VANCOUVER — Vanni Sartini loved the way his team played Wednesday, for half of the game at least.
Sartini's Vancouver Whitecaps smothered visiting Sporting Kansas City for the first 45 minutes of the match before faltering in the second half. The squad eventually stabilized and collected a 2-1 victory.
Playing 90 minutes of solid soccer has been a challenge for the 'Caps (11-7-5) all season, and the team still needs to learn how to close out when they're dominating a game, the head coach said.
“We're humans and … in the back of your mind — it shouldn't happen because you should be focused on the present — in the back of your mind is ‘Oh shoot. We dominated the first half and but we made a mistake, they almost score. What do we do? What do we do?’" Sartini said.
Vancouver extended its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) in Major League Soccer and six (5-0-1) across all competitions. Kansas City (6-14-5) saw its three-game win streak snapped.
Vancouver produced a flurry of early opportunities Wednesday, starting with Brian White's header from the top of the six-yard box in the seventh minute. Sporting defender Robert Valoder saved the day, heading the ball back out from the goal line.
The Whitecaps found the back of the net in the 27th minute after Ali Ahmed beat Valoder, danced around Kayden Pierre, then sliced a ball to White in the penalty area.
The American striker put a shot in past Kansas City 'keeper Tim Melia, but the offside flag quickly sprang up on the sideline.
White joined up with 'Caps all-star Ryan White for an impressive give-and-go play in the 34th minute.
White dished off to the Scottish attacking midfielder and Gauld wasted no time of sending it back as his teammate crashed the net.
Valoder got his foot on the ball, sending it in for an own goal that put Vancouver up 1-0.
Ahmed looked poised to boost the lead eight minutes later when he blasted a shot in past Melia, but the offside flag went up once again.
The 'Caps outshot the visitors 9-2 across the first half.
“The first half was like champagne football. The first half is like MLS Cup-winners level," Sartini said. "So I liked a lot the first half.”
Sporting's trio of substitutions out of the locker room injected life into the listless squad.
Stefan Afrifa — who came off the bench for Alenis Vargas — fired a shot off the crossbar in the 63rd minute.
The rebound landed on the foot of Daniel Salloi, whose shot sailed toward Vancouver's net when Whitecaps netminder Yohei Takaoka leapt up and tipped the ball out of harm's way.
Kansas City made their chances count six minutes later. Takaoka dove to deny Salloi and the ball bounced out to an unmarked Willy Agada, who slotted a shot into the yawning net to level the game at 1-1.
The home side got "a bit sleepy" midway through the second half, said 'Caps defender Ranko Veselinovic.
"We just need between ourselves to even to talk more with each other, keeping on the front foot, keeping us awake, not to be sleepy," he said. "Because in this league, every team has good players who can punish you at any second.”
A pair of Vancouver substitutes combined to recapture the lead in the 76th minute.
Sebastian Berhalter — who came on for Ryan Raposo in the 67th minute — chipped a cross to Fafa Picault in the penalty area and the Haitian attacker headed a shot in to make it 2-1 for the 'Caps.
“It’s a (David) Beckham-like cross. And Fafa scored a great goal," Sartini said.
It was Picault's sixth goal of the year across all competitions. He replaced Ahmed on the pitch in the 67th minute.
Kansas City missed a prime opportunity in injury time when Vancouver's Mathias Laborda was called for a foul on Salloi at the top of the penalty area. Erik Thommy sent a free kick soaring well over the 'Caps net.
NOTES: Sporting outshot the home side 17-13 and 7-4 in on-target shots. … The Whitecaps swept the season series between the two clubs. They took a 2-1 road victory from SKC back on May 29. … Kansas City's star winger Johnny Russell made the trip to Vancouver but did not dress for the game. … An announced crowd of 23,198 took in the match.
UP NEXT: The Whitecaps entertain the Houston Dynamo at BC Place on Saturday. Sporting hosts St. Louis City the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
