Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
MLS Regular Season
Friday, October 10; 7 pm PT; CenturyLink Field
TV/Radio: NBC Sports Network; KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
Sounders FC’s offense has drawn attention all season. Now, with three matches remaining, it will come to the forefront as Seattle looks to solidify its position atop the MLS standings, as the team has already set club records with its 19 victories and 61 goals.
Now with a match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at CenturyLink Field on Friday night, Seattle meets a team that has seen an offensive resurgence of late too.
“The last two games, they’ve played with a big amount of energy,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “They have guys who can set it up and they’ve got speed.”
A big part of that offensive turnaround has been the inclusion of Mauro Rosales. Acquired in a trade from Chivas USA, the former Sounders FC maestro took some time to adjust to his new environs, but lately has been a key component in Vancouver’s attack. In Seattle, Rosales had 34 assists in three seasons to match Fredy Montero’s all-time club record. Now with a more defined role and after growing more accustomed to his new teammates, Rosales had two assists last week in a 2-0 win over FC Dallas.
“Mauro Rosales is rejuvenated having gone there from Chivas,” Schmid said. “He’s playing with a good pop in his step and he’s playing really well.”
Vancouver will be without midfielder Sebastian Fernandez while he serves a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation and forward Darren Mattocks while he is away with the Jamaican National Team. That will ease some of Seattle’s defensive burden, as will the potential returns of Leo Gonzalez and Zach Scott on the back line and Gonzalo Pineda in the midfield.
While Seattle will miss DeAndre Yedlin while the defender is off with the U.S. National Team to face Ecuador, the potential of having any number of those three available again will bolster the Seattle defense. The offense continues its own resurgence that has seen Seattle net eight goals in the last two matches.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm PT with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.
