Sebastian Berhalter of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Nouhou Tolo of the Seattle Sounders battled for possession during the first half of an MLS match in Vancouver on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The action was captured by Canadian Press photographer Ethan Cairns.
The Vancouver Whitecaps, facing their sixth match in just 18 days, ran out of steam and fell to a resurgent Seattle Sounders team 3-0 on Wednesday night. The demanding schedule finally took its toll on the 'Caps, leaving them sluggish and unable to keep up with their energetic rivals.
Vancouver’s head coach, Vanni Sartini, expressed understanding after the defeat, noting the exhaustion his players faced. "It's not the time to get angry with the players. Today, they simply had no fuel left," Sartini said. "It's tough to compete when you're out of energy." Vancouver’s packed calendar, including their recent triumph in the Canadian Championship, has left them physically drained, compounded by injuries to key players such as Ryan Gauld, Ali Ahmed, and Stuart Armstrong.
Seattle’s Albert Rusnak was a key figure in the match, contributing to all three goals, with one scored and two assists. Jordan Morris also provided two assists, while Georgi Minoungou netted another goal, securing Seattle’s dominant win. The Sounders’ goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, kept the Whitecaps at bay with three saves, earning his 13th clean sheet of the season.
The Whitecaps, already weakened by injuries, were reduced to 10 men in the 88th minute when Fafa Picault received his second yellow card after a rough challenge, further sealing their defeat. Deflated and exhausted, Vancouver struggled to keep up with Seattle’s relentless attack.
Ranko Veselinovic, a defender for Vancouver, admitted the team’s poor performance was largely due to a lack of energy. “We didn’t have the energy from the start, especially in the first half. We were late in challenges, and we were all over the place," he reflected after the game. Despite the tough loss, Veselinovic emphasized the need for improvement ahead of their next three-day game. “We need to talk, think about this, and find a way to improve on Saturday.”
Seattle, now unbeaten in its last five MLS games, continued its strong form, further solidifying its playoff position. It currently sits third in the MLS Western Conference standings, while Vancouver is in seventh place, six points behind.
The Sounders grabbed an early lead in the 14th minute when a corner kick from Rusnak found Morris, whose header was deflected into the net by an unmarked Minoungou. Vancouver nearly responded just five minutes later, with Sebastian Berhalter forcing a fine save from Frei and Picault missing a close-range follow-up.
Seattle doubled their lead in the 65th minute after Veselinovic fouled Rathrock in the box, leading to a penalty. Rusnak calmly slotted the spot-kick past Takaoka to make it 2-0. Just two minutes later, Rathrock capitalized on a pass from Rusnak and sliced through Vancouver’s defense, firing in Seattle’s third and final goal.
Despite the loss, Sartini saw a silver lining, noting the match could serve as a wake-up call for the team as they prepare for the remainder of the season.
