Whitecaps take advantage of two red cards to beat Sounders

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's Jackson Ragen was sent off for a red card in the 43rd minute, Alex Roldan was forced to leave in the 75th and the Vancouver Whitecaps took full advantage to post a 2-0 Major League Soccer victory over the Sounders on Saturday night.

Ragen left the Sounders (1-4-3) a man down after a video review upgraded his foul on Ryan Gauld. Roldan exited after a foul on Vancouver's Ali Ahmed.

Gauld delivered the first goal of the match in the 58th minute when he used an assist from Sam Adekugbe to drill a left-footed shot from the centre of the box right down the middle to the top centre of the net. It was his third goal of the season with all of them coming in the last four matches.

Brian White added an unassisted insurance goal in the 71st minute for the Whitecaps (5-2-1). He has scored a goal in three straight matches and has four on the season.

Yohei Takaoka saved two shots to earn his third clean sheet of the season for the Whitecaps, leaving him in a four-way tie for the league lead.

Stefan Frei made two saves for the struggling Sounders, who have scored just nine goals this season. Five of them came in a shutout win at home over Montreal before being blanked twice since.

The Whitecaps — the first Western Conference club to reach five victories — have won all three of their matches on the road this season.

Vancouver moves into the top spot in the West, one point ahead of Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Los Angeles plays the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday with a chance to tie or reclaim the lead.

UP NEXT

Seattle: Visits D.C. United next Saturday.

Vancouver: Visits the New York Red Bulls next Saturday.

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