2012 MLS Standings (Weekly Update): Seattle Sounders Closing In On Second Place In West

Saturday's important win -- aren't they all -- over the Vancouver Whitecaps has the Seattle Sounders two points out of a tie for second place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference, with Real Salt Lake the team now in the Sounders' sights.

The Sounders' win over one of their Cascadia rivals gave them 40 points and third place ahead of Vancouver and the Los Angeles Galaxy, who at 37 points are tied for fourth. That the Whitecaps are still very much in contention for a playoff spot in August has to be a surprise, but the fact that Vancouver is in the hunt and trying to catch Seattle made the victory all the more important.

The Sounders (11-6-7) have played two fewer matches than Vancouver, Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake, another key advantage, though the Sounders will face additional matches with the CONCACAF Champions League tournament picking up steam.

Seattle travels to play Chivas USA this coming Saturday.

Sounders Vs. Whitecaps Recap: Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson Score in Seattle Victory

The Seattle Sounders bounced back from a disappointing week to notch a 2-0 victory over their Cascadia rival, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Saturday afternoon. Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson, the Sounders' formidable goal-scoring tandem, both found the back of the net in the Seattle victory.

Even with chances abound, the two sides played to a 0-0 tie in the first half.

Montero, who was used as a sub for the second straight match, was able to break the scoreless tie in the 64th minute with his eighth goal of the season. Montero also scored as a sub, an equalizing goal in stoppage time, in the Sounders' last match against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Johnson erased all doubt of a Seattle victory when he knocked in his 11th goal of the season off a pass from Brad Evans in the 87th minute.

The win means the Sounders remain undefeated when scoring first this season, improving to 11-0-1. It also means that Seattle is now alone in third place in the MLS Western Conference standings, three points ahead of the Whitecaps.

For more on the Sounders, head over to Sounder At Heart. For the Whitecaps, get to 86 Forever.

Seattle Sounders' Andrew Duran Tears ACL

Seattle Sounders rookie Andrew Duran will be sidelined for several months after suffering a torn ACL while on loan with the Atlantic Silverbacks of the NASL, the Seattle Times reported Saturday. Duran had been a first-round pick by the Sounders this past season, and had been playing significant minutes for the Silverbacks, according to Sounder manager Sigi Schmid:

"He was playing and getting 90 minutes all the time, so that was good," the coach said. "He was getting some play at outside back, which we wanted to see. ...Then with the knee injury now he's got to deal with that and the recovery."

This isn't the first time that Duran will deal with the long process of rehabbing a torn ACL. While in college at Creighton he endured the same injury to the opposite knee.

For more on Duran and all things Seattle Sounders, head over to SB Nation's Sounder At Heart.

Sounders Vs. Whitecaps Halftime Score: No Score At Halftime

Despite a few chances for each side, the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps are tied 0-0 at halftime of their MLS regular season mach.

The Sounders hold a slight 4-3 advantage on attempts on goal with two shots on goal compared to the Whitecaps zero. Eddie Johnson has played well for Seattle, including one shot on goal, but hasn't been able to capitalize just yet. Whitecaps goaltender Joe Cannon had two saves in the first have while Seattle's Michael Gspurning was not tested with a shot on goal.

The other first half stats are all virtually even. Both teams have attempted two corner kicks, while the Whitecaps have a slim 26-23 advantage in duels won. Possession is nearly even with Vancouver holding a slight lead at 50.9 percent.

There is plenty on the line Saturday's Cascadia Cup match as both teams entered the game tied in the MLS standings.

For more on the Sounders, visit SB Nation's Sounder At Heart. For the Whitecaps, head to 86 Forever.

Sounders vs. Whitecaps Starting Lineups: Barry Robson Suspended For Today's Match

The Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps take the CenturyLink pitch at 1:00 p.m. today in a rematch of a 2-2 draw in Vancouver earlier this MLS season. The Whitecaps will be without midfielder Barry Robson, according to Hosea Cheung of 24 Hours Vancouver:

One hour until big game between Whitecaps and Sounders. No Robson for Vancouver. His suspension announced this morning.

— Hosea Cheung (@hosea24hours) August 18, 2012

Without Robson, the starting XI for the Whitecaps will be Cannon, Lee, Mitchell, O'Brien, Rochat, Koffie, Davidson, Richards, Miller, Sanvezzo, and Mattocks.

The Sounders will send out Gspurning, Johannson, Parke, Hurtado, Gonzales, Evans, Alonso, Tiffert, Caskey, Rosales, and Johnson.

This will be the second straight match in which Fredy Montero starts on the bench. Montero was a late sub in the Sounders' last match, scoring a stoppage-time equalizer.

For more on the Sounders, visit SB Nation's Sounder At Heart. For the Whitecaps, head to 86 Forever.

Sounders Vs. Whitecaps: TV Time, Schedule And More

The Seattle Sounders will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in a Cascadia Cup battle this Saturday. The match will be televised as the Sounders look to bounce back from a disappointing week in which they lost the US Open Cup Final on penalty kicks and were defeated by a stoppage time goal playing shorthanded against the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Whitecaps and Sounders are currently tied with 37 points in the MLS Standings. The Sounders have a slight edge in points per match, as they have played two fewer matches. Both teams would be in the playoffs if they were to start today.

The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in front of 21,000 fans in Vancouver, BC back on the 19th of May.

Match Time: 1:00 pm

Location: CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA

TV: King 5, This TV (Spanish language broadcast)

For more on the Sounders, visit SB Nation's Sounder At Heart. For the WhiteCaps, head over to 86 Forever.

Seattle Sounders Continue "Biggest Game Of The Year" Theme Against Vancouver Whitecaps

The Sounders face their third Cascadia Cup test of six on the season, with much more than regional pride on the line; with Seattle locked in a three-way tie in terms of points for the all-important third spot in the Western Conference standings, the result of this game could have a major impact on playoff positioning.