Alan Pulido struck for a brace after Daniel Salloi opened the scoring to pace Sporting Kansas City to a thorough 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting got off on the front foot and kept that foot on the gas for much of the opening 45 minutes. Roger Espinoza thought he had the breakthrough goal, but was denied by Maxime Crepeau with a diving save in the 21st minute.
Salloi was instrumental throughout the first half. Seconds after a near-miss, the homegrown winger buried his second goal of the season to open the scoring in the 28th minute. Salloi played a combination with Pulido before tucking his shot into the side netting.
Three minutes later, Salloi was clipped in the box by Ryan Raposo and Pulido sent Crepeau the wrong way to convert the penalty kick to double SKC's lead.
Cristian Dajome had a golden chance to pull the visitors back a goal early in the second half, receiving an errant pass out of the back by Ilie Sanchez. But Tim Melia, in his return from injury, pounced off his line to challenge and Dajome put his attempt over the crossbar
Pulido then got his brace and put the game away in the 58th minute, megging Ranko Veselinovic with his low shot from 16 yards out.
GoalsÂ
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Sporting bossed this match from the beginning and probably should have had an even more lopsided result if not for some heroic Crepeau saves. It was the type of performance that puts the disappointment from a 1-0 loss to Houston in the rearview, although SKC have yet to secure consecutive wins on the season. The Whitecaps, meanwhile, suffered their third defeat in four games — all by clean sheet.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: This tally perhaps best exemplifies the day Sporting had. A well-worked goal finished by Pulido.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: There were plenty of candidates in this near-complete performance, especially frrom Salloi and Kinda, but Pulido’s second goal secured the plaudits for the Mexican national team forward.
Next UpÂ
- SKC: Saturday, May 22 at San Jose Earthquakes | 10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ | MLS regular season)
- VAN: Saturday, May 22 at Houston Dynamo FC | 9 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ | MLS regular season)
