Whitecaps equalize in stoppage time, draw with SKC

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:22 am

Derek Cornelius scored the equalizer on a volley four minutes into stoppage time to earn the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Sporting (2-4-5, 11 points) appeared to put an end to a six-match winless streak, dating back to a 7-1 win over the Montreal Impact on March 30. But Cornelius, unmarked just outside the 6-yard box, hammered a left-footed volley of Ali Adnan's cross past a diving Tim Melia for the tying goal for Vancouver (3-6-4, 13 points).

Krisztian Nemeth was instrumental in two of the biggest plays of the match, first when he scored the goal for Sporting KC in the 37th minute.

Benny Feilhaber, in his home return to Sporting KC's roster after being acquired in a trade with Colorado, swiped possession off a tackle at midfield and fed a long through ball to Johnny Russell on the right side. Whitecaps keeper Maxime Crepeau got a piece of Russell's shot, but the rebound fell to Nemeth, who easily right-footed the ball between two lunging defenders.

Derek Cornelius
Derek Cornelius
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

But the game changed drastically in the 51st minute, when Nemeth was given a straight red card for a hard foul on Felipe. Nemeth's spikes landed squarely on Felipe's right ankle, forcing him to leave the match.

A few seconds after Vancouver manager Marc Dos Santos used his third substitution, defender Doneil Henry pulled up with a sore hamstring in the 73rd minute. That meant the two sides played the final 17 minutes at 10-on-10.

Just one of Vancouver's 13 games has been decided by more than one goal.

Before conceding late, the defense was solid for Sporting KC, which had allowed 11 goals since Matt Besler went down with a hamstring injury early in the match against San Jose four games ago. SKC outshot the Whitecaps 15-11, including 7-3 in on-target attempts.