Sporting Earns 3-0 Win Over Vancouver
July 2, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City (6-10-6, 24 points) stormed to a convincing 3-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC (6-6-7, 25 points) on Saturday night at Children's Mercy Park, securing the club's 75th MLS shutout in Children's Mercy Park history and its first clean sheet since May 13.
Remi Walter opened his 2023 scoring account to vault Sporting ahead in the 33rd minute before Alan Pulido bagged his seventh goal in a torrid six-game stretch on the stroke of intermission. Erik Thommy came off the bench at halftime and promptly provided Sporting's third goal in the 53rd minute, sealing a comprehensive three-point performance that lifted Manager Peter Vermes' side within a single point of playoff position in the Western Conference.
Saturday's result snaps Sporting's four-game regular season winless drought against an outmatched Vancouver side that suffered its heaviest MLS defeat of the 2023 campaign. The hosts also eclipsed 350 regular season goals at Children's Mercy Park and 450 goals at the stadium across all competitions.
Sporting's midsummer slate will continue next Saturday, July 8, with a trip to longtime rivals Houston Dynamo FC, who have conceded just three goals in nine home fixtures this season. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Vermes on Saturday fielded his 20th unique lineup in 24 games this season across all competitions, with Dany Rosero returning from a yellow card suspension to join Andreu Fontas in central defense and Thommy making way for fellow midfielder Gadi Kinda. Further up the field, Pulido notably earned his 50th career regular season appearance in a Sporting uniform.
After a pedestrian start to proceedings, the all-action Kinda ignited danger by creating separation to cross from the left wing and pick out Rosero, who had advanced into an attacking position. The Colombian center back did well to settle Kinda's delivery with his chest and smoke a blistering volley narrowly over the crossbar.
The Whitecaps offered little going forward but enjoyed a rare foray into the attack on the half-hour mark. At full stride, former Sporting defender Luis Martins whipped a pinpoint cross from the left flank into the penalty area for target man Sergio Cordova, whose header under duress carried harmlessly high.
Walter landed the first punch just a moment later off a stunning run and pass from Kinda. The Israeli international received a pass 70 yards from goal, skillfully evaded multiple would-be tacklers and powered into the attacking third before dinking a through ball in behind the defense for Walter with the outside of his right foot. The Frenchman made no mistake from there, holding off a challenge from his marker and lifting a shot high into the net for his first goal since July 9, 2022. With the assist, Kinda now has 28 goal contributions (13 goals, 15 assists) in 55 career regular season appearances for Sporting.
Daniel Salloi could have doubled Sporting's advantage in the 40th minute, steering a volley off captain Johnny Russell's in-swinging corner kick, but Japanese goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka produced the save.
Sporting defender Tim Leibold left a decisive stamp on the game in first-half stoppage time. He first embarked on a slithering run into the box before spreading a ball across the face of goal for Russell, whose first-time effort fizzed wide of the near post and into the side netting. Leibold was at it again a moment later, however, and this time his driven cross from the left side of the penalty area was poked home by Pulido to push the score to 2-0.
Pulido has set a new career-high with Sporting by scoring nine goals this season in all competitions, and his seven league strikes since the start of June are most in MLS. The Mexican has also notched five goals in four career appearances against Vancouver. Leibold, meanwhile, has recorded three assists in only seven home appearances at Children's Mercy Park this year.
Vermes' men were seldom threatened in the second stanza, though they did breathe a sigh of relief in the 49th minute when a Vancouver free kick pinballed around the six-yard box before Cordova's shot was blocked through traffic and the subsequent clearance was nearly turned into Sporting's own net. The play preceded a quickfire Sporting counterattack as Salloi slipped a delightful through ball into the path of Russell, whose breakaway shot from a tough angle was saved by Takaoka.
Thommy bagged his third goal of the year with 53 minutes on the clock. Closely marked on the left side of the area, Salloi managed to unleash a slow, dribbling shot that Takaoka comically chose to palm away rather than corral. Sporting's German midfielder did not let the mistake go unpunished, rifling a shot that deflected through traffic and into the corner of the net for his sixth career MLS goal since joining Kansas City last summer. In Sporting's last 17 home matches since August 2022, the team has scored at least three goals eight times, collecting a win on each occasion.
Making the 100th appearance of his professional club career, Sporting keeper Kendall McIntosh had a stress-free night en route to Sporting's fifth shutout of 2023. Vancouver's lone shot on target came in the 90th minute off the foot of Sebastian Berhalter, but McIntosh was equal to it.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the team's response...
I think it's the version that we strive for every week as a group. What I first think is that the preparation and the game plan was very good, but it doesn't mean anything unless you execute on it. Wednesday and Thursday, they're both very tactically-oriented trainings. The guys were very in tune and then they came out and executed today very well. To me, that's the difference in the game.
On what changed for the offense in the first half...
Sometimes in matches, you're trying to get a rhythm. You're trying to get into your flow. We for sure changed some stuff in this game in the way that we do things for the opponent. It took a little while for us to get there, but I don't think it was like we were performing poorly at that moment. It's just that we needed to open up the game a little bit, and we started to do that after that point.
On the attack being more decisive...
I'm a big believer in preparation. I'm a big believer in four-day build ups. I think the fact that we had a chance to get training in this week and prepare for the team, I think that was a big help. I don't think that anything we did tonight is so different than who we are when we're on. I just think that we got back to being ourselves again. The idea is to be the best version of yourself as you possibly can be each game. I think tonight we were close to that.
On Johnny Russell coming back...
The idea always for me is that you keep trying to get into those spots, you keep trying to get in those places. At the end of the day, if you're on the field and the team wins, that's a positive. If you don't get the pass or you don't get the goal, I'm not so worried about that. I'm more interested in getting the three points and how we do that is irrelevant to me. Just get the three points.
On what he saw to attack on the right side of Vancouver's defense...
Daniel Salloi. Look, Daniel has a great engine. His movement, his hunger to get in and behind somebody or another team is actually very good against whoever we play. So I just think that's an area of the field that we're going to always try to get to. The game is different and I've said this a million times. When you have Alan (Pulido), Gadi (Kinda) and you have your two wingers -- and we have good wingers -- it's hard to focus on all those spots on the field. So now the other team, if they concentrate one place, the guys have enough improvisation to find the other. I think that was a good rotation in the first half between Gadi, Daniel and Tim Leibold. It was good. They were solid in the way that they did it. There was another part too. I think our efficiency defensively saved energy to go forward and a lot of times we wound up winning the ball so it only made sense to go because they over committed in a lot of situations.
On Tim Leibold's performance...
I don't think he's fit enough yet. It was good that he was able to go 85 minutes tonight. The good thing is now (Logan) Ndenbe is back and just to get him on the field tonight and get him back in the game was good. This was the whole idea is that we could get back. Our objective is by the time we get to Leagues Cup, it would be great if we could basically have all the guys back from injury to really make a big push towards the end. We have got to keep ourselves within the mix of the teams. I think we're kind of there, but we have got to get a little closer within that mix. His biggest thing is he's got to get fit. For a guy like him who has never really played a season in the summertime because of where he grew up in Germany and playing there, this is new to him. So he's got to adapt and adjust, and hopefully that comes a little quicker.
On Gadi Kinda's performance...
He came off and said he wanted to play 90 minutes! He did, he really did. There's a possibility that he could have, but I think the period of time that he was in the game, he was in the game. He wasn't surviving the game. There have been other games where he plays 45 and then he plays the other 15. Then he's surviving. Today, he didn't do that. Today, he played like he was back to himself, I think, for the minutes that he played. I think that was a good way to leave the game. I really do.
On the play of Kendall McIntosh...
He's done well with the team. He's progressed game after game. I'm happy that he got a shutout tonight. He deserved it. His distribution with the ball continues to progress and tonight I think that he was solid with the group and made a lot of good decisions.
Sporting Kansas City Gadi Kinda
Thoughts on the game...
It was a good game. I feel very good. The team performed very good. I'm very happy for the three points and the way we played.
On his assist...
I got the ball and I turned and I saw that I had a little bit of space. I saw Remi make a good run. I passed it to him and it was a very good goal. I'm very happy.
On his fitness making him more dangerous...
It has helped for sure. As Peter said, I feel very good today and different than the previous games. I was in the game all the game and I feel very good in my fitness, so it gives me more confidence and I just want to keep going like this.
On who he watches for inspiration...
I watch a lot of players. I saw (Remi) make the run and it was in one second. I'm very happy that it was a success.
Sporting KC midfielder Remi Walter
On his goal...
I'm very happy to score my first goal this season. It helped the team to get the first goal in the game so I'm very happy for that. And then we won the game, so that's good. It was a good run and a good touch. I chipped it with my right. It was good.
On the pass from Gadi Kinda...
I know Gadi is a very technical player and I know him on his right foot. I saw the space between the two defenders so I hoped he would play that ball. We got a little bit lucky because when he played that ball, it goes under the legs so we got lucky. But it was a good pass and a good finish. That helps the team and that's good.
On the team's performance...
We have to take some points at home. It's very important if we want to make the playoffs and we know that. I think we were on a good way to get some results, but the last few weeks was a bit difficult and a bit hard. We had a good game today. They didn't score, so it was good. We scored three goals so it's good for our confidence. It's good for our fans and our club. Tonight is very good.
On the team's tempo in the attack...
Sometimes you come to the field and you feel good. We have to not forget that we had a whole week to prepare for this game and before we had played every three days so we were a little bit tired. And, for sure, when you are tired, you are a little bit less good with the ball. We prepared for the game very good. We have a very good week and then we showed that on the field.
Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi
On Peter Vermes' praise for him in the postgame press conference...
I'm happy that (Peter) saw what I was feeling, too. I think I had a good game. It was one of those games that everything works out except the goal. I wish I could have scored, but I'm glad we got the win. I felt good, honestly, and I think we played really well. We played really well. I'm happy that it was mostly on the left side.
On the team's tempo in the attack...
We wanted to be very direct where we saw the spaces and where we can exploit the team. We did that very well. I thought everybody played really well, so that's why it was working as well.
On his chemistry with Tim Leibold...
I think we're getting more and more chemistry. I feel it too. I'm kind of mad at him because he hit that cross very hard and I couldn't get to it, so I couldn't score that. We'll talk about it.
On the play of Gadi Kinda...
That's my number 10 right there. I love this guy. I think he's a really good player. I'm glad that he's doing well after a long injury. It was an amazing assist, but an unbelievable finish too from Remi with his weak foot to chip it like that. Amazing.
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