SEATTLE, WASH. - Seattle Sounders FC advanced to the Western Conference Championship on Thursday evening with a 2-0 home win over Vancouver in the second leg of the Conference Semifinals in front of 39,587 fans on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Clint Dempsey scored his first career postseason brace to send the Rave Green through on aggregate after a scoreless draw in the first leg in Vancouver. Sounders FC is now set to face the winner of the Portland Timbers and the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Championship.
Seattle came out of the starting blocks eager to grab an early lead, with the Rave Green taking nine total first-half shots to Vancouver's two. Several times Seattle knocked on the door, only for Vancouver to escape into the intermission with a scoreless deadlock.
Sounders FC's attack finally resulted in the first goal of the series, as Seattle forward Clint Dempsey vaulted his side into the lead in the 56th minute with a left-footed strike at the edge of Vancouver's area. The build-up to the goal was fluid from Seattle, with playmaker Nicolás Lodeiro initiating the attack down the left flank, providing a through ball to fellow midfielder Cristian Roldan. The University of Washington product laid the ball off to Will Bruin, who combined with Harry Shipp to set up Dempsey. The Texas native fired his shot through traffic, beating Vancouver goalkeeper Stefan Marinović.
Seattle doubled its advantage deep into second-half play, this time with Dempsey crashing Vancouver's far post to record his fifth career postseason goal with Sounders FC - the team lead in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, one goal ahead of Lodeiro. Both Victor Rodriguez and Lodeiro played a role in Dempsey's second strike, with the Spaniard serving the cross and Lodeiro putting the ball in play during a short corner. Dempsey now has five career postseason goals for Seattle, passing Lodeiro for the most in club history.
With shutouts in his last four postseason games, Stefan Frei currently has a 467-minute shutout streak in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, seven minutes shy of the league record. Dating back to September 16, Seattle has kept its opponents off the scoresheet in six of its last eight outings.
Following Thursday's match, Seattle ends the season 2-1-2 against its Cascadia rival to the north across all competitions. The stage is now set for the 2017 MLS Western Conference Championship, where Sounders FC awaits the winner of the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo series. Portland is set to host Houston in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday, November 5. Depending on the outcome of that contest, Seattle will host a home match on either November 21 (5:00 p.m. PT / ESPN) or November 29 (time TBD / FS1). Tickets for Seattle's home match are set to go on sale to the public at 10:00 a.m. PT on Monday, November 6 via SoundersFC.com.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Venue:
Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field
Referee:
Baldomero Toledo
Assistants:
Eduardo Mariscal, Adam Garner
Fourth Official:
Hilario Grajeda
VAR:
Drew Fischer
Attendance:
39,587
Weather:
44 degrees and rain
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA -
Clint Dempsey (Harry Shipp, Will Bruin) 56'
SEA
- Clint Dempsey (Victor Rodriguez, Nicolás Lodeiro) 88'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA -
Nicolás Lodeiro (caution) 9'
VAN
- Cristian Techera (caution) 38'
VAN
- Fredy Montero (caution) 49'
VAN
- Nosa (caution) 58'
SEA
- Román Torres (caution) 68'
VAN
- Kendall Waston (caution) 82'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam, Román Torres, Chad Marshall, Nouhou; Cristian Roldan, Nicolás Lodeiro - captain, Harry Shipp (Victor Rodriguez 67'), Joevin Jones (Gustav Svensson 60'), Clint Dempsey; Will Bruin (Lamar Neagle 90'+1')
Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Tony Alfaro, Jordy Delem, Henry Wingo
Total shots:
20 (Dempsey, 10)
Shots on goal:
5 (Dempsey, 3)
Fouls:
7 (Leerdam, 2)
Offside:
None
Corner-kicks:
6 (Lodeiro, 6)
Saves:
1 (Frei, 1)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Stefan Marinovic; Kendall Waston - captain, Marcel de Jong (Brek Shea 81'), Tim Parker, Jake Nerwinski (Jordan Harvey 36'); Christian Bolanos, Cristian Techera (Alphonso Davies 64'), Yordy Reyna, Nosa Igiebor, Aly Ghazal; Fredy Montero
Substitutes not used: David Ousted, Nicolas Mezquida, Tony Tchani, Bernie Ibini
Total shots:
7 (Bolanos/Montero, 2)
Shots on goal:
1 (Bolanos, 1)
Fouls:
15 (Montero, 4)
Offside:
1 (Reyna, 1)
Corner-kicks:
1 (Reyna, 1)
Saves:
3 (Marinovic, 3)
MATCH NOTES
- After advancing on aggregate past Vancouver, Sounders FC moves on to the Western Conference Semifinals for the fourth time in club history, and is set to face the winner of Houston and Portland. Seattle is now unbeaten in its last five postseason matches, with its last loss in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs coming in last season's second leg at FC Dallas (Sounders FC advanced on aggregate). The Rave Green have lost just twice in their last 12 postseason fixtures (8-2-2), dating back 2014 Western Conference Championship.
- This series marks the first meeting between Sounders FC and Whitecaps FC in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. After meeting three times in the regular season, Seattle led the 2017 series 2-1-2 across all competitions in 2017. Dating back to 1974, Seattle and Vancouver have met 147 times, with the Rave Green leading the all-time series 70-52-25.
- With a brace this evening, Clint Dempsey now has five career postseason goals for Seattle, passing Nicolás Lodeiro for the most in club history. His 54 goals for Sounders FC across all competitions are six behind Montero for the club record (taking into account MLS regular season, postseason, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League.
- With shutouts in his last four postseason games, Stefan Frei currently has a 467-minute shutout streak in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, seven minutes shy of the league record. Dating back to September 16, Seattle has kept its opponents off the scoresheet in six of its last eight outings.
