Whitecaps stay hot, eliminate Sporting KC from playoff contention

Edier Ocampo and Kenji Cabrera scored in the first half and the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday night.

The Whitecaps (16-6-7, 55 points) remain in contention for the top record in the MLS with the victory. Cabrera's goal was the first of his MLS career in his fourth match.

Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made one save for the shutout, his 13th clean sheet of the season.

Sporting KC (7-18-6, 27 points) didn't have a first-half shot on goal. The team was eliminated from postseason contention with this loss and other Saturday results.

Vancouver is 3-0-1 in its last four MLS matches.

Ocampo scored 73 seconds into the match, set up by Emmanuel Sabbi, who was rewarded with an assist on the transition sequence. It was Ocampo's second goal of the season, with the other coming nearly three months ago.

Ali Ahmed assisted on Cabrera's goal in the 43rd minute. Cabrera took the ball into the box and his shot went off goalkeeper John Pulskamp's foot and into the net.

--Field Level Media