By Toby Dunkelberg
Sounders buoy playoff hopes at Vancouver’s expense
After a hectic 90 minutes packed with full field runs and a hefty dosage of two red cards the Seattle Sounders walked away from BC Place 2-1 victors over a distraught Vancovuer Whitecaps. The sides finals matchup of the season proved an apt bookend to the series. Going into the game there were questions as to the teams differing philosophies over playing three games in the same week.
The Sounders, desperate to continue their MLS surge played all of their starters in their midweek match. Resulting in Nicolas Lodeiro and Andreas Invanschitz being ruled out of Sundays contest due to a red card and injury respectively. Due to the scratches Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer was forced to deviate from his preferred 4-2-3-1, instead running a 4-1-4-1.
Meanwhile Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson opted to rest the majority of his starters in the Whitecaps midweek CCL matchup. Meaning Vancouver came out in full force dominating the early possession stats.
It was a reversal of roles of sorts as the Cap’s are traditionally at their deadliest on the counter attack. Even still they found early success against Seattle’s makeshift 4-1-4-1. Often threading it around Seattles midfield trio of Cristian Roldan, Osvaldo Alonso, and Erik Friberg. This problem was exacerbated in the 9th minute when midfielder Alvaro Fernandez left the game with a left hamstring strain. In response Schmetzer opted to sub in Oneil Fisher at left back and push Joevin Jones up to left midfield where he plays for his national team.
With the sudden deviation from the already barebones lineup Seattle struggled. Vancovuer found acres of space in the middle of the park and used it to their advantage. Such as in the 18th minute when Pedro Morales found himself unmarked and with in space from 35 yards out. His shot from distance bounced off the left post, but it was a prime example of how nucj freedom the Cap’s attack had.
As the Sounders struggled to adjust they committed numbers to their right side leaving Oneil Fisher and 15 year old starlet Alphonso Davies isolated in a one on one contest that would define the reminder of the first half. Although young, Davies expertly utilized his advantage in quickness to repeatedly get around Fisher.
In the 25th minute, Davies daftly dribbled around Fisher on the touchline and in an act of frustration the Jamaican pulled the youngster down for the first penalty of the night. Amid questions over where he’ll ply his trade next year Pedro Morales stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted it past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei for the first goal of the night.
Bolstered by the lead the Whitecaps piled on the pressure. With Davies getting chance after chance. Making it all the more of a surprise when Osvaldo Alonso cut through the ‘Caps backline as a late runner to get on the end of a Joevin Jones cross to equalize it 1-1.
Vancouver then showed their composure. Despite giving up the goal agains the run of play they stuck to their gameplan and subsequently stuck it to the Sounders. Davies once against tore apart the Sounders left side but fortunately for the traveling team the whistle blowed for halftime. Although the scoreline was 1-1 it felt like everything but as the ‘Caps dominated the halftime stats.
The second half saw no substitutions but it did see an entirely different formation from Seattle. In an effort to stop conceding swathes of space to the ‘Caps, Schmetzer’s Sounders switched back to their more familiar 4-2-3-1 with Roldan playing next to the goalscorer Alonso in the band of two. Initial results looked promising but there wasn’t enough time to put it through it’s full paces because in the 53rd minute the fabric of the game changed when Pedro Morales raised his elbow in a late challenge against Roldan. Referee Ricardo Salazar wasted no time in going to his back pocket leaving Vancouver to play the remainder of the game with ten men.
It was only then that Seattle started to see the majority of possession as the Whitecaps fell back into a bunkering posture. Buy and large the ‘Caps strategy worked. With all their men behind the ball the Sounders struggled to generate chances. Their only quality look on goal came in the 63rd minute when Jordan Morris slipped behind Egdar and Parker to get on the end of a Alonso ball. The rookie took one touch too many, narrowing his angle enough that Ousted was left with an easy save. Offensive substitutes flooded the field starting with Brad Evans who slotted in at right midfield for the Sounders.
The freshly armbanded captain was akin to a comet on the night. Although his stay was brief it proved monumental. On 80 minutes Evans found himself rushing into the right side of the box with Jordan Harvey striding out to meet him. Seeing Morris in the box he fired off a cross. Harvey slid in an attempt to stop it but to his horror his left hand met the ball earning the Sounders the PK and the chance to steal it late. Brad Evans calmly walked up to the spot, placed the ball down, and put the Sounders up 2-1 with one strike of his right foot.
Desperate for points and now playing for pride the Whitecaps pressed onwards without reservations. A Sounders corner on 84 minutes gave them hope. After shoving Evans down on a corner David Edgar and Brad Evans exchanged words and more with an alleged head butt earning the Sounders captain the second red card of the night.
With so much having transpired on the pitch tensions were high as the ‘Caps pushed for the equalizer. But despite promising combinations between Bolaños and Mezquida the ‘Caps simply didn’t have enough time to pull level leaving the final score 2-1 Seattle, eliminating Vancouver from the 2016 MLS playoffs.
With the win Seattle vaults up to fifth in the west. Just a point behind RSL and with a game in hand there’s a very real possibility Seattle could be hosting a playoff game. A fact made all the more remarkable when you consider that they were entirely out of the playoff picture a mere two months ago.
The Sounders and the rest of the league will have to wait until October 12th for their match against the Dynamo to see if they’re more yet more left to unfold about this late surge.
