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Sporting Kansas City opened up their home slate with another Western Conference win as they downed the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday night.
Dom Dwyer scored two goals for Sporting KC, including an absolute GOLAZO to open up the scoring. His efforts helped Sporting KC improve to 2-0-0 on the season, while the Whitecaps fell to 0-2-0 in the young 2016 table.
Dwyer's GOLAZO came in the sixth minute when he picked up an errant back pass and moved forward on goal. He let it rip from 25 yards out and the ball went off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the first score of the game. It was also Dwyer's first goal of the season.
The next score for Sporting KC came in the 41st minute off of some beautiful link-up play. Graham Zusi crossed a ball from the top of the box to Chance Myers, who made a run to the center of the box. He one-timed it across the face of goal to Dwyer, who was there to tap it in for his second goal of the night, and season.
The night kept getting better for Sporting KC just as the match entered stoppage time. Zusi took control of the ball and was advancing down the flank as Jordan Smith tackled him from behind, making no contact with the ball. Smith was subsequently given a straight red card. The ejection brought the Whitecaps, already down two goals, to ten men. The home side led 2-0 at the halftime break.
In the second half, Vancouver regained some momentum and were able to get on the board in the 70th minute. Octavio Rivera had the ball alone in the box and Tim Melia went out to try and smother the ball but instead clipped Rivera, earning the Whitecaps a penalty. Pedro Morales got Melia to go the wrong way and brought the Whitecaps back to within a goal.
That would be the end of the scoring for the evening but there were still some noteworthy events. Jordi Quintilla picked up a knock late in the second half and had to be subbed off with what looked like a pulled hamstring. Jimmy Medranda came on for him. Just a couple of minutes later, Brad Davis made his Sporting Kansas City debut, completing his journey to the light side of the force.
Sporting KC was able to hold on to the lead for the remainder of the match and now have two wins in two matches to start off 2016. Next week they host Toronto FC Sunday night on Fox Sports 1.