Sounders move up to 5th in playoff seedings with win over Whitecaps

 

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Brad Evans scored on a penalty kick in the 81st minute and the Seattle Sounders beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday night in a game where both teams finished with 10 players.

The Sounders (13-13-5) have won four straight and are fifth in the Western Conference in the race for six playoff spots. The Whitecaps (9-15-8) were eliminated from playoff contention.

Evans earned the penalty when his cross struck sliding Vancouver defender Jordan Harvey's arm in the Whitecaps' box. Evans buried his first of the season into the middle of the net past goalkeeper David Ousted.

Pedro Morales scored on a penalty kick for Vancouver (9-15-8) in the 25th minute, and Osvaldo Alonso tied for Seattle in the 39th.

Morales was ejected by referee Ricardo Salazar in the 53rd for an elbow to the head/throat area of Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan. Evans was sent off in the 84th minute for what appeared to be an attempted head-butt on Whitecaps defender David Edgar.