Brian Schmetzer believes the Seattle Sounders' wins over the Vancouver Whitecaps earlier this year should be the standard they aspire to get back to, ahead of renewing their Cascadia Cup rivalry on Sunday. 

The Sounders and the Whitecaps have not met in MLS yet this year, but they did face off in a two-legged CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 tie in March.

Seattle took both legs of that encounter, winning 3-0 in Canada then triumphing 2-1 at Lumen Field to progress to the quarter-finals, where they lost to Tigres UANL.

But Vancouver have been far more consistent in league play as they sit top of the Western Conference, only ahead of second-placed Los Angeles FC on goal difference but with two games in hand.

Seattle are ninth, currently occupying the final wild-card spot but with Minnesota United leading a pack of teams that are breathing down their necks.

Asked how Sunday's game would be different to those two clashes in March, Schmetzer said: "Well, they still play the same way. I like the way Jesper [Sorensen] plays. 

"They have a good team. With Sebastian [Berhalter] going out, has that hurt them? [Oliver] Larraz has come in and done a fine job.

"They've got a super talented team, they play 4-3-3 and there's a lot of movement – they do similar things to us.

"The two games we played against them earlier in the year, I thought we were effective. Things were flowing pretty well then and we were scoring some timely goals. It is hard to win up there."

But Seattle lost six straight MLS games prior to the Leagues Cup, in which they only managed to win one of their three group-stage matches and slumped to an early exit.

Vancouver are also winless in three MLS games, though the last two of those – versus Minnesota and LAFC – were draws.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Seattle Sounders – Kalani Kossa-Rienzi

In Seattle's last MLS game, a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers at the start of August, Kossa-Rienzi scored as a substitute for the second time this season. 

He is the second Seattle player (also Osaze De Rosario) with multiple goals off the bench in 2026, as the Sounders are one of four teams with multiple such players (also FC Dallas, Nashville SC and Inter Miami).

Vancouver Whitecaps – Thomas Muller

Against LAFC at the start of August, Muller converted his seventh regular-season penalty kick since arriving in Vancouver last season, remaining perfect from the spot. 

The only other player with at least seven regular-season penalty attempts without a miss over the last two MLS seasons is Carles Gil (nine taken, nine scored).

MATCH PREDICTION – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The Sounders lead the all-time MLS regular-season series against the Whitecaps, with 18 wins in 40 meetings (D11 L11). 

However, Seattle have failed to win any of their last four MLS games against Vancouver at home (D3 L1) after winning seven of the previous eight meetings at Lumen Field (D1).

And, following losses to the LA Galaxy and the Timbers, Seattle have lost consecutive home matches in the regular season for the first time since May 2023. 

Prior to dropping their last two home games, the Sounders had suffered just one loss (W16 D9) in their last 26 home regular-season games.

Vancouver go into this one as favourites, and they will hope to get another opportunity from the penalty spot, as their five successful spot-kicks this season are the joint-most in MLS. They were also joint-top of the same charts last year, converting eight penalties.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Seattle Sounders – 24.4%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 51.7%

Draw – 23.9%