Sunday afternoon's Cascadia Cup battle against the Seattle Sounders means far more than three points to Vancouver Whitecaps. On the table will be conference leadership, an unbeaten run the stuff of club legend, and an in-depth regional rivalry with decades to tap into. BC Place will host more than simply another one-on-one MLS encounter, but perhaps Vancouver's most symbolic contest to date. All with nine players sitting the match out.
Yes, nine. As rosters during a FIFA window. And where the challenge begins. Whitecaps have pressure to keep an MLS 10-game unbeaten run going, sitting atop the Western Conference in dominance, with 32 points, a league high (average of 2.13 per game), with the hope of leaving their stamp in the history books regarding the Cascadia Cup, which would provide morale as well as momentum towards the Supporters’ Shield.
Seattle, meanwhile, is fourth with 26 with their minds in other places considering the FIFA Club World Cup.
Half the team lost, but the same hunger remains
Whitecaps shall have to build their team in the absence of such stalwarts as Brian White, Andrés Cubas, Sebastian Berhalter, Pedro Vite, Jayden Nelson, and Sam Adekugbe. All currently with their respective national sides. That is not only lineup changes, but in the team foundation. They are game-changers. The goal remains, however, to preserve the lead and stay unbeaten.
It will not be an easy game. There will be less absenteeism in the case of Seattle. Osaze De Rosario, Stuart Hawkins, and Reed Baker-Whiting will not show up. However, the starting lineup nucleus will be there, but with the symbolic burden on their shoulders: the game will be the final one in preparation for historic participation in the Club World Cup. They will have to face the likes of PSG, Atlético de Madrid, and Botafogo. Thus, the team will likely show up with fire in eyes and an electric farewell environment.
Traumatic history, new determination
Vancouver is not helped with the numbers. Three-cornered battles in the all-time series against the Sounders with 53 wins, 74 losses, and 27 ties in 154 matches. An astronomical imbalance, but one tapped as motivation. It is an historic rivalry, one rooted in clubs, cities, and supporters. The Whitecaps have three points from the Cascadia Cup standings so far in the season, one from Seattle and Portland. The chance to take the lead and be closer to the spoils.