Sounders vs. Whitecaps; you vs. traffic

Traffic for the Sounders-Whitecaps CCL match Wednesday at CenturyLink could be trouble -- even beyond normal for a 7 p.m. midweek game. Here’s a reminder from the club:

Due to increased traffic concerns throughout the city this week - including the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Seattle - Sounders FC is encouraging fans to arrive early for Wednesday's Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage match vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 2, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM).

The streets surrounding the Westin Hotel in Downtown Seattle are being permanently closed during Xi's visit from Tuesday, September 22 - Thursday, September 24, specifically Olive Street to Lenora Street and Fourth Avenue to Seventh Avenue. Additionally, the Seattle Streetcar station at McGraw Square is also being closed. However, the most severe delays to drivers are expected to occur on Wednesday, as additional Seattle streets and freeways are expected to close intermittently throughout the day. Due to security reasons, those specific closures are not being made public.

After securing the 2015 Cascadia Cup in Vancouver on Saturday, Sounders FC takes on Whitecaps FC at home four days later in the Rave Green's final 2015-2016 SCCL Group Stage match. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field and is being televised on FOX Sports 2. A Seattle win would send the Rave Green through to next year's Knockout Round as Group F champion. Sigi Schmid's side then heads back on the road to conclude a three-match MLS road swing at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, September 27 (2:00 p.m. PT / ESPN, El Rey 1360 AM). Next weekend's match has significant postseason implications, as Sounders FC currently holds a one-point advantage over Sporting in the race for the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 8:49 PM with the headline "Sounders vs. Whitecaps; you vs. traffic."