Recap: Sporting eliminated from playoff contention in 2-0 loss to Vancouver

Sporting Kansas City (7-18-6, 27 points) was eliminated from playoff contention following a 2-0 home loss to Supporters’ Shield contenders Vancouver Whitecaps FC (16-6-7, 55 points) on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.

Edier Ocampo struck inside two minutes and Kenji Cabrera opened his MLS scoring account to double Vancouver’s lead two minutes before halftime. The result condemns Sporting to a third straight defeat and ends the club’s hopes of returning to the playoffs for the 12th time in 15 seasons.

Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin made five changes to Sporting’s lineup from a narrow loss at Real Salt Lake last weekend, including both center backs as Alan Montes and 17-year-old Ian James partnered in place of Jansen Miller and Joaquin Fernandez. Midfielder Zorhan Bassong returned from suspension to replace Jacob Bartlettt, while Santi Munoz and Erik Thommy entered for Nemanja Radoja and the injured Daniel Salloi, respectively.

Vancouver drew first blood 75 seconds after kickoff. Winger Emmanuel Sabbi embarked on a blazing run down the right side and fed the ball to overlapping full back Ocampo, who slotted low past Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp for his second goal of the 2025 MLS campaign.

The Whitecaps went 2-0 ahead in the 43rd minute. Canadian international Ali Ahmed played a square ball to Cabrera, who beat a defender inside the box before finishing at the near post for his first career MLS goal in just his third Whitecaps appearance. Cabrera had been denied by the woodwork 30 minutes earlier, latching onto Ahmed’s pullback pass across the face of goal, but the 22-year-old Japan native made the most of his next scoring opportunity as Vancouver went to intermission in the driver’s seat.

Sporting battled hard in the second half with increased possession in the attacking third. Munoz and Jake Davis misfired from long range near the 55th minute, then winger Shapi Suleymanov—the only Kansas City field player to appear in all 31 MLS matches this season—did well to set up Munoz for a 15-yard shot that deflected narrowly wide of the left post on the hour mark. In the 67th minute, Thommy’s blistering 22-yard free kick was cast aside by outstretched Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.

Sporting forward Mason Toye was a 65th-minute substitute and provided a quick injection of energy before suffering an unfortunate head injury and being replaced by Stephen Afrifa nine minutes later. Shortly thereafter, Pulskamp produced two excellent reflex saves by thwarting Ahmed and Jayden Nelson.

The hosts conjured one final chance in second-half stoppage time. Afrifa eluded multiple tacklers on the right edge of the box before picking out Spanish playmaker Manu Garcia, whose curling effort at the top of the box dipped inches over the crossbar.

Sporting will hit the road for two matches—visiting the LA Galaxy on Sept. 27 and Minnesota United FC on Oct. 4—before returning to Children’s Mercy Park on Oct. 18 for the club’s 2025 season finale against Houston Dynamo FC.

2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 31
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 15,026
Weather: 74 degrees and partly cloudy

Sporting Kansas City: John Pulskamp; Khiry Shelton, Ian James, Alan Montes (Jansen Miller 84'), Logan Ndenbe; Jake Davis, Zorhan Bassong (Jacob Bartlett 84'); Shapi Suleymanov (Mason Toye 65', Stephen Afrifa 74'), Santi Munoz (Manu Garcia 65'), Erik Thommy (C); Dejan Joveljic

Subs Not Used: Ryan Schewe, Tim Leibold, Nemanja Radoja, Memo Rodriguez

Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Yohei Takaoka; Edier Ocampo, Belal Halbouni, Mathias Laborda, Tate Johnson (Giuseppe Bovalina 90+2'); Sebastian Berhalter (C), Andres Cubas (Jeevan Badwal 82'); Emmanuel Sabbi (JC Ngando 65'), Kenji Cabrera (Jayden Nelson 65'), Ali Ahmed (Ralph Priso 90+2'); Daniel Rios (Rayan Elloumi 81')

Subs Not Used: Isaac Boehmer, Mark O'Neill, Nelson Pierre

Scoring Summary:
VAN -- Edier Ocampo 2 (Emmanuel Sabbi 3) 2'
VAN -- Kenji Cabrera 1 (Ali Ahmed 7) 43'

Misconduct Summary:
VAN -- Andres Cubas (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 10'
SKC -- Zorhan Bassong (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 44'
VAN -- Edier Ocampo (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 53'
VAN -- Belal Halbouni (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 57'
VAN -- Daniel Rios (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 66'
SKC -- Alan Montes (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 82'
VAN -- Sebastian Berhalter (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 90+6'

Referee: Tori Penso
Assistant Referee: Andrew Bigelow
Assistant Referee: Nick Balcer
Fourth Official: Victor Rivas
VAR: Joshua Patek
AVAR: Victor Rivas