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TSN Soccer Play-by-Play Announcer and Analyst

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The Vancouver Whitecaps make the short trip south to face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night with a crowd of over 50,000 expected at CenturyLink Field for the latest instalment of a long-running rivalry.

On this occasion, it's the Sounders looking up the standings at the Whitecaps, with Seattle four points behind the 'Caps in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.

Vital points in the chase for the postseason aren’t the only thing on the line Saturday. A win for the Sounders would see them lift the Cascadia Cup as the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest, taking it away from the two-time defending champion Whitecaps.

The Form:
The Whitecaps got a much-needed win at home against struggling San Jose last weekend to jump to second in the Western Conference. They looked comfortable throughout against the Quakes and head to Seattle off the back of two excellent performances. The home win last week was preceded by maybe the 'Caps top road display of the season, a 1-1 draw at Portland.

The Sounders are on one of their poorest runs since joining Major League Soccer in 2009. They’ve lost their last three matches without scoring, and have been beaten in six of their last seven, failing to find the net in five of those games

The Lineup:
With the Whitecaps entering their busiest month if the season, Carl Robinson will have to dig deep into his squad over the next few weeks. They play Seattle again on Wednesday and also have a two-leg Canadian Championship final against Montreal to come, as well as five MLS games during August.

Vancouver's main goal this season should be trying to secure the club's first home playoff date. For that reason, expect Robinson to name his strongest lineup available against the Sounders. That doesn't necessarily mean captain Pedro Morales will start. Nicolas Mezquida has been playing extremely well in Morales' absence through injury, and with so many games coming up they need to make sure Morales isn't rushed back.

Cristian Techera is available again after a one-match ban, and he is likely to come in for injured veteran Mauro Rosales. Apart from that, I wouldn't expect too many changes. Christian Dean played well at left back, and Sam Adekugbe is fit again, but Robinson will likely bring the experienced Jordan Harvey back into the lineup following his one-match ban for his sending off at Portland.

The Opposition:
The Sounders have been without some key pieces during their recent slide, including main attacking threats Clint Dempsey (international duty) and Obafemi Martins (injury). Seattle scored 65 goals last season on their way to winning the Supporters Shield, but this season the men in rave green have only managed 25 goals in 22 matches.

There is good news though for Seattle ahead of this game. They will have Dempsey and Brad Evans back available following the Gold Cup and there could also be a return for goalkeeper Stefan Frei after injury. The status of Martins remains unclear.

Since joining Major League Soccer, the Sounders haven't been afraid to invest big money in new signings, and with the Western Conference incredibly tight and a new mechanism introduced by the league allowing teams to add an additional high-profile player, the Sounders could strengthen their squad before the transfer window closes at the end of next week.

Head to Head:
The Whitecaps have enjoyed their last two trips to CenturyLink Field, stunning the home crowd with back to back wins. In 2013, a Kekuta Manneh hat trick led the 'Caps to an unexpected 4-1 rout. Last October - with playoff hopes on the line - Manneh was again the hero as Vancouver secured a 1-0 victory. Earlier this season, Chad Barrett scored twice at BC Place as the Sounders left Canada with a 2-0 win.

The Odds:
The Sounders will be looking to stop the skid, but with the Whitecaps good road form this season, Vancouver will expect to take at least a point from their trip down the I5, especially given the excellent display they put in against Cascadia rivals Portland in their last road test. The 'Caps are capable of picking up a win, but my money is on a high-scoring stalemate on Saturday night.

Where to Watch:
Join me with Jason De Vos and Perry Solkowski for Vancouver Whitecaps at Seattle Sounders, live on TSN 1 on Saturday at 10pm ET, 7pm PT.