Sporting KC cruises to 3-0 victory over Whitecaps
Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes talks to his players during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini talks to his players during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Sporting Kansas City Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City defender Dany Rosero, left, heads the ball over Vancouver Whitecaps forward Simon Becher (29) during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Sporting KC won 3-0.
Sporting Kansas City forward Marinos Tzionis, front, and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld (25) battle for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Sporting KC won 3-0.
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Alessandro Schöpf (8) is chased by Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda (10) as he moves the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City defender Tim Leibold blocks a ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic heads the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Sporting Kansas City Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Rémi Walter, right, celebrates with forward Johnny Russell (7) after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Rémi Walter, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City forward Alán Pulido (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City forward Alán Pulido (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City forward Alán Pulido celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City forward Alán Pulido celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City defender Tim Leibold kicks the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City forward Alán Pulido celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Rémi Walter and Alan Pulido scored first-half goals and Sporting Kansas City breezed to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.
Walter found the net for the first time this season when he took a pass from Gadi Kinda in the 33rd minute and scored the only goal Kendall McIntosh and Sporting KC (6-10-6) would need.
Pulido used assists from Walter and Tim Leibold in the second minute of stoppage time to put Sporting KC up 2-0 at halftime. Pulido has scored seven of his eight goals this season in his last six appearances. Erik Thommy scored unassisted in the 53rd minute to complete the scoring. It was Thommy’s third goal of the campaign.
McIntosh stopped one shot to earn the clean sheet for Sporting KC. Yohei Takaoka had one save for Vancouver.
Vancouver (6-6-7) was coming off a 2-0 road win over defending champion Los Angeles FC that snapped a 15-match winless run away from home. The Whitecaps have not won two in a row on the road since August of 2018.
The Whitecaps had gone 2-0-1 in their last three matches with Sporting KC.
Ryan Gauld had his four-match goal scoring streak for the Whitecaps end one match shy of Camilo Sanvezzo’s club record set in 2013.
Vancouver returns home to host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Sporting KC travels to play the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
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