It’s not very often that the Seattle Sounders go into a two-legged series against a regional rival looking like underdogs. But that’s probably the case when they face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 starting tonight.
Since Jesper Sorenson took over as Whitecaps coach last year, he’s turned them into one of the top teams in all of North America. Last year, they finished tied for the most points in the Western Conference, won the Canadian Championship and executed the rare double of getting to the finals of both CCC and MLS Cup. All they’ve done this year is win their first three league games, the most recent of which was a 4-1 dismantling of the Portland Timbers.
The Sounders haven’t exactly been bad, but a realistic analysis will acknowledge that they’ve not been at that level. To make matters worse, they are already knee deep in an injury crisis that has left them with just one healthy natural centerback, missing some of their top wingers and now without Hassani Dotson, who is in concussion protocol.
None of that will stop head coach Brian Schmetzer from putting out a lineup he believes can at least compete, but the Sounders definitely have their work cut out for them in this road leg of their series.
- Schmetzer has already announced that Stefan Frei will start in goal for CCC matches.
- This will be the third time the Whitecaps and Sounders have met in Concacaf play. In 2015, the Sounders went 1-0-1 against the Whitecaps in the CCL group stage.
- The Sounders and Whitecaps are facing each other for the 187th time across all leagues and competitions. That’s the most any North American teams have played one another.
- The Whitecaps advanced to the Round of 16 by beating Costa Rican side CS Cartaginés 2-0 on aggregate.
- The Sounders earned their spot straight into the Round of 16 by winning the Leagues Cup last year.
Absences: Injury, international duty and suspension
Seattle
Pedro de la Vega – Knee; Hassani Dotson – Head; Stuart Hawkins – Quad; Kim Kee-hee – Calf; Jordan Morris – Quad; Ryan Sailor – Knee
Vancouver
Sam Adekugbe – Achilles; Bruno Caicedo – Not Due to Injury; Ryan Gauld – Knee; Belal Halbouni – Knee; Cheikh Sabaly – Not Due to Injury; Sebastian Schonlau – Calf; Ranko Veselinović – Knee
Sounders: WLW
Whitecaps: WWWWD
Officials
Referee: César Arturo Ramos Palazuelos
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How to Watch
Match date/kickoff time: Thursday, March 12, 7 PM PT
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver
English: FS2, Fubo, FoxSports.com
Spanish: TUDN, TUDN.com, Vix
Local Radio: 93.3 KJR-FM/950 KJR-AM Seattle, iHeartMedia (Danny Jackson & Steve Zakuani)
Local Spanish Radio: El Rey 1360 AM (Rodriguez, Maqueda, Tapia)
Is this game available to stream for free? No
Will Sounders radio be available as an alternate feed? No
