Saturday’s Cascadia showdown featured two teams adapting to new formations at different speeds: the Seattle Sounders still struggling to find chemistry in the 4-3-3 and the Vancouver Whitecaps who looked quite comfortable in a surprise 4-4-2. Though Seattle dominated the ball for most of the match, maintaining 60% possession, they failed to consistently create dangerous chances. Instead, they often left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks from Vancouver. The game was ultimately decided on two (questionable, depending on who you ask) penalty calls in favor of Vancouver but they weren’t total flukes. Both decisions came after strong build up play from the Whitecaps and, while potentially fortunate, were part of Carl Robinson’s counterattacking game plan.
Seattle Sounders - After opening the season with three straight losses, Sigi Schmid must be beginning to worry about how his team is gelling in their new 4-3-3. The three forwards have hardly shown the kind of attacking chemistry that the Clint Dempsey/Obafemi Martins duo thrived on. With three attackers typically used to playing center forward or striker roles, Seattle’s attack became intensely narrow, relying solely on fullbacks to provide width. The 4-3-3 didn't fare much better in defense, either. Midfielders and forwards consistently mixed up defensive assignments while others were consistently caught upfield.
