Cristian Techera was the man of the match for the Whitecaps, with the 24-year-old Uruguayan finding the net either side of Erik Hurtado’s strike.
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The game was nearly over before it started, with Cristian Techera heading home in the eighth minute from a Erik Hurtado cross. Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempin jumped into the air and tried to punch the ball away, but Techera managed to head it into the net.
The scores were locked at 0-0 until just after the hour-mark, with the club from Belize proving hard to break down.
The victory doesn’t count in the Major League Soccer standings but could be a confidence booster to a team that is battling for their playoff life.
The game at BC Place in Vancouver will stream live on CONCACAF’s official Facebook Page, while additional live updates will be available via the SportingKC.com Match Tracker and through the club’s official mobile app Sporting KC Uphoria.
A six-game winless skid in MLS has dropped Whitecaps FC to ninth in the Western Conference table.
At halftime, Sporting Kansas City assistant coach and former midfielder Kerry Zavagnin will be inducted into the club’s Sporting Legends hall of honor. Hurtado beat Kempin to the loose ball, then chipped it over him into the open net. Sporting Kansas City (0-1-1) and Central FC (0-1-1) are tied with one point each.
Kansas City’s Alec Kann had two saves for his second-career shutout in six starts. Midfielder Matias Laba and defender Tim Parker, regular starters who were rested on Saturday, are probable additions to the starting lineup as Vancouver looks to take a stranglehold of Group C.
The teams play each other once at home and away.
The tournament victor qualifies for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, where they compete against the top teams from Asia, Africa, South America, Oceana, and Europe.
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Sporting is in a stretch of five games in 15 days, including a 2-2 draw Tuesday at Central FC in Trinidad and Tobago in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
