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Vancouver Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders preview: How to watch, team news, predicted lineups, kickoff time and ones to watch

The Whitecaps and Sounders renew their rivalry, facing off for the second time in less than two months.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders preview: How to watch, team news, predicted lineups, kickoff time and ones to watch
Photo: Jordan Jones/Getty Images
john-lupo
By John Lupo

The latest round of the Cascadia Derby occurs when the Vancouver Whitecaps host the Seattle Sounders at BC Place.

Seattle has won just two of their last nine matches but lead the Western Conference in goals allowed, conceding just 18 times in league play with Stefan Frei posting 11 shutouts.

Vancouver is coming off of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Kansas City, having just 37 percent of the possession and registering one shot on goal through the whole of the match.

The Whitecaps will be confident of getting a result as they are unbeaten in their last nine matches at home, scoring 20 goals in that period.

Team news

Vancouver Whitecaps

Javain Brown, Julian Gressel and Ali Ahmed are all away on international duty at the Gold Cup.

Andreas Cubas (hamstring) and Russell Teibert (left knee pain) are listed as questionable.

Brian White (right hip strain) and Tristan Blackmon (left heel contusion) are probable and expected to be available.

Seattle Sounders

Jordan Morris and Cristan Roldan are away at the Gold Cup while Xavier Arreaga, Sota Kitahara and Kelyn Rowe will all miss out due to right quad strains.

Ethan Dobbaleare has a right hamstring strain and starting goalkeeper Stefan Frei is in concussion protocol and has been ruled out

Predicted lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: Takaoka; Raposo, Vaselinovic, Laborda, Martins; Schopf, Cubas, Vite; Cordova, Gauld; Becher

Seattle Sounders: Cleveland; Baker, Gomez, Cissoko, Tolo; Vargas, Paulo; Lodeiro, Rusnak, Chu; Ruidiaz

Ones to watch

Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps)

With Gressel away at the Gold Cup, much of the offensive burden will fall to the Scot, who has had a fine season, scoring five goals and assisting on three others in his last six matches across all competitions.

Leo Chu (Seattle Sounders)

The Brazilian continues his breakout season as his eight assists, the eighth of which he picked up last weekend, are tied for fifth in MLS and lead the Sounders. 

Previous meetings

On May 20th, Vancouver defeated Seattle 2-0 behind a 44th-minute goal from Pedro Vite and a 58th-minute own goal by Frei.

The Whtiecaps won a 50-50 ball and a cross by Ahmed on the right wing found Vite, whose first touch was heavy, and the ball bounced high in the air.

Sounders defender Alex Roldan got between Vite and the goal and tried to chest the ball down to his feet at the top of the six-yard box. Vite was able to reach his left leg around Roldan and toe punch a low shot past an onrushing Frei.

The own goal came when Ryan Gauld collected Luis Martins' cross on the left wing and put a low, left-footed shot from 15 yards out just between a diving Frei and the left post.

Frei got a hand on the ball and pushed it off the post, but it then ricocheted off his back and in.

How to watch

The match will be streamed nationally on Apple TV + with Blake Price serving as the play-by-play announcer and Paul Dolan as the analyst.

Kickoff is set for 10:30pm Eastern time.