Martins wins first title

Seattle Sounders FC (14W-13L-3D) spoiled Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s (15W-11L-3D) bid for a Cascadia Cup threepeat with a 3-0 win on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at BC Place.

“We continue to show that we’re a good road team, which we’ve always been”, said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid.

Their most risky chance of the game came in the 19th minute when wide play led to a through ball that split the Sounders center back pairing, and gave Rivero a step on them both. Obefami Martins team leading 13th goal off a Clint Dempsey pass in the 87 minute made it 3-0 and the Rave Green where high and dry and had their second MLS victory over the Whitecaps in three attempts (2-1-0).

Striker Octavio Rivero came close twice within the opening 20 minutes. Cristian Techera played a wonderful through-ball to Rivero, who couldn’t beat a charging Stefan Frei.

The second half saw a drastic change to the flow of the game. “That’s what I did”.

“I can’t fault my boys”, Robinson continued.

Seattle added to their tally in the second half.

The ball eventually reaches Gonzalo Pineda on the edge of the area. Martins picked out substitute Nelson Valdez, who knocked it back to Dempsey with a deft touch. Pineda kept his composure, sidestepping a defender before banking a shot off the left post to double the visitors’ advantage. A long run with the ball took him into the box, but into too narrow of an angle to take a shot. Obafemi Martins hit a wide-open net after Caps’ Ousted had been pulled to his left by Clint Dempsey’s run and quick move around Russell Teibert near the end line. He has five goals in as many games since returning from a groin injury. The Caps had 15 shots, 8 on target and 28 crosses but it all amounted to a handful of half-chances.

“It’s hard because I thought we did play well”, Whitecaps fullback Jordan Harvey told reporters after the match. “We blocked some shots”.

It was a cagey first half with little space either way.

The stout defense, stellar keeping and flurries of offensive brilliance brought to mind the Sounders team that once sat in Vancouver’s place atop the race for the Supporters’ Shield, before injuries, national call-ups, and disciplinary woes stalled what was set to be a banner year.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are in contention to finish first overall in Major League Soccer, but coach Carl Robinson thinks the Seattle Sounders are the heavy favourites entering Saturday’s home game against Seattle. The Whitecaps were the two-time defending champions, while the Sounders reclaimed the Cup for the first time since 2011.

“We’ve done nothing (in MLS), so I’m being realistic”, said Robinson, whose team won this year’s Canadian championship. Still, the long week of work will have important implications as both squads hurtle towards the postseason.

Those goals are kind of the crucial point I guess, but what looks like a comfortable win for Seattle on paper was really nothing of the sort until the third goal went in with just three minutes remaining. Vancouver secured the Champions League victory with a 1-0 win. “So we need to be aware of what they’re good at, especially with (Obafemi) Martins back up front (and) the speed they have up there”.

A big deal indeed.

New York City FC midfielder and former Chelsea skipper Frank Lampard scored his first goal in MLS on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

Chad Marshall, Sounders: Any time you blank the Caps at B.C. Place you’re doing something right.