It was nearly a perfect week, but Sporting KC settles for draw vs. Vancouver: Recap
Alan Pulido’s first-half goal off a corner kick was canceled out by a late penalty kick from Vancouver’s Ryan Gauld — meaning Sporting KC and the Vancouver Whitecaps shared a point on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at BC Place in Vancouver.
The match was Sporting KC’s third in seven days, as the club defeated the Portland Timbers and FC Dallas earlier in the week. With Vancouver in the midst of a similar stretch, the play on the pitch resembled two worn-out squads.
“When you have these three games in (seven) days (and) when you have to go on the road for the third one, it’s always the most difficult game just because of everything, the accumulation,” manager Peter Vermes said. “I think the guys battled, and they really didn’t give much away.”
But the way in which the match played out had Vermes thinking his club deserved more.
“I feel like we deserved three points,” Vermes said. “But you know, it’s a great point for us on the road.”
Sporting (4-8-5) were nearly put in a bad place early after VAR (video assistant referee) recommended a review for a foul committed by defender Robert Castellanos. The head referee chose not to give him a red card, which could have been shown for the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO).
After that, Sporting snapped into gear and controlled most of the match. Pulido got on the score sheet with an expertly flicked header in the 20th minute off Erik Thommy’s corner kick. That was Pulido’s fourth goal in three matches against the Whitecaps.
The forward said after the match that he and defender Andreu Fontás were talking about how similar the goal was to Pulido’s first-ever goal for Sporting.
“My first goal was here in Vancouver,” Pulido said. “We played and won in this stadium, and I finished in the same goal.”
The 1-0 lead stood for most of the match, including a moment when Vancouver appeared to put the ball in the back of the net. But Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon was in an offside position, interfering with Castellanos’ ability to play the ball, so it was taken off the board.
Kendall McIntosh made some difficult saves in the second half to help preserve Sporting’s lead. But in the end, Vancouver got its breakthrough after a review by head referee Lukasz Szpala gave a penalty for a foul by Sporting’s Robert Voloder, which Gauld converted.
Vermes said he didn’t see a replay of the call, but he felt like it was more or less correct.
“Sometimes in the heat of the battle you’re a little bit emotional and you go for (the tackle),” Vermes said. “Whereas sometimes that’s where you gotta really know where you are.
“You’ve got to deal with that a little differently, … stay on your feet and let the guy beat you because we were defending pretty well to that point.”
Sporting had one last gasp to take the three points on Saturday. But Gadi Kinda’s chance at the end of the match went wide, a golden opportunity of a diving header that easily could’ve handed Sporting a late 2-1 win.
Sporting KC will be at home next Saturday, welcoming Austin FC to Children’s Mercy Park at 7:30 p.m.
