VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. There is pestilence in the land, and that land is BC Place, home to our Cascadia rivals, dating back to the NASL Before-Times, Vancouver Whitecaps. It is my, and I hope your, sincere wish that the Vancouver players make a full recovery so that we can all enjoy this Cascadia Cup tie with great gusto. Worse comes to worse though, and the ‘Caps will have to rely on their youngers. A massive potential x-factor.

What: MLS league match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC v. Seattle Sounders FC.

Where: BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia.

When: 6:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Sunday 8 June 2025 CE.

At Stake: Points in the league. Points in Cascadia Cup, a win could put us top depending on the Portland result. The state of the decaying moral fiber of MLS, which will likely be on full display Sunday night. Ah Late-Stage Capitalism [chef kiss]. Sounders were given a great gift Sunday last, as even though we were defeated by the Loons, we only dropped from 10th to 11th in the MLS league table. Now, in an embarrassment of generosity, MLS has served up a Vancouver side ripe for the taking, showing absolutely no remorse or empathy for a squad that is riddled with illness, and further depleted by national team commitments. It is unlikely that Sounders will move up very much in the standings should we take the three points in BC. We could conceivably get past ORL, NYRB, and CLB as none of them are playing matches this week. So after all that, a win puts us 8th in the league. A loss means we could fall below POR (STL) to 12th.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.

I don’t even know what to say. Like any red-blooded Sounders FC fan, I do love when we defeat our Pacific Northwest rivals. But I don’t want to win like this, when half their squad is trying to keep their broth and saltines down. I’m certain many of our number don’t care one whit, and you my friends will get your wish as MLS seems keen to put Whitecaps to the sword in the name of scheduling convenience.

They’ve got three goalkeepers eligible for selection, and 12 outfield players available in the senior team. Of those, eight of that lot are a matchday decision due to illness. They’re going to have to deputise members of their reserve team. I don’t see a way around it, unless the above have made a complete recovery. Yeh, yeh, yeh, I know you’re playing the world’s tiniest violin right now, but maybe stop for a minute. Consider how outraged you would be if we found ourselves in this situation. Right. Onward.

It’s…something resembling MLS football…a faded photocopy of a full-strength Cascadia derby match, at BC Place, under the lights…this is what it’s come to. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! DON’T CATCH THAT VIRUS OFF OUR OPPONENTS!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY (TEMPERED WITH COMPASSION)!!!”

Oh, Man. I want one of these shirts so bad. This is merch I can get behind.

The Good News

Looks like Stewie didn’t get to join the Yanks U-19s after all as he has a quadriceps issue, although an alternate diagnosis, a severe case of Brian has only two (arguably) healthy centre-halves in the squad, is possible. Either way, better luck next time, Stewie. You deserved that call-up.

In matches following a loss this season, Sounders FC are an unbeaten 2-2-0…and that’s against healthy opposition with a full squad to select from……………Except that 5:2 against LAFC, they ran out their reserves…mostly.

If you look at the table, it’s not so bad. Sounders still 11th in the league, and with only five losses out of 17 for a record of 7-5-5. That’s 12 results to five losses. Decent form by any standard.

We hadn’t scored two or more goals since 10 May until we hit two past Loons, Sunday last. So scoring is picking up, that’s a positive.

Sounders have better form over the last five matches in all competitions. We have managed 2-1-2, whilst our neighbours to the north went 1-3-1…and got strafed 5:0 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup by Cruz Azul, which we can not only relate to, but commiserate with…not the cup final part, but the Cruz Azul part…and then half their team took ill. Right. Focus.

Although our away form this season is a bit dicey at 3-3-5 in all competitions, you couldn’t ask for a better shot at redemption than MLS serving up a team that can’t keep it’s supper down. For the record, no organising body within football should ever do this.

For this match alone, the numbers can pretty much be thrown out, as nothing is normal about this fixture. Not one thing. Regular season my arse.

This may not mean anything under current conditions but Sounders are all time 17-10-10 in the league against Vancouver. 8-6-5 when playing at Vancouver. That’s a lot of results, and not so many defeats.

National team call-ups have had a much more deleterious effect on Vancouver as they’ve had nine players called up. We will only be missing three, with only two of those drawn from the senior squad (Baker-Whiting and De Rosario).

The Bad News

Current conditions notwithstanding, Vancouver have made a fortress of BC Place this season. They have only suffered one defeat at home (7-4-1) in all competitions this season.

Sounders away form is not striking fear into anyone (3-3-5).

The ‘Caps have the best defence in the league having only conceded 12 goals. In addition, Vancouver score 0.20 more goals per match than we do (in all competitions).

When at full-fitness, Vancouver are better than we are this season, by any metric. This is not an opinion, and I would direct you to the Comparison Against Common Opponents section as evidence.

The bad news for Vancouver, is that they are far from full-fitness and will struggle to run-out a competitive team.

I am utterly gobsmacked that MLS did not exercise their influence to re-schedule this fixture. It is a cowardly example of inaction in the name of convenience. For shame. This is the type of thing that happens when you act like a bankster, and not like a human being. That our club likely takes full advantage of the ‘Caps misfortune, just serves to underscore the moral rot in our society. Look what’s become of us. Saints preserve us all. St. Brigid hear my prayer.

If it turns out that the entire group that took ill make a full recovery before the match, the bulk of everything I’ve written is going to look like a massive over-reaction. Should this scenario occur, I ask only that my readership show me the empathy and compassion that MLS failed to show Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and that we would hope be shown to Sounders FC were it us in dire straits. Please also consider that this article is based on the zero information that was available regarding the current situation at Vancouver, which is, sadly, typical.

The Side I Would Select

In a just world, you would put out a selection that would make for a fair contest. That said, this is professional football. No quarter will be expected, and likely none given. Personally, I’d see it as a chance to rest a number of first-choice players for the culling of the World Club Cash Gra– I mean Cup that will once again demonstrate how MLS is doing so very many things wrong.

GK     Frei

LB     Baker

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Bell

RB     Alex

LDM    Joao Paulo

RDM   Leyva

LF     Kent

CAM   Rusnak

RF     Minoungou

CF     Musovski

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

Like I said: Likely no quarter given.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Bell

RB     Kossa-Rienzi

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     Rothrock

CAM   Rusnak

RF     de la Vega

CF     Musovski

Intangibles

Officiating.

Ricardo Fierro will be the Referee for Sunday’s match…assuming they actually play it.

Vancouver record with Fierro as Ref: 1-0-0

Sounders FC record with Fierro as Ref: 1-0-1

MLS fuckery.

Half the ‘Caps squad are ill. Most of the other half have been called into their national teams. If ever there was a match that should be re-scheduled, it should be Sunday’s fixture between Vancouver and Seattle. You’d like to think that if the same happened to us, that the league would care enough to re-schedule the fixture. This is the world we live in now. Look upon the works of MLS and weep. What a farce.

The Black-Ops world of MLS short-term loan transactions.

Yeh. This info is nowhere. Literally nowhere to be found. There is no publicly available list and zero transparency. It’s extremely tiresome when you’re trying to bash out an article with all the facts at your disposal. Like sands through the hourglass, so goes the abject fuckery of MLS. Keep up the good work…Top job [sarcasm]. MLS: Secrets made. Secrets kept. All at everyone else’s expense.

General notes on personnel

Vancouver transfers IN:

Ngando - re-signed

Priso - re-signed

Tate Johnson - draft

Nelson (Rosenborg BK) €350,000

Sabbi (Le Havre AC) €1M

Zendejas (Skovde AIK) free

Rios (Guadalajara) loan

Vancouver transfers OUT:

Bendik - retired

Levonte Johnson (Switchbacks FC) free

Picault (Inter Miami CF) free

Raposo - released

Schopf (Wolfsberger AC) free

Caicedo (Junior FC) €975,000

Armstrong (Sheffield Wednesday) €580,000

Anchor (Pacific FC) loan

Chateau (Vaasan Palloseura) loan

Comparison against common opponents

POR 1:4 VAN

POR 1:1 SEA

(against POR: VAN 1-0-0 +3, SEA 0-1-0 0) decisive edge VAN

DAL 0:1 VAN

DAL 0:1 SEA

SEA 1:0 DAL

(against DAL: VAN 1-0-0 +1, SEA 2-0-0 +2) edge SEA

VAN 2:0 COL

COL 1:1 SEA

(against COL: VAN 1-0-0 +2, SEA 0-1-0 0) edge VAN

STL 0:0 VAN

STL 1:0 SEA

SEA 4:1 STL

(against STL: VAN 0-1-0 0, SEA 1-0-1 +2) edge SEA

MIN 1:3 VAN

VAN 0:0 MIN

SEA 2:3 MIN

(against MIN: VAN 1-1-0 +2, SEA 0-0-1 -1) decisive edge VAN

VAN 2:1 RSL

RSL 2:3 VAN

RSL 2:0 SEA

(against RSL: VAN 2-0-0 +2, SEA 0-0-1 -2) decisive edge VAN

VAN 2:2 LAFC
SEA 5:2 LAFC

LAFC 4:0 SEA

(against LAFC: VAN 0-1-0 0, SEA 1-0-1 -1) marginal edge SEA

CAZ 5:0 VAN CCC

SEA 0:0 CAZ CCC

CAZ 4:1 SEA CCC

(against CAZ: VAN 0-0-1 -5, SEA 0-1-1 -3) edge SEA

Know Thine Enemy

Whitecaps FC as they lined up in their 5:0 defeat in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final against Cruz Azul at Estadio Olimpico Universitario, on 1 June.

GOALKEEPER

Yohei Takaoka, 29

Japan

Notable Clubs: Yokohama FC (41/0), Sagan Tosu (40/0), Yokohama F. Marinos (71/0), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (104/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3M

Notes: Developed by Yokohama FC. Won a J-League title with Yokohama F. Marinos. Named to J-League Best XI 2022. Won two Canadian Championships with Vancouver.

DEFENCE

Sam Adekugbe, 30

Canada (42/1)

Notable Clubs: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (49/3), Brighton & Hove Albion (1/0), IFK Goteborg (9/0), Valerenga (89/0), Hatayspor (52/0), Galatasaray (6/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1M

Notes: Developed by Manchester United Grassroots Program, AFC Clayton, Calgary Foothills, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Won a Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray. Won a Canadian Championship with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Ranko Veselinovic, 26

Serbia (2/0)

Notable Clubs: Vojvodina (59/1), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (153/6)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3M

Notes: Developed by Vojvodina. Originally on loan to Vancouver, the Whitecaps exercised their option to make the move permanent on 18 October 2020. Won a Serbian Cup with Vojvodina. Won three Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Tristan Blackmon, 28

United States

Notable Clubs: Los Angeles FC (64/2), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (97/5)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.8M

Notes: Played his university football for Pacific (70/16). Won a league championship with LAFC. Won three Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Edier Ocampo, 21

Colombia

Notable Clubs: Atletico Nacional (44/3), Fortaleza CEIF (17/0), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (18/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Full name: Edier Ocampo Vidal. Developed by Sur Oriente and Atletico Nacional. Won a Colombian Cup and Colombian Super Cup with Atletico Nacional. Has played for Colombia at youth levels (25/0).

MIDFIELD

JC Ngando, 25

Cameroon

Notable Clubs: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (21/0), Las Vegas Lights (33/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €500,000

Notes: Full name: Jean-Claude Ngando Mbende. Developed by Amiens. Played his university football at UNC Greensboro (38/9). Won a Canadian Championship with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Andres Cubas, 28

Paraguay (27/0)

Notable Clubs: Boca Juniors (28/0), Defensa y Justicia (21/0), Tallares (38/1), Nimes (48/2), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (82/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Full name: Adrian Andres Cubas. Developed by Boca Juniors. Won a league title and a Copa Argentina with Boca Juniors. Won three Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Pedro Vite, 23

Ecuador (4/1)

Notable Clubs: Independiente del Valle (14/2), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (100/11)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Full name: Pedro Jeampierre Vite Uca. Developed by Independiente del Valle. Won three Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

FORWARD

Jayden Nelson, 22

Canada (5/2)

Notable Clubs: Toronto FC (45/1), Rosenborg BK (35/5), SSV Ulm (6/0), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (11/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

Notes: Developed by Brampton YSC and Toronto FC. Won a Canadian Championship with Toronto FC. Named Canadian Youth International Player of the Year 2019.

Brian White, 29

United States (4/1)

Notable Clubs: New York RB (47/15), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (127/56)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Developed by PDA. Played his university football for Duke (73/23). Won MLS League Championship in 2018 with New York RB. Won three Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Ali Ahmed, 24

Canada (14/0)

Notable Clubs: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (60/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3M

Notes: Developed by Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Won two Canadian Championships with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Named Best Young Canadian Player of the 2023 Canadian Championship.

Familiar Faces

None.

Squads

Vancouver from:

Takaoka, Zendejas, Boehmer, Laborda, Veselinovic, Halbouni, Utvik, Ocampo, Blackmon, Priso, Ngando, Badwal, Sabbi, Rios, Kreilach.

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Castro,Baker, Bell, Burney, Kossa-Rienzi, Hawkins, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Sousa, Joao Paulo, Leyva, Cristian, Rusnak, Vargas, de la Vega, Ferreira, Kent, Minoungou, Musovski, Rothrock.

National Team Call-Ups

-Sounders FC-

Baker-Whiting (United States U-20s)

De Rosario (Guyana)

Brunell (United States U-18s)

-Vancouver-

Adekugbe (Canada)

Ahmed (Canada)

Berhalter (United States)

Bovalina (Australia U-23s)

Cubas (Paraguay)

Johnson (United States U-20s)

Nelson (Canada)

Vite (Ecuador)

White (United States)

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Vancouver

OUT: Gauld (knee). 

MATCHDAY DECISION: Badwal (Illness), Blackmon (Illness), Boehmer (Illness), Ocampo (Illness), Priso (Illness), Sabbi (Illness), Utvik (Illness), Veselinovic (Illness).

Sounders FC -

OUT: Kim (calf), Gomez Andrade (hamstring), Morris (hamstring), Arriola (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Hawkins (quadriceps).

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Vancouver: No players suspended. Priso out next match if booked.

Sounders FC: No players suspended. Musovski out next match if booked.

Fun Fact

Heyyyyy! Four more saves and Stefan Frei’s got 1000 saves in his career. Stef’s a top goalkeeper and we’re lucky to have him. Well done, Stef!!!!