A Late VAR Decision Hands Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-1 Draw in Seattle

The Sounders faced Cascadian rivals Vancouver Whitecaps for the second time in a month at Lumen Field. The return of key players Joao Paulo and Albert Rusnak brought a noticeable composure to the Seattle Sounders' midfield, enabling them to maintain possession effectively. This control allowed the Sounders to dominate for long stretches, particularly in the first half.

Seattle's early dominance was rewarded when Jordan Morris opened the scoring, capitalizing on a reflex save by Whitecaps goalkeeper Takaoka from a close-range shot by Obed Vargas. Despite the early setback, the Whitecaps continued to be patient and disciplined in their approach, waiting for opportunities to counter, drawing four saves from Stefan Frei in the Sounders' goal.

A standout performer for the Sounders was 18-year-old Obed Vargas, who played higher up the field on the right side of the attack. Vargas impressed with his energy in closing down opponents and his confidence to receive the ball in tight pockets. He consistently drove at the backline, made intelligent runs off the shoulder, and delivered dangerous crosses into the box.

Despite their dominance, the Sounders' momentum was disrupted when Nouhou received a red card for a handball in the penalty area, leading to a late penalty that Gauld converted for the Whitecaps to equalize. The match nearly swung back in Seattle's favor when Pedro De La Vega, returning from a hamstring injury, hit the post with a snap shot from close range in the dying moments of the game.

The bright spot for Seattle was indeed the return of De La Vega. The Argentine playmaker's comeback adds a creative spark to the team as they look to build on the positives from this performance while addressing their disciplinary and injury issues, which have plagued them all season.

Game Recap

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Venue: LUMEN FIELD; SEATTLE, WASH.
Final Score: SOUNDERS 1 - WHITECAPS 1

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Scoring Summary

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9’ – SEA – Jordan Morris
90’ + 5 – VAN – Ryan Gauld

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Statistics

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Possession: SEA 52% - VAN 48%
Shots: SEA 12 - VAN 8
Shots on Goal: SEA 2 - VAN 5
Saves: SEA 4 - VAN 1
Fouls: SEA 14 - VAN 11
Offsides: SEA 0 - VAN 1
Corners: SEA 5 - VAN 3

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Cautions

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36’ – SEA – Obed Vargas – (Yellow)
43’ – SEA – Joao Paulo – (Yellow)
77’ – VAN – Mathias Laborda – (Yellow)
89’ – SEA – Nouhou Tolo – (Yellow)
90’ +5 – SEA – Nouhou Tolo – (Red)

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Seattle Sounders XI

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24. Stefan Frei, 5. Nouhou, 25. Jackson Regan, 28. Yeimar Andrade, 6. João Paulo (10. Pedro De La Vega 76’); 18. Obed Vargas, 11. Albert Rusnak (33. Reed Baker-Whiting 88’); 16. Alex Roldan, 7. Cristian Roldan, 13. Jordan Morris, 9. Raul Ruidiaz (17. Danny Musovski 88’).

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Unused Subs

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26. Andrew Thomas, 33. Cody Baker, 15. Jon Bell, 75. Danny Leyva, 99. Dylan Teves, 15. Jon Bell, 14. Paul Rothrock.

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Vancouver XI

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18. Tohei Takaoka, 6. Tristan Blackmon, 2. Mathias Laborda, 23. Javain Brown, 7. Ryan Raposo (22. Ali Ahmed 65’); 20. Andrés Cubas (16. Sebastian Berhalter 54’); 45. Pedro Vite, 8. Alessandro Schöpf (28. Levonte John 76’), 24. Brian White, 25. Ryan Gauld ©, 11. Fabrice Picault.

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Unused Subs

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32. Isaac Boehmer, 12. Belal Halbouni, 27. Giuseppe Bovalina, 14. Luis Martins, 4. Ranko Veselinovic, 13. Ralph Priso-Mbongue.

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