[ATTACH=CONFIG]3250[/ATTACH]KEY PLAYERS
Attacking
There was no hotter player in MLS during the month of June as Camilo. He scored 6 goals and contributed two assists. Earlier this month against Seattle the Brazilian scored a brace by getting away from his markers and converting two headers inside the box. He extended his scoring streak to five games against Sporting Kansas City when he delivered a perfect free kick from about 25 yards out.
While Eddie Johnson is ranked third on the team in scoring, the Sounders are hoping the striker can return to the level he played at last season when he scored 14 times. He hasn't scored since May 18th, which includes missing a couple of games while on international duty. The Sounders are hoping the American international can build up a relationship with his striking partner Obafemi Martins.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Defence
After taking a couple of games off on the Eastern road trip, Y.P. Lee returns to the lineup to take his normal right back spot. He will be looked upon to push the ball forward and deliver it to the players up front, especially with the continued absence of Russell Teibert to international duty. There will also be more pressure on the veteran defensively due to the help he received from Teibert and the possible need to help out Brad Rusin in his return to the team.
Signed late in the preseason, Djimi Traore has played every minute for the Sounders and has been a big factor in solidifying their defence. The job to stop Camilo will most likely fall to the former Malian international who will try to use his vast experience in order to slow the Brazilian down. He is not only a physical defender but also athletic enough to deal with some of the better strikers in MLS.
WHO’S ON FORM
A hidden blessing for all the injuries to their central defenders is the improving play of Johnny Leveron. The Honduran defender is making everything he does look very easy, especially the tackles he makes to prevent shots on goal. He is just as important to the attack as he is able to get the ball moving forward quickly in transition.
After getting a lot starts at striker while either Martins or Johnson were missing, Lamar Neagle may start on the left side of the midfield. In the last game against Vancouver he had a part in every goal. He scored the winner, picked up an assist and drew a foul in the box that led to a penalty. In fact in his last seven appearances for the Sounders, Neagle has four goals and three assists.
PROJECTED LINEUP
[ATTACH=CONFIG]3251[/ATTACH]
Vancouver Whitecaps (4-3-3) R to L - Brad Knighton; Lee Young-Pyo, Brad Rusin, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matt Watson, Gershon Koffie, Nigel Reo-Coker; Kekuta Manneh, Kenny Miller, Camilo Sanvezzo
Seattle Sounders(4-4-2) R to L - Michael Gspurning; DeAndre Yedlin, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Djimi Traore, Leo Gonzalez; Mauro Rosales, Brad Evans, Servando Carrasco, Lamar Neagle; Eddie Johnson, Obafemi Martins
2013 RECORD
Vancouver Whitecaps:
7W-5D-5L-26P
5th in Western Conference
Last Match: 1-1 Draw at Sporting Kansas City
Seattle Sounders:
7W-3D-5L-24P
7th in Western Conference
Last Match: 2-0 Win vs D.C. United
OVERVIEW
After a successful two game road trip in which they picked up four of the six points available, the Whitecaps return to B.C. Place to face Seattle Sounders. Once again Vancouver will try to beat their Cascadian rivals for the first time since joining MLS in 2011. They came close in the last match up in Seattle and were up 2-1 before an injury to Andy O’Brien led to a collapse by the Caps and another loss.
Starting in goal, this could be the last opportunity for Brad Knighton to prove he is worthy of the number one keeper spot, with new signee David Ousted waiting in the wings. The central defensive pair will definitely have Johnny Leveron and his partner will most likely be Brad Rusin, who played well in the last match, as Andy O’Brien does not appear to have recovered from his hamstring injury in time. Y.P. Lee will return to the right back spot opposite of Jordan Harvey on the left side.
With Lee back, Nigel Reo-Coker returns to the midfield where he will look to solidify a weak area that has been ineffective in the last couple of games. After a couple of substitution appearances Gershon Koffie looks to be fully fit to return to the starting eleven. The final spot will be from Matt Watson, Daigo Kobayashi and Jun Marques Davidson, with the Englishman most likely to get the nod after some decent performances on the road.
Two of three spots in the front line are spoken for with Camilo and Kenny Miller really building a nice chemistry between them. The right wing position is up for grabs after Corey Hertzog wasn't a big factor against SKC and it may go to Kekuta Manneh to inject some much needed pace up the right wing.
The side that the Caps will be facing this Saturday will be stronger than the one that they faced in Seattle. They will be reinforced by both Eddie Johnson and Brad Evans who were both away on international duty for the U.S. national team.
However there are a couple of players who will be game day decisions as to whether they will be in the eleven for the Sounders. Sigi Schmid will need to see if Osvaldo Alonso and DeAndre Yedelin are healthy enough to start against the Caps.
Since their last meeting the Sounders have only played twice splitting, their results with a loss on the road against Real Salt Lake while beating D.C. United at home this past Wednesday. The game against United was their first after having ten days off but there were sign of rust despite Obafemi Martins scoring twice for the victory.
This season the Sounders are winning with a solid defensive game and they stand third in MLS with 17 goals in 15 games. The defensive record could be even better if Alonso was healthy as they have given up 11 goals in the 5 games that the holding mid has missed.
Their attack is still working on building chemistry as the duo of Martins and Eddie Johnson have yet to play a string of games together. The Sounders are also still waiting for Mauro Rosales to return his game to last year’s level when he was playing at an MVP level.
In their last eight matches the Whitecaps have only lost once, 3-2 to Seattle, while picking up five wins and two draws. They have picked up 17 of their 26 points this season during this span and have moved up into a playoff spot.
They have however had issues during their good run, especially on the defensive side, and will need to shore these up in order to continue it. Their schedule will only get harder as the summer continues so every match will be important in order to make the playoffs in the tough Western Conference.
The Whitecaps have been unbeaten at home so far this season but will be facing their biggest test this weekend against Seattle. It's also another chance for Vancouver to pick up their first win against a Cascadian team in MLS. They have never been going into one of these matches in better form to do it.
<p>