SEATTLE – The Vancouver Whitecaps took Saturday night’s Cascadia Cup clash with the Seattle Sounders in resounding fashion, riding a trifecta of highlight-reel goals to a 3-0 blowout of the hapless Sounders at CenturyLink Field.
Defender Pa-Modou Kah scored his first two goals of the season for Vancouver, while substitute Pedro Morales tallied the insurance off a perfectly taken free kick in the 75th minute.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are now unbeaten in three straight, with their second victory in a row giving them control of first place in the Western Conference at least for tonight.
The loss was the seventh in eight MLS matches for Seattle, which still couldn’t manage to score even with the return of star striker Clint Dempsey to the starting XI. This is the first time in Sounders history that the team has been shut out in four straight games.
The Whitecaps jumped ahead early after a free kick into Seattle’s penalty box bounced off Sounders defender Brad Evans and popped into the air, giving Kah a look at a close-range volley. The Gambian center back didn’t miss the opportunity, rifling his attempt past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei to notch his first score of the season to giveVancouver the 1-0 lead.
Seattle very nearly equalized in the 42nd minute after a cross from midfielder Thomás bounced off Kah and landed in front of Chad Marshall, who had a point blank look on Vancouver ‘keeper David Ousted. But Ousted made a brilliant reaction save to deny Marshall and allow the Whitecaps to keep the lead.
The Sounders adamantly appealed for a handball on the play and replays appeared to show Thomás’ cross glancing off Kah’s arm, but none was awarded and Seattle settled for a one-goal halftime deficit.
The Whitecaps doubled the lead shortly after second half kickoff after Cristian Techera found Kah in front of the Seattle goal once again after receiving the ball off a corner kick. Kah then managed to send a gorgeous backheel through the Sounders defense and past Frei, giving the Whitecaps the commanding 2-0 advantage.
Vancouver would get their third of the night in the 75th minute after substitute Morales bent a glorious free kick over Seattle’s wall and into the net, sealing the victory for the Whitecaps and preventing the Sounders from clinching this year’s Cascadia Cup.
Vancouver moved to 12-8-3 on the season with the victory. The Sounders fell below .500 for the first time this season with their record now standing at 10-11-2 with the loss.The sides now get prepared to meet just four days from now in a CONCACAF Champions League matchup at BC Place on Wednesday.
