For the first time in the 25-year history of Major League Soccer, the month of February will mark the start of regular season play. On Saturday, clubs across the United States and Canada will step between the white lines with hopes of collecting three points to begin 2020.
A delectable opening day of MLS action will see Sporting Kansas City visit Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 9:30 p.m. CT, giving supporters their first real look at Manager Peter Vermes’ side since last October.
As the anticipated date approaches, SportingKC.com is rolling out a 28-day countdown to first kick, offering a comprehensive preview of the season ahead. From key storylines and positional breakdowns to new fan initiatives and perks at Children’s Mercy Park, our Countdown to Kickoff series highlights the many reasons to be pumped for Sporting’s 2020 campaign. To visit the series homepage as it expands, head to SportingKC.com/countdown.
Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have met annually since 2011 when the Canadian side joined Major League Soccer. Manager Peter Vermes' men have enjoyed a decisive advantage in the series, posting a 9-3-4 overall record and a 4-2-2 mark in Vancouver.
It should come as little surprise, then, that Sporting has experienced several memorable moments against the Whitecaps over the last decade. We take a fond look back at these instances in the space below.
Sporting KC 3, Vancouver 1 (April 18, 2012)
On this particular Wednesday night at BC Place, Sporting set an MLS record for consecutive wins to open a season with a 3-1 defeat of the Whitecaps. An own goal and tallies from Aurelien Collin and Kei Kamara helped Sporting improve to 7-0-0 at the expense of a Vancouver side that had no answers.
Sporting KC 4, Vancouver 3 (Aug. 15, 2015)
This unforgettable classic has since been dubbed "The Nagamura Game" for the heroic role Paulo Nagamura had in Sporting's historic comeback. Trailing 3-1 entering the final 10 minutes at Children's Mercy Park, the hosts grabbed a goal back through Dom Dwyer to set the stage for Nagamura's stunning magic: an 87th-minute strike and a 94th-minute header to seal one of the wildest finishes in MLS history.
Sporting KC 2, Vancouver 1 (March 12, 2016)
The 2016 home opener at Children's Mercy Park offered an electric atmosphere as Sporting used a devastating first-half display to claim all three points. Dwyer landed the first haymaker in the fifth minute, dispatching a thunderous golazo from distance before doubling his haul just before halftime.
Sporting KC 6, Vancouver 0 (April 20, 2018)
Sporting winger Johnny Russell had his coming-out party in this Friday night smackdown, bagging a hat-trick to pace a scintillating performance at Children's Mercy Park.
Sporting KC 4, Vancouver 1 (Oct. 17, 2018)
The stretch run of the 2018 campaign saw Sporting catch fire, and it all began with an emphatic 4-1 victory in Vancouver. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but Daniel Salloi led a torrid second-half explosion with a brace and fellow Academy product Gianluca Busio notched his first MLS goal, becoming the second-youngest scorer (16 years old at the time) in league history.
Sporting KC 3, Vancouver 0 (July 13, 2019)
Sporting has already washed 2019 out of its collective memory, but the season did produce some bright spots throughout the year. Among them was a comprehensive 3-0 win over Vancouver at BC Place, spurred by an early own goal, a Felipe Gutierrez strike and a late tally from Gerso Fernandes, who earlier that month had welcomed his newborn son G.J. into the world with wife Emmy.
