Vancouver Whitecaps' Matias Laba, left, is upended by Sporting Kansas City's Benny Feilhaber during the second half of an MLS soccer game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday May 20, 2017.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Cristian Techera and Tim Parker scored for Vancouver as the Whitecaps defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday.
The hosts broke through in the 40th minute after Sheanon Williams fired a raking cross from the right to Christian Bolanos, who in turn chested the ball down to Techera.
The pint-sized Uruguayan nicknamed "The Bug" wasted no time, smashing a left-footed volley past Sporting 'keeper Tim Melia for his third goal of the Major League Soccer campaign.
The slick sequence was one of just a few moments of excitement in a mostly tepid opening 45 minutes, with Sporting's only chance coming in the 20th when Gerso Fernandes found himself all alone in front of Whitecaps 'keeper David Ousted before rolling his effort wide of the post.
Vancouver (5-5-1) had an opportunity to double its lead in the 53rd minute after Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic fouled Fredy Montero in the Sporting penalty area, but the Whitecaps striker saw his spot kick and the follow up saved by Melia.
Sporting (6-3-4) then raced the other way, with Latif Blessing forcing a save out of Ousted from in close.
Melia made another great save in the 60th, staring down Bolanos after a looping pass from Techera.
The Whitecaps were fuming in the 66th minute when Roger Espinoza sliced down 16-year-old Alphonso Davies, who had just come on as a substitute, at the edge of the penalty area to earn a yellow card. But Parker made Sporting pay moments later when he flicked his head at Bolanos' ensuing free kick for the defender's first MLS goal of his career in his third season.
Montero then hit the post on a header off another free kick in the 81st, and Vancouver shepherded the three points home from there.
Playing at home for the first time since April 14, the Whitecaps went with the same starting lineup for the fifth straight game — a first for the club since joining MLS in 2011.
Vancouver returned to B.C. Place Stadium from its four-game road trip 2-2-0, with losses to the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo bookending victories over the Montreal Impact and Colorado Rapids.
Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson went with a 4-1-4-1 formation instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 setup at the start of Vancouver's spell away from home in an effort to press further up the field, and kept the same shape on Saturday.
Sporting, meanwhile, was coming off a 3-0 home victory over the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday where Fernandes scored three times in a 13-minute span in the second half.
Notes: Whitecaps midfielder Matias Laba picked up a yellow card in the 89th minute and will be suspended for his team's next MLS match. ... Vancouver is now 2-6-3 all-time against Kansas City in MLS play. ... The Whitecaps host the Montreal Impact on Tuesday in the first leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal. ... Fans at B.C. Place rose in the 35th minute to honour former youth team player Travis Selje, who was killed in a car accident earlier this month. The 17-year-old wore No. 35 while with Vancouver. The Whitecaps also wore black arm bands in Selje's memory.