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Vancouver Whitecaps
Major League Soccer | Gameweek 44
Nov 7, 2021 at 11pm UK
Empire Field
Seattle Sounders

Vancouver
1 - 1
Seattle

Gauld (20')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Montero (8' pen.)
Tolo (31'), Gomez Andrade (35'), Leyva (80')

Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Major League Soccer clash between Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Seattle Sounders can secure their position as Western Conference champions with a victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in the final regular season contest on Sunday evening.

Vancouver Whitecaps are chasing a place in the playoffs themselves and will confirm their spot in the top seven if they avoid defeat to Seattle.


Match preview

The Vancouver Whitecaps celebrates midfielder Ryan Gauld (25) goal against Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia (29) during the first half at BC Place on October 17, 2021© Reuters

A stellar Western Conference campaign for Seattle looks set to finish with the side topping the table, whilst securing a pass into the CONCACAF Champions League for next year.

It is just the second time in their Major League Soccer history that they have topped the Western Conference come the end of the regular season, having emulated the feat that they first managed in 2014.

That season ended in a MLS Cup heartbreak, and the Sounders will head into the playoffs confident of going the distance this time around.

A constant in the playoffs since their MLS induction in 2009, the Sounders are no strangers to success, with only two sides having won more US Open Cups than the Washington State-based outfit.

Chasing their third MLS Cup, the Sounders are once indebted to long-time manager Brian Schmetzer, who took charge of the club in 2016 and has overseen 206 matches as the Seattle coach.

Their previous two MLS Cup wins came under the Seattle-based coach and Schmetzer will be keen to make it three in five years when the playoffs commence.

There is a still a chance they could drop out of top spot in the Western Conference before the playoffs roll around, with Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids both just one point behind the Sounders.

A win against the Whitecaps would secure the Western Conference title, and they will be hoping to replicate the scoreline from the previous meeting with the Vancouver-based outfit.

The Whitecaps have their own ambitions heading into the fixture, needing at least a point to ensure that they finish the regular season inside the top seven spaces.

Currently sitting in sixth, Vancouver have a three-point advantage over eighth-placed Real Salt Lake, with a draw enough to take them onto 49 points and into the playoffs.

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Janio Bikel celebrates his goal on June 27, 2021© Reuters

Much jeopardy lies on this fixture, with at least one side set to have a nervy end to the campaign, and the history books would suggest Seattle should be the most confident.

Unbeaten against the Whitecaps since April 2017, Seattle have played 12 times against Vancouver without losing and the Sounders will be keen to extend that record to 13 this weekend.

What is more, out of those 12 fixtures only four have finished in draws, meaning the Whitecaps may have to hope for a favour elsewhere if they are to qualify for their first playoffs since the 2017 campaign.

Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer form:
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • D

Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer form:
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • D



Team News

Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer reacts on May 9, 2021© Reuters

Much of the Whitecaps' strong form this season has been down to the performances of Brian White, who leads the scoring chart for Vancouver with 12 goals.

He will be joined in attack by Cristian Dajome, who has 10 goals to his name himself, whilst Scottish playmaker Ryan Gauld is expected to start just behind the pair.

A broken ankle picked up in mid-August has kept Caio Alexandre out ever since, but the Brazilian midfielder has hopes of returning to the Whitecaps side should they progress to the playoffs.

Andy Rose is another absentee for the Seattle match who will targeting a return for the playoffs, with the 31-year-old currently suffering with a calf injury, which is the same issue facing Tosaint Ricketts.

Relatively good luck with injuries has helped Seattle to the position they are currently in, with their standout performer Raul Ruidiaz a crucial part to the Sounders success.

The Peruvian has scored 17 times in the league this season and keeping the 31-year-old forward quiet will prove a difficult task for an often leaky Whitecaps defence.

They are not without their injury worries, however, with Will Bruin in the latter stages of his recovery from a knee injury, whilst Jordy Delem is set to be out until the new year.

Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Crepeau; Godoy, Jungwirth, Nerwinski; Gasparm, Teiber, Owusu, Brown; Gauld, White, Dajome

Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Gomez, Arreaga, Tolo; Roldan, Paulo, Rowe, Smith; Roldan, Lodeiro, Ruidiaz


SM words green background

We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Seattle Sounders

Much rests on the result of this game and both Seattle and Vancouver will be desperate to avoid the uncertainties of defeat when they meet on Sunday.

Seattle lead the Western Conference and thus enter the match as favourites, yet Vancouver know their playoff hopes rest on a result, making this one an extremely tight affair.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Away Win:data



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Vancouver Whitecaps win with a probability of 44.28%. A win for Seattle Sounders had a probability of 30.57% and a draw had a probability of 25.1%.

The most likely scoreline for a Vancouver Whitecaps win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.67%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.12%) and 2-0 (7.41%). The likeliest Seattle Sounders win was 0-1 (7.77%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.9%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with an 11.9% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: Vancouver vs Seattle

Vancouver Whitecaps
48.0%
Draw
24.0%
Seattle Sounders
28.0%
25
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Seattle Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer on June 27, 2021
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter MiamiInter Miami34228479493074
2Columbus Crew34199672403266
3FC CincinnatiCincinnati341851158481059
4Orlando City34157125950952
5Charlotte FCCharlotte FC34149114637951
6New York City FCNY City34148125449550
7New York Red BullsNY Red Bulls34111495550547
8CF MontrealMontreal341110134864-1643
9Atlanta UnitedAtlanta341010144649-340
10DC United341010145270-1840
11Philadelphia UnionPhiladelphia34910156255737
12Toronto34114194061-2137
13Nashville SCNashville3499163854-1636
14New England RevolutionNew England3494213774-3731
15Chicago Fire3479184062-2230

Western Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Los Angeles FCLos Angeles34197863432064
2Los Angeles GalaxyLA Galaxy34197869501964
3Real Salt LakeSalt Lake341611765481759
4Seattle SoundersSeattle34169951351657
5Houston DynamoHouston34159104739854
6Minnesota UnitedMinnesota Utd34157125849952
7Colorado RapidsColorado34155146160150
8Portland TimbersPortland341211116556947
9Vancouver WhitecapsVancouver34138135249347
10Austin FCAustin34119143948-942
11Dallas34118155456-241
12St Louis City34813135063-1337
13Sporting Kansas CityKansas3487195166-1531
14San Jose EarthquakesEarthquakes3463254178-3721


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