THE CANADIAN PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Vancouver Whitecaps exploded in the second half Wednesday to defeat Sporting Kansas City 3-0 and finish with a perfect record in the group stage of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.
Vancouver (3-0-0) had already clinched first place in Group One and a spot in Saturday’s final against either Toronto FC or FC Dallas. Those two teams meet Thursday as Group Two play wraps up.
"It’s always nice to win, but I thought we played well," Vancouver coach Martin Rennie said. "We showed a lot of discipline and hard work against a really good team in Kansas City, so it’s a game we take a lot of positives from."
In late action Wednesday in Group One, the Montreal Impact and Houston Dynamo tied 1-1.
After a scoreless first half. Sebastien Le Toux got things going for Vancouver in the 50th minute, volleying home a cross from Davide Chiumiento for a 1-0 lead.
It was Le Toux’s third goal in as many games at the tournament.
Russell Teibert of Niagara Falls, Ont., made it 2-0 in the 62nd on a shot from 20 yards out that beat Sporting goalkeeper Jon Kempin.
Carlyle Mitchell then stretched the Vancouver lead to three just five minutes later off a pass from Jordan Harvey.
Kei Kamara nearly got one back for Kansas City (0-1-2) in the 85th minute, but his header was cleared off the Vancouver goal-line.
"Getting clean sheets is also something you’re very pleased with as a coach, as that has a lot to do with professionalism and just doing the right things," Rennie said. "It was nice to get that tonight."
After a scoreless first half in Wednesday’s second game, Will Bruin gave Houston (0-1-2) a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute.
Montreal (0-1-2), which is preparing for its first season in Major League Soccer, fought back to tie it six minutes later when Patrice Bernier scored on a free kick.
Despite their identical records, the Dynamo finished ahead of the Impact on goal difference and will face either Toronto or Dallas in Saturday’s third-place game.
The Whitecaps and Impact open their regular-season schedules March 10th when Montreal makes its MLS debut at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.