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Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps player ratings
Contents
- Sounders go eight games unbeaten in patchy performance
- Stefan Frei leads MLS with clean sheets, registering his 13th of the season
- Draw leaves Vancouver out of top four as they search for home advantage in playoffs
Seattle Sounders Player Ratings: Chú and Nouhou make hay on left
Stefan Frei 6/10 – didn’t have to make a save
Alex Roldán 7/10 – battling performance
Yeimar 6.5/10 – matched White in the air
Jackson Ragen 6.5/10 – defensively solid
Nouhou Tolo 7.5/10 – took game by scruff of the neck, most influential player
Josh Atencio 7/10 – kept team ticking in possession
João Paulo 6.5/10 – pulled strings from deep
Cristian Roldán 7/10 – hustled and bustled in middle
Nicolás Lodeiro 7/10 – slow start but effective in space
Léo Chú 7.5/10 – main threat down left
Jordan Morris 6/10 – worked hard, no reward
Substitutes
Albert Rusnák N/A
Héber N/A
Reed Baker-Whiting N/A
Vancouver Whitecaps Player Ratings: Gauld unable to operate
Yohei Takaoka 7.5/10 – untroubled by potshots, top save at the end
Tristan Blackmon 6.5/10 – acquitted himself well
Ranko Veselinović 7/10 – powerful in defence
Mathías Laborda 5.5/10 – struggled against Chú
Sam Adekugbe 6.5/10 – accomplished both sides of the ball
Sebastian Berhalter 6.5/10 – composed and compact
Pedro Vite 6/10 – little impact
Richie Laryea 6.5/10 – made to work hard
Junior Hoilett 6/10 – couldn’t make his mark, was first sub
Ryan Gauld 6.5/10 – MVP candidate not at his best tonight
Brian White 6/10 – dangerman in the air, couldn’t make it count
Substitutes
Alessandro Schöpf 5.5/10 – didn’t change course of game, booked
Ryan Raposo N/A
Javain Brown N/A
Ali Ahmed N/A
Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps Match Summary and Highlights
In a surprisingly sunny Seattle evening nobody was able to light up Lumen Field in a flat game between two sides already assured of postseason football.
The opening period was cat and mouse, neither Ryan Gauld for the visitors nor Nicolás Lodeiro for the hosts could make the difference in the final third. The best chance in the first 30 minutes was a Léo Chú shot on the turn, he was a danger on the left.
Eternal Blue. Forever Green.
Well done, @ECSTifo! 👏#SEAvVAN | #Sounders pic.twitter.com/xmXiBkI7hz
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 8, 2023
The intensity gradually increased after the break, especially from the home side urged on by a passionate crowd. This game is, after all, a derby of sorts with both teams competing for the Cascadia Cup.
Chú continued to terrorize his opponents on the flank, ably supported by Cameroonian full back Nouhou Tolo. Gauld struck the post in a rare counter attack by the visitors, who were happy to see the game scoreless after the hour mark.
As time wore on, it became clear the Caps were happy to settle for a point, looking to shave seconds off the clock at every opportunity. Sounders kept pushing but never looked like troubling Takaoka, the final chance a Cristian Roldán header
Man of the Match: Nouhou Tolo
The Cameroonian left back had an impressive night as he constantly tried creating something on the left. Nouhou gave away the first foul in the opening seconds, but it was an indication of the intensity he showed throughout the ninety minutes.
With Vancouver hardly making inroads on his flank, pinned back by Brazilian winger Léo Chú, the 26-year-old defender took matters into his own hands. Always acting as an outlet, he would carry the ball or play forward passes to try and carve something out for his team.
In total he had 98 touches, more than anybody else on the field, and despite being a defender even registered two of Seattle’s 17 shots. If anybody deserved a win tonight it was the number five who never gave up.
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