"Five Things" is a season-long series presented by the Children's Mercy Sports Medicine Center that highlights the top storylines and players to watch ahead of each match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Coming off a 1-0 victory last Saturday, Sporting Kansas City (2-3-0, 6 points) is back on the road for a match with the Vancouver Whitecaps (0-3-1, 1 point) at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT with coverage beginning on 38 The Spot 30-minutes prior with the Sporting KC pregame show.
Sporting claimed victory over Vancouver twice last season including a win in Round One of the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. Vancouver got the better of Sporting on occasion last season on Oct. 17.
Now the teams meet again for the first of two times in 2022 on Saturday. Here are five storylines to keep in mind for the match.
Sporting’s winning ways against the Whitecaps
Sporting Kansas City has enjoyed success against Vancouver both at home and abroad. In the MLS regular season, Sporting holds a record of 11-4-4 against the Whitecaps and boasts a record of 5-3-2 on the road. In the last seven meetings in the MLS regular season, Sporting has dominated Vancouver with a record of 5-1-1. The lone loss in that span came last season. Sporting has also scored 21 goals against Vancouver and conceded just five in that time frame.
Leading the charge against Vancouver is Sporting’s captain Johnny Russell, and Sporting’s 2021 Golden Boot winner Daniel Salloi. The pair of wingers have both appeared in six matches against Vancouver but have made those appearances count. Russell has scored four goals and added two assists against Vancouver, while Salloi has netted three goals and two assists. Tim Melia and Graham Zusi have held it down for Sporting’s backline against the Whitecaps. Melia has an impressive record of 8-3-1 against Vancouver and Zusi leads Sporting with four assists against Vancouver.
A playoff rematch for the second week in a row
Last Saturday, Sporting handed Real Salt Lake their first loss of the season by way of a 1-0 victory at Children’s Mercy Park. Last season, RSL knocked Sporting Kansas City out of the playoffs in the Western Conference Semifinals. This Saturday, Sporting matches up with the team they knocked out of last season’s playoffs.
Vancouver came into Children’s Mercy Park and Round One of the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs having snuck in on Decision Day. Sporting snuffed that excitement almost immediately, sending the Whitecaps home with a 3-1 loss. Khiry Shelton scored in the 17th before Cristian Dajome sunk a penalty for Vancouver in the 39th. Nicolas Isimat-Mirin retook the lead for Sporting in stoppage time of the first half, and Zusi put a bow on the match with a missile of a goal in the second half.
Sporting at BC Place
As stated in the first storyline, Sporting has had success against Vancouver at BC Place. The 2010 Winter Olympic opening ceremony host venue has been kind to Sporting as the team is 5-3-1 at BC Place. Up until last season’s loss, Sporting was on a three-game win streak at Vancouver which began in October 2018 with a Salloi brace and a double assist game from Shelton.
Sartini at BC Place
Entering his first full year in charge of the Whitecaps, head coach Vanni Sartini has found success at home. Since taking over the reins late last season, Vancouver is 6-1-2 at home under Sartini. Their late surge got them a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. In Vancouver’s loan home match this season, they drew with 2021 MLS Cup Champions NYCFC with neither side finding a goal. Saturday marks just their second home match of the 2022 campaign.
Slow start for Vancouver
That home draw against NYCFC was the loan result for the Whitecaps this season. They have suffered losses on the road to Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo and LAFC this season, conceding nine goals, the most in the Western Conference. They have been able to get out in front, however. They have six points dropped from losing positions after getting out to early leads against the Dynamo and LAFC.
Sartini and the Whitecaps return home for the first time since March 5th looking to right the ship, while Sporting KC comes to the Great White North looking to ride the momentum of last week’s win.
