The reigning Major League Soccer player of the week will be at CenturyLink Field tonight when Vancouver visits the Seattle Sounders.
Whitecaps forward Camilo Sanvezzo scored both of his team’s goals Sunday in a 2-2 home draw with the Portland Timbers. That result knocked Portland out of the Cascadia Cup competition. Now, the Sounders can claim the 2013 Cup with a win or a draw tonight.
A key for Seattle getting a positive result is limiting Camilo, who is second in MLS with 18 goals, and leads the league with three player-of-the-week awards.
The third came on the strength of two goals scored within three minutes, both bringing the Whitecaps from behind. In the 76th minute, Camilo scored on a deflected free kick from 30 yards. Then, after the Timbers reclaimed the lead, Camilo nailed a scissor-kick volley from the top of the box — an instant goal-of-the-year contender.
The Sounders also have first-hand knowledge of his skill, as he leads the Whitecaps with four career goals against Seattle.
Seattle coach Sigi Schmid was asked what the Sounders must do to contain Camilo.
“Well, not give him any free kicks, that’s for one, because he’s very dangerous on free kicks,” Schmid said. “He’s just in really good form. He’s obviously got goals against us before, so we have to make sure that he doesn’t score on us this time around.”
The Sounders may have additional resources on all three parts of the pitch. Schmid announced Tuesday that forward Obafemi Martins, midfielder Clint Dempsey and central defender Djimi Traore are available and expected to be on the game-day roster.
That could help compensate for the loss of team goals leader Eddie Johnson and midfielder Brad Evans to duty with the U.S. national team, and defender Zach Scott to disciplinary suspension for card accumulation.
“Obviously, we have to make positional changes,” Schmid said. “But with Oba coming back in, (Lamar) Neagle’s shown that he can play up front for us as well, and Brad pushed out to the left part of midfield for us in the last game. So now we’ve just got to see who goes into that position out there.”
Vancouver also has to juggle its roster, as forward Darren Mattocks (Honduras) and defender Johnny Leveron (Jamaica) have been called in.
Stakes are high for both clubs.
The Sounders are looking to snap a three-game winless streak, including a 5-1 trampling at Colorado on Saturday. A win would send them to the top of the MLS standings, clinch a playoff spot, and wrap up their second Cascadia Cup in three seasons. (Seattle is 2-1-1 in the six-game round robin, Vancouver is 1-1-3, and Portland is out of contention at 0-1-4.)
The Whitecaps are trying to stave off Cascadia Cup elimination while also fighting for their playoff lives. Vancouver is seventh in the Western Conference, six points behind Colorado for the fifth and final playoff position with three games to go.
“The test against Vancouver will be interesting (tonight),” Schmid said. “Obviously, we’re coming into the game with similar type of rest. They had a nice comeback to end up with a tie in their last game, and obviously the game’s an important game for them. But it’s also an important game for us.”
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