The Cascadia Cup is one of the most important rivalries in Major League Soccer. The Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Portland Timbers vie for Pacific Northwest supremacy every year, and the action on the field is intense even if the teams are relatively low in the standings. This weekend, Vancouver and Seattle will meet for the first time this season, and both teams will look to improve their position in the race for the Cascadia Cup.
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MLS Betting at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Sounders -123
Vancouver Whitecaps +345
Draw +267
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Vancouver and Seattle are both outside of the playoff picture heading into this match. The Whitecaps are sitting at 7-5-8 and are just two points behind the Los Angeles Galaxy heading into this game. At the midway point of the season, they can still feel somewhat confident about their playoff chances. This team has done much better than expected on the road, picking up three wins in their 10 matches, but their performance at home has left something to be desired.
The Whitecaps are currently in the middle of a two-game losing streak. Last weekend, they had a winnable game on the road against D.C. United, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances. Vancouver hit the post on one set piece, and just missed on another, while D.C. got a masterful goal from Yamil Asad in a 3-1 victory for D.C. On Wednesday, they could only muster one shot on goal in a loss to Montreal in the first leg of the semifinals for the Canadian Championship.
Seattle has had a season to forget, but things have improved recently for the Sounders. They have been able to pick up a result in each of their last three matches and are no longer in the cellar in the Western Conference. However, they aren’t far removed from it either as they currently sit in 10th place with just 17 points.
Last week, the Sounders did about as good as you can expect on the road against Atlanta. They were able to pull a point out of the match despite playing in one of the toughest environments in the league, and they did it while playing down a man for the last third of the match. That’s something they can hold their head high about coming into this one.
Key Absences
Coming into this match, Vancouver might be without one of their better defenders. Kendall Watson is nursing a groin strain, and the team’s captain is officially listed as questionable for this match. Not having him available would be a big blow, but the club has been without him for a while now. He was part of Costa Rica’s World Cup team, and he has only played with the Whitecaps for 45 minutes over the past two months.
Injuries have once again played a big part in crushing Seattle’s dreams. For a second straight season, the Sounders have dealt with a number of injuries, and there are four players that might miss this match. Midfielder Handwalla Bwana has already been ruled out with a right foot sprain, while forward Clint Dempsey and defender Roman Torres are questionable. Dempsey has been dealing with a groin issue, while Torres has a sprained ankle. Torres’ health may be the more important issue though, since the Sounders will already be without defender Jordan McCrary for this match because of a suspension.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Sounders are decent-sized favorites at home, but they have yet to live up to their billing in the Emerald City. Seattle is 2-4-2 at home this season, and with injuries still playing a big role, I’ll take the draw here.
Major League Soccer Odds: Seattle Sounders 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 1
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