Vanni Sartini loved the way his team played Wednesday, for half of the game at least.
Sartini鈥檚 Vancouver Whitecaps smothered visiting Sporting Kansas City for the first 45 minutes of the match before faltering in the second half. The squad eventually stabilized and collected a 2-1 victory.
Playing 90 minutes of solid soccer has been a challenge for the 鈥楥aps (11-7-5) all season, and the team still needs to learn how to close out when they鈥檙e dominating a game, the head coach said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e humans and 鈥� in the back of your mind 鈥� it shouldn鈥檛 happen because you should be focused on the present 鈥� in the back of your mind is 鈥極h shoot. We dominated the first half and but we made a mistake, they almost score. What do we do? What do we do?鈥欌�� Sartini said.
Vancouver extended its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) in Major League Soccer and six (5-0-1) across all competitions. Kansas City (6-14-5) saw its three-game win streak snapped.
Vancouver produced a flurry of early opportunities Wednesday, starting with Brian White鈥檚 header from the top of the six-yard box in the seventh minute. Sporting defender Robert Valoder saved the day, heading the ball back out from the goal line.
The Whitecaps found the back of the net in the 27th minute after Ali Ahmed beat Valoder, danced around Kayden Pierre, then sliced a ball to White in the penalty area.
The American striker put a shot in past Kansas City 鈥榢eeper Tim Melia, but the offside flag quickly sprang up on the sideline.
White joined up with 鈥楥aps all-star Ryan White for an impressive give-and-go play in the 34th minute.
White dished off to the Scottish attacking midfielder and Gauld wasted no time of sending it back as his teammate crashed the net.
Valoder got his foot on the ball, sending it in for an own goal that put Vancouver up 1-0.
Ahmed looked poised to boost the lead eight minutes later when he blasted a shot in past Melia, but the offside flag went up once again.
The 鈥楥aps outshot the visitors 9-2 across the first half.
鈥淭he first half was like champagne football. The first half is like MLS Cup-winners level,鈥� Sartini said. 鈥淪o I liked a lot the first half.鈥�
Sporting鈥檚 trio of substitutions out of the locker room injected life into the listless squad.
Stefan Afrifa 鈥� who came off the bench for Alenis Vargas 鈥� fired a shot off the crossbar in the 63rd minute.
The rebound landed on the foot of Daniel Salloi, whose shot sailed toward Vancouver鈥檚 net when Whitecaps netminder Yohei Takaoka leapt up and tipped the ball out of harm鈥檚 way.
Kansas City made their chances count six minutes later. Takaoka dove to deny Salloi and the ball bounced out to an unmarked Willy Agada, who slotted a shot into the yawning net to level the game at 1-1.
The home side got 鈥渁 bit sleepy鈥� midway through the second half, said 鈥楥aps defender Ranko Veselinovic.
鈥淲e just need between ourselves to even to talk more with each other, keeping on the front foot, keeping us awake, not to be sleepy,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause in this league, every team has good players who can punish you at any second.鈥�
A pair of Vancouver substitutes combined to recapture the lead in the 76th minute.
Sebastian Berhalter 鈥� who came on for Ryan Raposo in the 67th minute 鈥� chipped a cross to Fafa Picault in the penalty area and the Haitian attacker headed a shot in to make it 2-1 for the 鈥楥aps.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a (David) Beckham-like cross. And Fafa scored a great goal,鈥� Sartini said.
It was Picault鈥檚 sixth goal of the year across all competitions. He replaced Ahmed on the pitch in the 67th minute.
Kansas City missed a prime opportunity in injury time when Vancouver鈥檚 Mathias Laborda was called for a foul on Salloi at the top of the penalty area. Erik Thommy sent a free kick soaring well over the 鈥楥aps net.
NOTES: Sporting outshot the home side 17-13 and 7-4 in on-target shots. 鈥he Whitecapssweptthe season series between the two clubs. They took a 2-1 road victory from SKC back on May 29. 鈥� Kansas City鈥檚 star winger Johnny Russell made the trip to Vancouver but did not dress for the game. 鈥� An announced crowd of 23,198 took in the match.
UP NEXT: The Whitecaps entertain the Houston Dynamo at BC Place on Saturday. Sporting hosts St. Louis City the same night.
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