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With both teams missing players from international duty, Vancouver seemed willing to give away possession early when theykicked the ball over the endline from the kickoff. Sporting Kansas City dominated the match early, preventing Vancouver from getting any momentum.
With Yohan Croizet filling in for Felipe Gutierrez who was in the 18 for Chile Tuesday night, the French attacker created several opportunities for Sporting KC. In the 13th, Espinoza cleared a corner and Croizet made a great run through the middle and slid an almost perfect pass to setup Daniel Salloi. Gerso Fernandes was streaking towards the goal but Salloi positioned himself and shot wide.
In the 32nd Croizet rounded the defense and slid the ball through to Diego Rubio but an awkward spin left Rubio trying to pull the trigger and when he did it was too late.
A dangerous moment occurred when Brek Shea broke in on goal from the right side but shot wide. That was the best chance for the home side until Sporting KC gifted the Whitecaps.
Vancouver played a mediocre cross that turned into a goal for the Whitecaps. Ike Opara awkwardly cleared the ball towards the endline. That would have worked but Salloi tried to save the corner kick and struck the ball back across the field. It fell to former Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara at the top of the box who touched it to Vancouver mid Felipe who then side-volleyed it into the corner of the goal.
With the one goal deficit at half, Sporting KC Manager called for more intensity in the second half. Unfortunately the first 15 minutes of the second half was not going well for SKC.
Vermes brought Rubio off for Khiry Shelton and had Johnny Russell and Gianluca Busio ready to come in when the SKC captain Matt Besler won the ball and turned winger with a run down the right side. The limping Croizet saw the ball and curled the ball just inside the post to level the match.
With that goal, Busio came on for Croizet and Russell came on for Gerso. The intensity level ramped up again and SKC started controlling the match again.
with the energy om both sides ramped up the game started to flow back and forth.
SKC went up on Vancouver when Shelton held off his defender and touched the ball back to Salloi. Sporting KCs homegrown international was not having his best game but he did not miss on that opportunity, slotting the ball past Stefan Marinovic and in the net in the 82nd minute.
The game was put out of reach when Russell dribbled through the defense and picked out Busio. It was not a power shot, it just rolled into the center of the goal but Busio became the youngest Sporting KC player to score and the second youngest in MLS to score.
The game was truly capped off when Shelton took the ball past the keeper and unselfishly slid the ball back across to Salloi and Busio racing to score their second. Salloi got their first and earned the brace.
With the win Sporting KC moves back into second place in the Western Conference .