Vancouver showed it might be the system and not the players when it comes to their MLS Western Conference-leading success this season.
The Whitecaps received a goal from a teenaged backup and two others when playing up two players to defeat the Sounders 3-0 on Sunday at BC Place. The win extended Vancouver’s unbeaten streak to 11 matches (6-0-5) under first-year coach Jesper Sørensen.
“The easy thing to do is look at Nouhou and look at Jonathan Bell and the red cards as the reason why we lost the game,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said of his defenders being sent off in the second half. “It’s the attacking struggles that are causing some of the concern that I have. What I would do differently is I did not think Vancouver was going to play five in the back. I probably would have switched [Danny] Musovski in there. That would’ve been a better option, so that’s on me.”
The Cascadia Cup match was in question last week due to half of the traveling party from a CONCACAF Champions Cup final loss in Mexico City on June 1 suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms. Another seven starters were called up for FIFA’s men’s international window.
Training was canceled Wednesday and modified Thursday and Friday. Eight players were listed as questionable for Sunday’s match but seven were able to start, including top defenders Ranko Veselinović and Tristan Blackmon.
Whitecaps keeper Yohei Takaoka didn’t contract the virus and was in goal Sunday.
Vancouver (10-1-5) utilized MLS’s “extreme hardship” rule to postpone a match for their Whitecaps FC 2 side and sign seven of those players to fill out their roster. None made the starting lineup.
Referee Ricardo Fierro also whistled for hydration breaks during the 30th and 75th minutes to guard against the warm summertime weather.
“We talked ad nauseam about it being a trap game,” Schmetzer said. “And somehow, we fell into that.”
The gaps moved midfielder Jeevan Badwal into the starting lineup, his second in MLS play. The 19-year-old Canadian left a lasting impressing by poking the game-winner past Sounders keeper Stefan Frei in the 40th minute.
Leveling the score became harder in the span of three minutes after the break. Sounders defender Nouhou was sent off in the 52nd minute for a hard foul against Blackmon. In the 55th minute, Bell was shown a straight red card for clipping Emmanuel Sabbi just outside the box.
Vancouver took time to capitalize on the numbers advantage. They delighted most of 24,276 people in attendance in the 70th minute. Whitecaps forward Daniel Ríos was unmarked and smashed a banger from distance into the netting. It was his second goal of the season.
In the 87th minute, midfielder João Paulo committed a foul in the box to award Vancouver a penalty. Damir Kreilach easily converted the shot from the spot in the 88th minute to close out the scoring, the MLS veteran’s first goal of the season.
“We just came out flat,” Sounders defender Alex Roldan said. “We know the circumstances. They were tired and had a lot of guys missing, but we didn’t show up.”
Schmetzer made two lineup changes Sunday. He swapped out Musovski and winger Paul Rothrock for Jesús Ferreira and Ryan Kent. Ferreira is returning to the lineup after missing last week’s loss to Minnesota United to be present for the birth of his first child.
But the team played a third match without a pairing of their first-choice center backs. Sounders mainstay Jackson Ragen, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, manned the backline with Bell. The latter made his eighth start of the season.
Center backs Yeimar (hamstring) and Kim Kee-hee (calf) were out due to injury.
The Sounders (7-6-5) had multiple chances to net the match’s opening goal. Roldan had a look go off target in the second minute and teammate Pedro de la Vega curled a shot in the 31st minute that nearly tucked inside the goal.
Seattle midfielder Albert Rusnák had two chances for an equalizer miss in first-half stoppage time.
Nouhou and Bell will serve a one-game suspension when the Sounders return to MLS play against Austin on June 28. But next up for the team is the FIFA men’s Club World Cup.
Seattle opens group-stage play against Brazilian power Botafogo on Sunday at Lumen Field.
“Sometimes stuff just doesn’t go your way,” Sounders midfielder Kalani Kossa-Reinzi said.