Sounders shred Whitecaps in 4-0 win behind Ruidiaz brace
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Sounders won their first Cascadia Cup matchup of the 2022 MLS campaign with a four-goal stomping of the Vancouver Whitecaps. A penalty kick goal in the third minute by Nicolas Lodeiro essentially set the tone for the match. Vancouver never put up much of a dangerous chance on the Sounders, with Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei never facing a shot on target. With the victory, Seattle is now currently in a playoff spot.
Several Sounders celebrate post-game, including Dylan Teves who made his MLS debut (Photo Seattle Sounders)
Raul leads the charge
With some key attacking players out of the match for the Sounders, the scoring machine Raul Ruidiaz may have had some added pressure to his game. Ruidiaz first scored in the 28th minute, off of a cross in by Jimmy Medranda. Well placed into the box, an off balance Ruidiaz was able to slot home the ball to extend the Seattle lead to two before half. Ruidiaz’s second goal of the night came off of a curling cross by Brazilian attacker Leo Chu. Chu flung a ball into the box to Ruidiaz, who was able to tap it home. The Peruvian striker nearly had a third goal in the match to complete the hat trick, but a Whitecaps defender blocked the shot on an open net.
Seattle dominant throughout
This match was an example of domination from the Sounders, who hadn’t necessarily had a game like that in MLS play this year. In the first Cascadia Cup match that they have played this season, Seattle looked ready to defend the Cup they’ve held four years running. From scoring a penalty within five minutes of the match starting, Ruidiaz’s two goals made the game a blowout, and Alex Roldan’s 88th goal put the icing on top. This was the sort of result you’d expect of this year's fully healthy Seattle roster, let alone one missing Cristian Roldan, who’s been playing at an MVP level. Having Raul Ruidiaz at his best is another factor that will help Seattle return to a deep playoff run.
Seattle’s captain Nico Lodeiro scored a penalty kick goal in the third minute (Photo Seattle Storm)
Quick notes
The match attendance for the game was 31,165. That is pretty solid considering that it was a Tuesday night, and the Seattle Mariners (baseball) were playing at the same time right across the street.
Seattle is undefeated in its last fifteen matchups against the Whitecaps. The Sounders last loss to Vancouver came in April of 2017.
When both Raul Ruidiaz and Nicolas Lodeiro score, the Sounders are 14-0-0
26% of Raul Ruidiaz’s goals with Seattle have come in matches against Cascadia opponents Vancouver and Portland
Homegrown player Dylan Teves made his MLS debut, playing 18 minutes for the Sounders.
With the win, Seattle has now moved into a playoff spot in the seventh spot in the Western Conference. The Sounders are only five points behind fourth-place Austin FC. Things will not get easier for Seattle though, as they take on LAFC in just a few days. The match will take place at Lumen Field with a noon kickoff time, and will be broadcast on ABC.