The Vancouver Whitecaps and Sporting Kansas City played to a 1-1 draw at BC Place in Vancouver on Wednesday, in the first of two games this week for both sides.
The Whitecaps opened the scoring 14 minutes in, as Cristian Techera's outswinging corner kick was guided in on the volley by Christian Bolaños, the Costa Rican international's first MLS goal.
And then Diego Rubio scored his first in a Sporting kit in the 27th minute to level the score, making a well-timed run onto a throughball from Lawrence Olum and slotting the shot past David Ousted.
Kendall Waston received his marching orders five minutes into the second half, as a reckless challenge on Rubio led to his second yellow card of the night, leaving Vancouver with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
Box Score
- 14’ – VAN – Christian Bolaños (Cristian Techera)
- 27' – SKC – Diego Rubio (Lawrence Olum, Saad Abdul-Salaam)
- Full box score
- Stats
- Highlights
Three Things
- A RESULT TO BUILD ON? Sporting may rue the fact that they couldn't get a win despite having a man advantage, but the tie stopped a three-game losing streak for the team, so on balance it was a decent result. That it's the first of two games this week means Kansas City may have some momentum heading into Sunday's game against the high-flying LA Galaxy.
- LESS THAN A TURNING POINT: While the Whitecaps must have gotten nervous when Waston picked up his second yellow card, they too can pull out some positives from the performance. Tim Parker in defense and Russell Teibert in midfield in particular had good games, as both helped to limit Sporting's chances and give Ousted a bit of a breather. Yes, they will be missing Waston on Saturday against NYCFC, but Vancouver will be buoyed by grinding out a result in this game.
- BANNER NIGHT FOR DEBUT SCORERS: It was a night to remember for both Bolaños and Rubio, as they each notched what they hope will be the first of many goals in MLS. And both were fairly impressive goals, as Rubio's run was timed to perfection and Bolaños' placement on his tally was terrific. Which goal was better? You be the judge.
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