The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0 at BC Place on Saturday night behind a goal from Pedro Vite and an own goal either side of halftime.
Seattle carved out a couple of chances inside the first ten minutes but were unable to capitalize.
Yeimar nearly opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when he rose highest to meet Albert Rusnák’s corner kick, but he steered his header wide of the post. Three minutes later, Josh Atencio won the ball high up the field and slipped in Léo Chú, whose cross to the back post was just out of reach for Jordan Morris.
The Whitecaps grew into the match throughout the first half. In the 27th minute, a slick interchange between Brian White and Sebastien Berhalter led to a 1-v-1 opportunity for Ryan Gauld, but the Vancouver winger dragged his shot wide of the post.
Vancouver’s pressure paid off on the brink of halftime. In the 44th minute, the Whitecaps whipped a cross into the box for Pedro Vite, who settled the ball and poked it past Stefan Frei from point-blank range.
The Whitecaps doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Luis Martins broke free down the left and picked out the run of Gauld, whose first-time effort bounced off the post and deflected off Frei into the back of the net.
In the 65th minute, Seattle nearly pulled one back as Rusnák’s flicked header from a Nicolás Lodeiro corner kick forced an acrobatic save from Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
Vancouver nearly added a third in the 74th minute when a sweeping sequence of possession culminated in a shot from inside the box for Berhalter, but Frei sprung quickly to his right to produce the save.
Seattle's best look came three minutes into second half stoppage time when Montero laid the ball for Héber, but the Brazilian put his first-time effort wide of the near post.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Players Returning
Left back Nouhou and left winger Léo Chú both started the match and played 45 minutes as they work their way back from illness and injury respectively.
Baker Impresses
Nouhou’s replacement in the second half, Cody Baker, impressed once again for the Rave Green. The 19-year-old Homegrown Player injected energy and direct play down the left flank combined with his usual dedicated defending. The Issaquah native has played significant minutes in each of Seattle’s last four matches.
Rest and Recover
Tonight’s match wrapped up a stretch of five games in 14 days across all competitions for the Sounders. The team will now have a full week of recovery before hosting the New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS) at Lumen Field on May 27.
