Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s West Coast road swing this week with a. visit to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. The match will also be available on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. THREE WINS IN A WEEK
The end is in sight for Sporting Kansas City as the team gets set for the final two matches of a seven-game stretch in 22 days from June 29 through July 20 with matchups this week at Vancouver on Wednesday and at home against St. Louis on Saturday.
Sporting created history on Saturday night, as the team’s 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park secured three wins in the space of seven days for the first time in club history following a pair of victories against Dallas in MLS and Open Cup action earlier in the week.
Sporting’s victory over San Jose was the club’s first road win in MLS play since March 30, snapping a club-record eight-game losing streak since a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC. Sporting has now won four of their last five matches in all competitions - a feat last accomplished from Oct. 7-Nov. 5, 2023.
2. COMBATING THE ‘CAPS
Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s hectic schedule this week with their third midweek match in a row as the team gets set to face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night. Following the match, Sporting will close out their spell of seven matches in 22 days from June 29 through July 20 with a home match against rivals St. Louis on Saturday night.
Sporting and Vancouver have already met once this season, with the ‘Caps claiming a 2-1 victory at Children’s Mercy Park on May 29, 2024. Star man Ryan Gauld slotted home from close range early in the second half before picking off a short Sporting backpass in the second half and doubling the lead. Sporting pulled a goal back late through Marinos Tzionis but ultimately fell to defeat.
Sporting’s last visit to BC Place came over a year ago on June 3, 2023, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Alan Pulido expertly headed Erik Thommy’s corner kick into the top corner to give the visitors a first-half lead but the Whitecaps fought back and found the leveler late on from the penalty spot, with Gauld converting after Robert Voloder was adjudged to have brought down Deiber Caicedo following VAR review.
Sporting is 12-7-5 all-time against Vancouver, including a winning 5-4-3 mark on the road. However, Sporting has won only one of their last six against the Whitecaps, going 1-4-1 since October 2021.
3. PULIDO ENDS GOAL DROUGHT WITH GAME-WINNER
Sporting Kansas City forward Alan Pulido got back on the scoresheet with a vital goal for the club in the 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday night.
Pulido, who had already been denied a goal by the linesman’s flag late in the first half, latched onto Nemanja Radoja’s brilliant through ball in the 57th minute before showing class and composure to slot the ball into the corner beyond William Yarbrough in the San Jose goal and make the score 2-0. It was Pulido’s first MLS goal since April 27 and his first goal across all competitions since May 8.
Following a late own goal, Pulido’s strike stood as the game-winner, giving him 10 game-winning goals in the regular season for Sporting - tied for seventh most in club history. The goal was also the Mexican’s 32nd in the regular season, moving him into sole possession of ninth place in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.
Pulido has 35 goals and 17 assists for Sporting in 94 appearances across all competitions since joining Sporting in a club-record transfer ahead of the 2020 campaign.
4. THOMMY STRIKES FROM DISTANCE
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy snapped a lengthy goal-drought this past weekend, opening the scoring early in the second half in the club’s 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park.
Thommy received a pass from Nemanja Radoja 25 yards from goal, chopped the ball onto his left foot and unleashed a powerful drive that nestled into the corner to give Sporting the lead in the 48th minute.
The goal was Thommy’s first since scoring in the 3-3 draw against St. Louis on April 20. The German attacker now ranks second on the team with five goals in the regular season in 2024, only trailing forward Willy Agada’s seven.
Thommy’s goal was Sporting’s league-leading 11th goal from outside the area this season, three more than the next closest team. Since joining Sporting midway through the 2022 season, Thommy has now tallied 13 goals and 18 assists across 79 appearances in all competitions.
5. RADOJA NAMED TO TEAM OF THE MATCHDAY
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Nemanja Radoja was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday on Monday as one of the top 20 players in Major League Soccer for Matchday 26 of the regular season.
Radoja assisted on both goals in Sporting’s 2-1 road win at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday - setting up Erik Thommy in the 48th minute and providing a pinpoint pass for Alan Pulido in the 57th minute - as SKC won a third match in a seven-day span for the first time in club history.
The 31-year-old Serbian holding midfielder became the first Sporting KC player to record two assists in an MLS match this season and he did so against San Jose for a second time in as many years. Radoja, who has covered the most distance of any SKC player during the regular season (146 miles, per Sportec), leads Sporting with 2,183 minutes played this year in all competitions.
