A scintillating first-half display was enough for the Vancouver Whitecaps to earn a vital 2-0 victory over Western Conference bottom-feeders Sporting Kansas City.

In a fashion very similar to the way they dismantled Philadelphia Union and Forge FC, in the opening 45 minutes, Vancouver tore Kansas apart. Some sensational creative play made goals for Edier Ocampo and Kenji Cabrera, who were able to capitalize on some dire SKC defending.

Kansas rallied in the second half and was much improved. However, a dogged defensive performance saw the Whitecaps extend their record of the most clean sheets in MLS to 13.

After yet another important victory, let’s take a look at the player ratings!

Yohei Takaoka – 7.5

Having seen his trusted defensive setup fall in front of his eyes, Takaoka had to step up and prove his leadership capabilities in this match.

Although brilliant performances in front of him meant he did not have to make many saves, he excelled at guiding his backline and commanding his area, while his save to deny Erik Thommy when he was called upon showcased how important he is to this team.

Edier Ocampo – 8

I’ve said all season that Edier Ocampo is a threat going forward, but the fullback needed to find his scoring boots. It turned out that they were in Kansas the whole time, as he notched his third goal of the season after only two minutes with a brilliant finish after one of his trademark bursts forward.

Beyond that, Ocampo has received criticism for his defensive displays at times this season. However, any doubts about his abilities were squashed by his performance tonight, as a yellow card aside, he prevented Kansas from offering any threat on his flank. Unfortunately, that booking may prove costly, as it rules him out of the midweek match against Portland Timbers, further depleting an already desperate Whitecaps backline.

Belal Halbouni – 7.5

In my report card for the game against St. Louis City, I said that Halbouni was “just not MLS-ready right now.” However, his performance in Kansas may have proved me wrong.

In a depleted defensive line, Halbouni was sensational at locking down Dejan Joveljic. The Serbian, who with 17 MLS goals this season is a player to be wary of, ended the match without a single shot, while he also had the fewest touches of any outfield player on the field.

With injuries leaving Vancouver’s defence completely threadbare, Halbouni will need to continue to produce performances like this if the Whitecaps are to contend for the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup.

Mathias Laborda – 8

After all the commotion following Tristan Blackmon’s injury against Forge FC, the biggest compliment I can give Laborda for his display is that Vancouver did not look like they missed the USMNT defender.

The Uruguayan expertly marshalled the inexperienced defence through a tough second half to ensure they kept the clean sheet, while he also produced a Blackmon-esque cross-field pass to pick out Ocampo for the opening goal.

Tate Johnson – 7

Tate Johnson produced a professional display after being reinstated to the MLS starting lineup. His solid defending allowed space for Cabrera and Ahmed to shine in front of him, while in the second half, he locked down the flank to deny Kansas any joy on the left-hand side.

Sebastian Berhalter – 7.5

Having impressed throughout the season with his set-piece delivery and passing abilities, in this match, Berhalter showcased the other side of his game, as he produced a dogged display to secure the victory.

Wearing the captain’s armband, Berhalter produced a true leader’s display by helping his side through some tough spells of pressure. He won the most duels of any player in the match, while his 11 defensive contributions and 11 passes into the final third meant he was integral to Vancouver’s performance at both ends of the pitch.

Andres Cubas – 7.5

Cubas is critical at the heart of Vancouver’s midfield, and that was proven yet again tonight as he produced a stellar display to keep the SKC attack at bay. The Paraguayan was instrumental in doing what he does best: pressuring opposition attackers and making crucial challenges to break up the opposition attacks and maintain the Whitecaps’ advantage.

However, he picked up a cheap yellow card early into the game, which will be a huge blow as it means he is also suspended for the midweek clash with Portland.

Ali Ahmed – 8

Ahmed has been exceptional since his return from injury, and yet again, he tore the opposition defence apart. His interchanging positions down the left flank with Cabrera left the Kansas defence clueless, while he was unlucky not to score himself as he was denied on multiple occasions.

With Ryan Gauld and Thomas Müller both set to make returns from injury in the near future, competition for attacking places in the Whitecaps side has never been higher. However, with displays like this, Ahmed is staking a solid claim to a starting shirt ahead of the crucial run-in.

Kenji Cabrera – 8.5

In his first start for the Whitecaps, Kenji Cabrera looked electric as he caused a plethora of problems for the SKC defenders. Starting centrally in the absence of Thomas Müller, the Peruvian was lively throughout, linking up with Ali Ahmed to torment the Kansas backline.

He was unlucky not to score early on in the clash when his effort struck the post, although he would not be denied his goal as he finished with aplomb to capitalise on a defensive switch off just before the interval. His performance will certainly have given Jesper Sørensen a selection headache heading into some critical matches, which is a lovely problem to have.

Emmanuel Sabbi – 7

After his electric display against Philadelphia last weekend, Sabbi was quieter in this game as most of Vancouver’s attacking spark came from the other flank.

However, the American winger still influenced proceedings, as he combined nicely with Ocampo for the opening goal and had a couple of opportunities to add to the lead. He was sacrificed in the 65th minute as Sørensen wanted more stability for the final moments.

Daniel Rios – 6.5

At this point, I’m beginning to feel bad for Daniel Rios, because in recent weeks, it just hasn’t fallen for him in front of goal. In three games, the Whitecaps have now scored 13 unanswered goals, but despite playing a critical role from the front, the Mexican hasn’t scored any of them.

However, I’m convinced that he must just be saving his moments for when Vancouver needs them most. Beyond his finishing, the forward produced a solid display, as his hold-up play was integral for relieving some of the pressure on his side.

Substitutes

Due to the nature of the second half, where Vancouver were defending for the majority of the time, the attacking substitutes had a limited impact on proceedings.

However, Jayden Nelson, J.C. Ngando, Rayan Elloumi, Jeevan Badwal, Giuseppe Bovalina, and Ralph Priso all produced solid displays to help maintain the scoreline and extend Vancouver’s winning streak to 4 matches.

With the Whitecaps winning and San Diego FC and Minnesota United dropping points to Eastern Conference sides, Vancouver has returned to second place in the West – 2 points behind San Diego with two games on hand – with five matches to play.

They face a crucial week ahead, with derby matches coming thick and fast. Games against Cascadia Cup foes Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders are quickly followed by a Canadian Championship final clash with Vancouver FC in what promises to be the most important sequence of matches in their season so far.

(Image: Vancouver Whitecaps FC)