3-peat? Whitecaps FC look to win third straight Cascadia Cup today

All year long, we’ve heard Whitecaps FC talk about “making history.”

They did just that last month, winning the club’s first-ever Voyageurs Cup. After the match, Russell Teibert said: “This is the first of many for us this year.”

“We have to get used to winning trophies,” he added.

Well, the ‘Caps have an opportunity to win another one today when rivals Seattle Sounders FC come to town (kickoff at 4 p.m.).

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Whitecaps FC are seeking a Cascadia Cup threepeat – something no club has done before. A win today would keep the Cascadia Cup in Vancouver for a third straight year, while any other result would see Seattle lift the trophy for the first time since 2011.

In each of the past two years, the ‘Caps have won the trophy by virtue of a road win at Seattle – Kekuta Manneh was the hero on both occasions. On Saturday, they have a chance to lift it on home soil, which according to David Ousted “would mean the world.”

“That’s definitely in the back of our minds, to get that trophy for the fans,” Ousted said. “It’d be fantastic to get them on the pitch and lift that trophy. That’s going to mean the world to them, and therefore mean the world to us.”

Here’s a look at the Cascadia Cup standings heading into today’s finale:

• Seattle Sounders FC – 9 points, 5 games played – 3W-2L-0D
• Whitecaps FC – 8 points, 5 games played – 2W-1L-2D
• Portland Timbers – 5 points, 6 games played – 1W-3L-2D

Founded in 2004, the origins of the Cascadia Cup date back to when Vancouver, Portland and Seattle were members of the United Soccer Leagues (USL). The combined supporters of the three clubs created the two-foot tall silver Cup, which is awarded annually to the team with the best head-to-head record over their Pacific Northwest rivals in regular season matches.

Whitecaps FC have five Cascadia Cups to their name, making them the most successful club in competition history. Seattle and Portland both have three.

Need an appetizer for today’s match?

Re-live last year’s memorable Cascadia Cup-clinching win at CenturyLink Field:

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