The Sounders FC and Whitecaps FC square off in Cascadia Cup action on Saturday night from CenturyLink Field.
Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
June 8, 2013, 7:30 pm PT, CenturyLink Field
TV/Radio: NBC Sports; TSN (Canada); KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; La Gran D 99.3 FM (Spanish)
Vancouver’s Record: The Whitecaps FC are sixth in the West at 4-4-4, one spot behind the Sounders. They are 1-4-1 on the road, getting their first victory away from home last week against the New York Red Bulls.
All-time series: In MLS the Sounders are unbeaten against the Whitecaps FC at 2-0-3 with 15 goals scored between the two teams in those five matches. All-time across all competitions and dating back to the North American Soccer League in 1974, the Sounders lead the series 62-46-21.
Injury Report: Sounders FC – OUT: M Osvaldo Alonso (L quad strain); GK Josh Ford (R patella fracture); M Steve Zakuani (athletic pualgia). QUESTIONABLE: D Ashani Fairclough (L adductor strain). Whitecaps FC – OUT: D Jay DeMerit (L torn Achilles tendon); D Brad Rusin (L calf strain); F Omar Salgado (R foot fracture). QUESTIONABLE: M Gershon Koffie (R quad strain).
Key player: Scottish forward Kenny Miller has been in and out of the Vancouver lineup with injuries, but made his return to the starting lineup against the Red Bulls, scoring his third goal of the season in just 303 minutes of action. The 33-year-old veteran has played for both Celtic and Rangers, so big derby matches are nothing new for him, either.
Notes: The Sounders will have forward Eddie Johnson and midfielders Brad Evans and Mario Martinez away on national team duty while forward Darren Mattocks will be the only player absent for Vancouver. Johnson and Evans are with the US National Team, Martinez is with Honduras and Mattocks is with Jamaica. … Seattle midfielder Shalrie Joseph is serving the second game of a two-game suspension handed down by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for a foul against the LA Galaxy on May 26 that earned him a red card. … The match will be played on a temporary grass surface as CenturyLink Field will host a World Cup qualifying match between the US and Panama on Tuesday. Players from the US National Team are expected to be in attendance at the match after they fly on Saturday from Jamaica, where they face the Reggae Boyz on Friday at 6:30 pm PT. … Over 50,000 fans are expected in attendance at CenturyLink Field as the Sounders opened the entire stadium for the first of four matches this season. Seattle is 6-0-2 in MLS play when the crowd exceeds 40,000.
