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It didn't matter. 

Vancouver's depth players stepped up as the club took a decisive 3-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders.

 “I think that the players, what they did today, was exceptional," said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 

The result extended the 'Caps (10-1-5) unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to a club-record 11 games (6-0-5). 

Earlier in the week, it wasn't clear whether Sunday's game would be played as scheduled. 

The Whitecaps were already set to miss nine of their top players due to international duty when an illness ripped through the squad. 

About half of the 75 players and staff who took the team's charter plane back to Vancouver after the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City on June 1 were struck with a gastrointestinal illness that left the team unable to hold a full training session until Saturday morning. 

“It was tough," said veteran defender Ranko Veselinovic. "Honestly, we didn't know (Saturday) afternoon whether we were going to have game or no. So, a lot of happening, a lot of frustration by our side. 

"We felt that it's not fair towards us that we don't know what's going to happen. We all have our routines, and it's hard to do something when you don't have all the information and when you don't know what's going to happen. But we managed to."

Seven of Vancouver's 11 starters on Sunday were listed as questionable for the game due to illness.

The club signed seven Whitecaps FC 2 players to short-term agreements Sunday to bolster their ranks. Six were on the bench against the Sounders, including central midfielders Jackson Castro and Antoine Coupland, centre back Adrian Pelayo, left back Daniel Russo, right back Nikola Djordjevic and striker John Selemani.

Despite the final score, Sorensen said his team should not have had to play. 

“I stand by my opinion that I would have preferred this game not to be played. I would be a hypocrite sitting here after a 3-0 win, and just saying everything is perfect, because I don't think so," the coach said. 

"All our players were cleared to play medically, but we have players whose first day of training after Mexico, after a long trip to Mexico, was (Saturday). And I think the preparation, it was not good. And I think, as a coach, I was very concerned about the players’ health.�

It took the 'Caps some time to settle into the game and adjust to the more defensive style Sorensen wanted them to utilize. 

The Sounders controlled 65.1 per cent of possession across the first half and held a 6-5 edge in shots, but the Whitecaps registered the lone on-target shot.

It came in the 40th minute, when wing back Edier Ocampo sliced a ball to J.C. Ngando at the top of the six-yard box and he ticked it on to Jeevan Badwal. The 19-year-old Whitecaps academy product from Surrey, B.C., stuck out his right leg just in time to redirect the ball in past Seattle 'keeper Stefan Frei to make it 1-0.

Scoring at home, with his parents, grandma, siblings, cousin and girlfriend in the stands "felt amazing," Badwal said. 

"As a little kid, I was in those stands watching a lot. But now, scoring a goal at B.C. Place in front of family, in front of fans — this means a lot," he said. "It’s amazing.�

Vancouver came into the second half with renewed energy and pressed to create chances.

The Sounders (7-6-5) appeared to get frustrated and the emotions boiled over in the 52nd minute when wing back Nouhou grabbed his Vancouver counterpart Mathias Laborda around the neck and hauled him down as Laborda charged toward the Sounders net. 

Referee Ricardo Fierro pulled the red card from his pocket, leaving the visitors with 10 men. 

Seattle ran into more trouble in the 55th minute when centre back Jonathan Bell made contact with Priso as he charged up the field. 

Fierro once again pulled out the red card. The Sounders players argued the call, but Bell soon walked off to the locker rooms, leaving Seattle with just nine players on the pitch. 

Daniel Rios boosted Vancouver's lead to 2-0 in the 70th minute, collecting a pass from Priso at the top of the penalty area and firing a right-footed shot in from the top of the penalty area for his second goal of the season. 

Ocampo had a prime chance to make it 3-0 in the 73rd minute. In alone, the wing back twisted to blast a jumping right-footed shot on target, but Frei dove to punch the ball away. 

Priso, too, had a chance in the 76th minute with a high shot that appeared poised to sneak in below the crossbar. But the Seattle netminder leapt up and touched it over to keep the score 2-0. 

Another Sounders foul late in the game proved costly. 

Midfielder Joao Paulo made contact with 'Caps striker Emmanuel Sabbi inside the area and Fierro signalled for a penalty kick. 

Damir Kreilach, who came off the bench for Badwal in the 74th minute, stepped up and sent a low ball rolling into the corner of the goal in the 88th minute as Frei dove in the opposite direction.

The win was special, Veselinovic said. 

“Honestly, it's one of the nicest things this season for us. Definitely," he said.

"So I'm really proud of these guys tonight that we found a way in a tough, tough game against a tough opponent. We found a way.� 

UP NEXT 

The Whitecaps will be back in action Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew. The Sounders will start their quest for the FIFA Club World Cup next Sunday against Brazilian club Botafogo. 

This report by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was first published June 8, 2025.