Vancouver Whitecaps FC broke out of their long scoring slump and moved into the driver's seat of their CONCACAF Champions League group.
Cristian Techera scored a brace, giving him three goals in CCL play, and Erik Hurtado had a goal and an assist as Vancouver improved to 2-0 in Group C with Tuesday night's 3-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City.
The Whitecaps – who have scored just five times this month, with four of those goals in CCL play – are on six points at the halfway mark, with Sporting and Trinidadian side Central FC on one point each. Vancouver need only draws in their last two matches to advance to next year's knockout stage.
Techera struck first in the 8th minute, after a bad giveaway in Sporting's end. Hurtado lofted a high ball into the area, and the 5-foot-2 Techera was waiting to head it in after Sporting goalkeeper Jon Kempin misplayed the cross.
Hurtado doubled the lead in the 12th, chipping the ball over Kempin from outside the penalty area, and Techera completed his brace in the 64th to put the match away.
Sporting, who beat Vancouver 2-0 on Saturday night in MLS action at home, are now winless in eight straight road matches across all competitions.
Box Score
- 8' - VAN - Cristian Techera (Erik Hurtado)
- 12' - VAN - Erik Hurtado (Russell Teibert)
- 64' - VAN - Cristian Techera (Matías Laba)
- Full Box Score
- Stats
Three Things
- THE CCL PRODUCERS: With his brace Tuesday night, Cristian Techera has more goals (three) in two CONCACAF Champions League starts than he does in his 24 MLS appearances (15 starts, two goals in 1,255 minutes). Erik Hurtado has a goal and two assists in CCL play, compared with no goals and one assist in 16 MLS outings (five starts, 578 minutes).
- RARE START, CLEAN SHEET:Paolo Tornaghi got the nod in goal for Vancouver on Tuesday night – his first start in any competition – and recorded his club's second shutout in as many CCL matches. Tornaghi finished with three saves on the night, all in the second half.
- BLEEDING GOALS ON THE ROAD: Sporting have now conceded 10 goals in their last four away matches across all competitions – and twice over that span, they have followed up a home victory with a 3-0 away defeat to the same opponent in their next match. Tuesday's loss followed a 2-0 victory over the Whitecaps on Saturday, and a 3-0 defeat at Portland on Aug. 7 followed a 1-0 home victory over the Timbers a week before.
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