Sounders FC hosts rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a critical Cascadia match on Saturday. Here to break down the game is Steve Zakuani, former Sounder and current team broadcaster.
On Seattle potentially clinching Cascadia Cup this weekend:
You don’t start the season aiming to be Cascadia Cup champions – It’s something that you kind of pick up along the road. To me it’s important because it means you’re beating your closest rivals. Especially this season, when both of Seattle’s rivals have been doing well. Seattle has had a rough couple of weeks, but this could be the game that kick starts the second half of the season.
On key players returning for the Vancouver game:
You always want to play your best players, and Sigi [Schmid] hasn’t had that option lately. It should give them a boost having their key guys back on the field. I think Brad Evans coming back is huge. I think he’s settling into that centerback position and is playing really good soccer right now. Seattle has such a deep squad that they should have gotten better results lately, but it hasn’t happened.
On the first full-stadium match of the year:
Whenever you play at CenturyLink [Field], the fans are always going to be there. If you can get even more fans, it can only be a good thing. It is a little bit different, and it’s something I always looked forward to, especially when playing against a rival. I think it will make the game intense, especially because it’s for one of the top spots in the Western Conference.
