Sporting KC II Claims First Win of 2026 in a Thriller against Whitecaps FC 2
MLS NEXT Pro Sporting Kansas City II

Sporting KC II Claims First Win of 2026 in a Thriller against Whitecaps FC 2

Published on April 20, 2026 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release


Sporting Kansas City II (1-5-2, 6 points) earned their first win of the season, dispatching Whitecaps FC 2 (2-4-1, 7 points) 3-2 at Victory Field on Sunday night. Vancouver jumped out in front of SKC II twice off two corner kick goals, but SKC II responded with goals from Missael Rodriguez and Zamir Loyo Reynaga before Kashan Hines sank the winner in the seventh minute of added time.

The victory marks head coach Lee Tschantret's first professional win after he assumed the role of SKC II head coach ahead of the 2026 season. All three of SKC II's results so far this season have been in come from behind fashion.

Both goalkeepers had moments of brilliance in the 90 minute contest. Vancouver's 16-year-old netminder Sam Rogers made his first save in the 14th minute, denying Carter Derksen on a one-v-one with an outstretched leg. Just past the half hour mark, defender Pierre Lurot threw his body in front of a WFC 2 shot to keep the game scoreless. This sprung an SKC II attack on the other end which saw Rodriguez fend off multiple defenders before ripping a shot off a defender from inside the six yard box. The ensuing header was headed goalward by Gael Quintero barely off target.

On the cusp of halftime, Marko Popovic somehow hammered a shot high of the goal from right in front of the goalmouth after a spill in the box. Shane Donovan and SKC II were unlucky not to find the opener twice before the end of the first. A shot from Donovan inside the left side of the box kissed the outside of the post and then a terrific ball across the box from the winger glanced over the bar off the outside of Rodriguez's foot.

Jacob Molinaro made a brave save right out of the halftime break, deflecting a shot from point blank range with his chest. Vancouver opened the scoring on the following corner when their leading scorer, Liam Mackenzie headed home Carson Rassack's corner in the 48th minute. Molinaro kept the game within reach with a pair of saves, one with an outstretched arm and the other with his body.

Lurot won SKC II a penalty in the 61st leading to Rogers' second save of the night as he denied Rodriguez. Tschantret went to his bench a minute later, bringing on difference makers, Daniel Russo and Kashan Hines for Zane Wantland and Tega Ikoba. Ty Haas and Zamir Loyo Reynaga came on in place of Blaine Mabie and Quintero seven minutes later.

Two minutes after that, in the 71st, Rodriguez rebounded from the penalty save and drew the match level with a rocket past Rogers from inside the box. Derksen set up the goal via a ball in behind the Whitecaps right back that Rodriguez controlled before hitting a sliding shot into the back of the net.

After another save from Molinaro in the 73rd, Trevor Wright threw the visitors back out in front off a corner kick that SKC II could not clear out of their area. Loyo Reynaga refused to let Vancouver escape with the win. Russo, the former Whitecaps FC 2 player, found the midfielder at the top of the box after a tenacious effort to retain possession. The 15-year-old rewarded that effort with his first professional goal off a clever, curling effort past the keeper right before the clock struck 90.

The match got chippy in stoppage time after Haas received a two hand shove near SKC II's technical area from Mackenzie. The leading goalscorer for Vancouver was shown a yellow and play continued as SKC II searched for the winner. Hines found it in the seventh minute of added time, finishing off a Derksen through ball after a nifty cutback inside the box. The goal was also Hines' first of his pro career and secured Sporting KC II all three points.

Sporting KC II's attention now turns to Houston Dynamo 2 who will come to Victory Field next Sunday, April 26th. The two longtime rivals will kick off their first meeting of the campaign at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com and the game can be streamed in the OneFootball app.

Check out the Sporting Kansas City II Statistics

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