Depleted Whitecaps hammer Sounders

Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 Seattle Sounders

VANCOUVER, BC–Despite missing eight players to international duty, Ryan Gauld to his knee injury, and a further eight players questionable due to food poisoning; the Whitecaps still dropped the hammer on arch-rival Seattle Sounders, 3-0. The match was just one in five this weekend due to the international match weekend and the win gives the Whitecaps a five-point cushion at the top of the Western Conference over San Diego and Minnesota with one match in hand on both.

The Whitecaps went ahead in the 40th minute as Edier Ocampo–one of the eight players listed as questionable–sent a low cross that got through to Jeevan Badwal who scored from close range. It was Badwal’s first goal in his first start with the main roster.

That would be the start of Seattle’s woes. Twelve minutes later, they would be down to ten men after Nouhou cynically dragged down Manuel Laborda as the latter made a run down the flank. Three minutes after that, the Sounders would be down to nine as Jason Bell received his marching orders for denying Emmanuel Sabbi as goal scoring opportunity.

The two-man advantage ultimately led to a two-goal lead in the 70th minute for the Whitecaps as Daniel Rios scored from 25 yards out. Seattle’s misery would be completed three minutes from time as Joao Paulo took Sabbi in the area. Damir Lreilach would convert the spot kick and send Seattle to the Club World Cup on a sour note.

The Whitecaps next travel to Columbus to take on the Crew (4:30pm PT, Apple TV). The Sounders will open play in the Club World Cup against Brazilian side Botafogo on Sunday at Lumen Field (7pm PT, DAZN).

Photos by Gerrit te Hennepe

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