Sporting KC booked their place in the quarter-finals of the MLS Is Back Tournament with a penalty shootout victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Here are three things we learned.
Despite being outshot 35-8, Thomas Hasal and the Vancouver Whitecaps held the Sporting Kansas City attack scoreless to force a shootout in Sunday night’s Round of 16 tie in the MLS is Back Tournament.
In the end, Sporting prevailed with a 3-1 shootout victory on the back of goalkeeper Tim Melia to advance into the quarter-finals as the Whitecaps were sent packing. Sporting KC’s fifth penalty shootout win since 2012 was highlighted by two stops from Melia before Gianluca Busio’s precise effort secured SKC’s extended stay in Orlando.
With the match ending at 1:20 AM ET early Monday morning, here are three things we learned from Sporting KC’s shootout victory.
3. Cinderella story over
It is no question that the MLS is Back Tournament has surpassed expectations so far, and the drama and story behind the Vancouver Whitecaps is among the top storylines. With a third of their roster out for a multitude of reasons, third-string goalkeeper Thomas Hasal was forced to start his second consecutive match. It is safe to say that he will get further looks in the future after his performance, but more on that later.
While Hasal will get all the attention, it cannot be forgotten how well the Whitecaps held up defensively. They kept their shape for the majority of the constant pressure and frustrated SKC without committing needless fouls. It was a highly intelligent defensive performance from the entire Whitecaps team.
Vancouver manager Marc Dos Santos must be delighted with his side’s effort in the past two matches, putting up two straight shutouts despite the unfortunate and uncontrollable circumstances. If the Whitecaps can carry this momentum and togetherness into the regular season, as well as welcoming back some crucial players into the fold, they could become a very difficult team to play against.