Sporting Kansas City experienced a setback on Wednesday, seeing their three-match winning streak halted with a 2-1 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. The match marked Sporting striker Willy Agada's 50th regular season appearance, during which he scored his fourth goal in as many games.
The contest began with Vancouver applying early pressure. Striker Brian White nearly scored within the first seven minutes, only to be denied by a heroic goal-line clearance from Sporting’s Robert Voloder. Vancouver’s persistence paid off in the 34th minute when an own goal by Voloder gave them the lead.
Despite numerous attempts to equalize, Sporting struggled to break down Vancouver's defense. Midfielder Erik Thommy made an immediate impact after coming off the bench at halftime, generating several scoring opportunities. Sporting's persistence was finally rewarded in the 69th minute when Agada capitalized on a rebound to level the score.
However, Vancouver responded swiftly. Substitute Sebastian Berhalter's precise cross found Fafa Picault, whose header in the 76th minute clinched the win for the Whitecaps.
Manager Peter Vermes, dealing with a grueling schedule of seven matches in 22 days, made six changes to his lineup following a recent victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. The adjustments saw Zorhan Bassong, Robert Castellanos, and Kayden Pierre fortify the defense, while Remi Walter returned to midfield after recovering from injuries.
As the game progressed, Sporting showed resilience, with substitutes like Afrifa nearly equalizing. Yet, Vancouver's tactical changes, including the introduction of Picault, proved decisive.
Sporting Kansas City will now shift focus to a crucial home match against archrivals St. Louis City SC at Children’s Mercy Park. This much-anticipated encounter will be nationally televised on FS1 and Apple TV, with tickets available on SeatGeek.com.
Match Statistics:
Lineups:Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia, Kayden Pierre, Robert Castellanos, Robert Voloder, Zorhan Bassong, Nemanja Radoja, Remi Walter, Alenis Vargas, Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, Willy Agada.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Yohei Takaoka, Mathias Laborda, Ranko Veselinovic, Bjorn Utvik, Ryan Raposo, Pedro Vite, Andres Cubas, Alessandro Schopf, Ryan Gauld, Brian White, Ali Ahmed.
Scoring Summary:
Sporting Kansas City will be eager to return to winning ways and avenge their loss when they face St. Louis City SC this Saturday.
