired a low shot into goal to give Sounders FC the road win. It was the centerback’s first goal of the season and fifth since joining Seattle in 2020.
Lodeiro and Ragen each recorded assists on both of Chú’s goals, Lodeiro is now tied with Chú for the team lead with eight this season, giving him 92 career assists in all competitions, 40 more than any other player in club history.
Following tonight’s result, Sounders FC continues its stay on the road, facing a quick turnaround by traveling to San Jose for a midweek matchup at PayPal Park on Wednesday, July 12 (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM). The Rave Green then return to Lumen Field for a showdown with FC Dallas on Saturday, July 15 (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH NOTES
- Following tonight’s result, Sounders FC moves to 35 points on the season through 22 matches played (10-7-5), with the Rave Green currently occupying sole position of second place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, three points shy of St. Louis City SC’s 38 points (21 matches).
- Tonight’s match at BC Place marked the 150th all-time contest between Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a rivalry that dates back to 1974 in the original North American Soccer League. Seattle leads the series 73-52-25, including a 19-9-10 record across all competitions since joining MLS.
- Seattle is currently in last place in the 2023 Cascadia Cup standings with four points (1-2-1). Portland ranks first with seven points (2-1-1), with Vancouver second with six (2-2-0).
- With his two goals tonight, Léo Chú bagged his second and third strikes of the 2023 season to go along with his eight assists, tied for the team lead.
- Nico Lodeiro’s set piece services set up both of Chu’s goals, earning him his seventh and eighth MLS assists of the year, extending his all-time club record to 78 in league play and 92 across all competitions. The midfielder now has eight assists on the year, tied with Chú for most on the team.
- Jackson Ragan earned his second and third assists of the season on both of Chú’s goals. Ragen becomes the sixth Sounders FC defender in club history to record a multi-assist game. Alex Roldan also did so earlier this year against Real Salt Lake on March 4.
- Yeimar’s stoppage-time winner marked his first goal of the season and fifth for Sounders FC since signing prior to the 2020 campaign. The Colombian’s last goal came on August 26, 2022 in a road loss to Portland.
- The 91st-minute goal marked the first time in MLS play that Seattle has scored a game-winning goal in stoppage time since Gustav Svensson scored in the 93rd minute in Sounders FC's 3-2 win over Minnesota United FC in the 2020 Western Conference Finals on December 7, 2020.
- After tonight’s match, Nouhou becomes the most-tenured Sounders FC defender in the club’s MLS regular-season history. With 157 career MLS appearances, he surpasses former centerback Chad Marshall.
- On the other side of Seattle’s defense, right-back Alex Roldan returned to the club after a stretch with the El Salvador National Team. After a pair of friendlies in Asia, Roldan made three appearances at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, where El Salvador was eliminated after the Group Stage. He started tonight’s contest, being subbed out in the 93rd minute.
- Goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland made his first start of the 2023 MLS campaign, with regular starter Stefan Frei out due to concussion protocol. Cleveland has regularly deputized for Frei since his arrival in Seattle in 2020, making seven starts in goal during MLS play in 2022, preceded by 15 starts in 2021. Cleveland previously started two games for the Rave Green in U.S. Open Cup play earlier this season as well.
- Following the club’s last match against Houston on July 1, Jackson Ragen also returned to Brian Schmetzer’s starting lineup tonight following his suspension due to yellow card accumulation. He replaced Abdoulaye Cissoko in central defense.
Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Venue: BC Place Stadium
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Assistants: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt, Diego Blas
Fourth Official: Renzo Villanueva
VAR: Victor Rivas
Attendance: 16,399
Weather: 70 degrees and clear
SCORING SUMMARY
VAN – Ranko Veselinovic (Ryan Gauld) 24’
SEA – Léo Chú (Jackson Ragen, Nico Lodeiro) 60’
VAN – Ryan Gauld (Brian White, Yohei Takaoka) 72’
SEA – Léo Chú (Jackson Ragen, Nico Lodeiro) 76’
SEA – Yeimar 90’+1’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (caution) 48’
VAN – Tristan Blackmon (caution) 75’
SEA – Nico Lodeiro (caution) 79’
VAN – Mathias Laborda (caution) 82’
VAN – Mathias Laborda (ejection) 89’
LINEUPS & STATS
**Seattle Sounders FC –** Stefan Cleveland; Alex Roldan (Cody Baker 90’+3’), Yeimer, Jackdon Ragen, Nouhou; João Paulo, Obed Vargas, Nico Lodeiro, Albert Rusnák, Léo Chú; Raúl Ruidíaz (Abdoulaye Cissoko 90’+5’)
Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Reed Baker-Whiting, Josh Atencio, Dylan Teves, Fredy Montero, Héber
Total shots: 15
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 7
Offside: 1
Corner-Kicks: 7
Saves: 3
Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Yohei Takaoka; Mathias Laborda, Ranko Veselinovic, Luis Martins; Alessandro Schöpf (Jean-Claude Ngando 90’+4’), Sebastian Berhalter (Deiber Caicedo 90’+3’), Ryan Gauld, Ryan Raposo (Tristan Blackmon 71’); Sergio Córdova (Pedro Vite 71’), Brian White, Levonte Johnson (Simon Becher 83’)
Substitutes not used: Thomas Hasal, Karifa Yao, Russell Teibert
Total shots: 12
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 15
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 8
Saves: 3
- SOUNDERS FC -
