VANCOUVER, B.C. — A pair of sizzling strikers will roam the pitch at BC Place today when the Seattle Sounders resume Cascadia Cup competition against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Seattle forward Obafemi Martins and Vancouver’s Camilo share the Major League Soccer lead with an average of 0.85 goals per 90 minutes played.
And the temperature may be rising for both.
Martins is coming off of his first multi-goal MLS game, as he scored his fifth and sixth of the season Wednesday in a 2-0 win over D.C. United.
Meanwhile, two time zones away, Camilo scored the Whitecaps’ lone goal in a 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City. That was Camilo’s seventh goal during his past five games and it brought him to 10 on the season, second in MLS. Two of those goals came June 8 in Seattle when the Sounders beat the Whitecaps, 3-2.
“I think the biggest thing you can do with a player that’s playing well is to try to limit service to him,” Seattle defender Zach Scott said. “He’s going to get his opportunities; hopefully we can limit the balls that he does get and make them difficult. But again, he’s a quality player, and he’s been playing really well lately.”
The Whitecaps’ defense might have similar hopes for controlling Martins, whose six goals have come over 636 minutes of MLS play — a Sounders record.
“The thing that Oba provided in the last game, on the first goal he showed his speed and his pace,” Schmid said. “This is a guy if you get positioned wrong a little bit he’s going to take advantage of you, and he did that. And I think the second goal was a lot of just grit and determination, and that’s something that Oba brings as well.
“Sometimes maybe his touch isn’t the most polished — at times — but the point is you’re always going to get that grit and determination from him.”
Martin’s two Wednesday goals sent him into the team lead, passing Eddie Johnson and Lamar Neagle, who have four each.
Johnson, who set the club record with 14 goals last season, said he welcomes the dangerous company up front.
“I think when certain guys get hot it leaves other guys open to get opportunities,” he said. “It’s good to see different guys scoring. From a competitive standpoint within the team, it’s good.”
Schmid said that’s exactly what the Sounders had in mind when they signed Martins’ as a designated player over the off-season.
“You look for the best forward that you can find as much as possible,” he said. “But you also have in the back of your mind can they relate to each other, can they play with each other. We just felt that having two players with that explosive speed up front puts tremendous pressure another team’s back line. If you’re an opponent and you’re scouting us and you’re preparing for us as a coach, it’s like, hey, you don’t really want to get caught two-on-two too often back there.”
The Whitecaps also have offensive options beyond Camilo.
Kenny Miller has scored five goals in nine starts. However, assists leader Russell Teibert is out due to duty with the Canada national team.
“Vancouver has some speed up front as well,” Schmid said. “Miller’s got decent speed, and certainly (Darren) Mattocks when he comes into the game has got decent speed. Camilo’s been playing very well for them. He’s very smooth with the ball, but he’s also a guy who’s got good quickness, good speed.”
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