VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps overcame a string of adversity to blank their regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders, 3-0 on Sunday.
The result extended the ‘Caps (10-1-5) unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to a club record 11 games.
Homegrown talent Jeevan Badwal notched his first MLS goal in the 40th minute, Mexican striker Daniel Rios scored to cushion the lead in the 70th, and veteran striker Damir Kreilach put away a penalty kick in the 88th. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka recorded his eighth clean sheet of the season.
The Sounders (7-6-5) went down to nine men early in the second half following a pair of red cards.
Seven of Vancouver’s 11 starters were listed as questionable for the game after about half of the team came down with a gastrointestinal illness following the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City on June 1.
The ‘Caps were also without nine additional players who have been called up to their national teams, and star attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Vancouver signed seven Whitecaps FC 2 players to short-term agreements Sunday to bolster their ranks. Six of the players were on the bench at the start of Sunday’s game, including central midfielders Jackson Castro and Antoine Coupland, centre back Adrian Pelayo, left back Daniel Russo, right back Nikola Djordjevic and striker John Selemani.
The visitors came close to opening the scoring in the 31st minute when midfielder Pedro de la Vega sent a ball skittering along the turf from the top of the penalty area. His shot appeared to deflect off the leg of a Whitecaps defender and sail just wide of the far post.
Nine minutes later, a ‘Caps rookie got his side on the board.
Wing back Edier Ocampo sliced a ball to J.C. Ngando at the top of the six-yard box and he ticked it on to Badwal. The 19-year-old Whitecaps academy product from Surrey, B.C., stuck out his right leg just in time to redirect the ball in past Seattle ‘keeper Stefan Frei to make it 1-0.
The Sounders controlled 65.1 per cent of possession across the first half and held a 6-5 edge in shots, but the Whitecaps registered the lone on-target shot.
Vancouver came into the second half with renewed energy and pressed to create chances.
Seattle appeared to get frustrated and the emotions boiled over in the 52nd minute when wing back Nouhou grabbed his Vancouver counterpart Mathias Laborda around the neck and hauled him down as Laborda charged toward the Sounders net.
Referee Ricardo Fierro pulled the red card from his pocket, leaving the visitors with 10 men.
The ‘Caps briefly appeared to double their lead in the 53rd minute when centre back Bjorn Utvik booted a shot in off a corner kick.
The goal was quickly called off because Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic made contact with Frei as he leapt for a header, hauling the goaltender down and impeding his ability to stop Utvik’s shot.
Seattle ran into more trouble in the 55th minute when centre back Jonathan Bell made contact with Priso as he charged up the field.
Fierro once again pulled out the red card. The Sounders players argued the call, but Bell soon walked off to the locker rooms, leaving Seattle with just nine players on the pitch.
Rios boosted Vancouver’s lead to 2-0 in the 70th minute, collecting a pass from Priso at the top of the penalty area and firing a right-footed shot in from the top of the penalty area for his second goal of the season.
Ocampo had a prime chance to make it 3-0 in the 73rd minute. In alone, the wing back twisted to blast a jumping right-footed shot on target, but Frei dove to punch the ball away.
Priso, too, had a chance in the 76th minute with a high shot that appeared poised to sneak in below the crossbar. But the Seattle netminder leapt up and touched it over to keep the score 2-0.
Another Sounders foul late in the game proved costly.
Midfielder Joao Paulo made contact with ‘Caps striker Emmanuel Sabbi inside the area and Fierro signalled for a penalty kick.
Kreilach, who came off the bench for Badwal in the 74th minute, stepped up and sent a low ball rolling into the corner of the goal in the 88th minute as Frei dove in the opposite direction.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps will be back in action Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew. The Sounders will start their quest for the FIFA Club World Cup next Sunday against Brazilian club Botafogo.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
