By Canadian Press

Whitecaps’ spiral continues with 3-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City

Jul 13, 2019 | 10:45 PM

VANCOUVER — The spiral continues for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Gerso Fernandes played a role in all three goals as Sporting Kansas City used a 3-0 victory to hand the Whitecaps their third consecutive Major League Soccer loss Saturday night. Vancouver has been outscored 10-1 over that stretch.

Fernandes, who goes by the lone name Gerso, scored in the 91st minute and set up an own goal that went off the foot of Whitecaps’ defender Ali Adnan in the first half. He also assisted on forward Felipe Gutierrez’s goal in the 56th minute.

Vancouver forward Yordy Reyna gave the crowd of 18,700 at BC Place Stadium something to cheer about when he hit the post on a free kick in the 75th minute.

Forward Theo Bair, a 19-year-old Ottawa native who spent three years playing for the Whitecaps’ development academy, made his first MLS start for Vancouver. He had a good scoring chance in the 50th minute but his shot went wide. A frustrated Bair put his hands on his head and looked skyward.

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The Whitecaps (4-9-8) have one win in their last 10 MLS games (1-4-5). They were whipped 6-1 last weekend by MLS leaders Los Angels FC. Their last victory was May 25, a 2-1 home win against FC Dallas.

Sporting Kansas City (6-7-7) posted just its second road of the season. They are (2-4-4) away from home.

Sporting KC controlled most of the first half using short, crisp passes that kept Vancouver chasing after the ball.

The game’s first goal came in the 24th minute. Gerso corralled a loose ball, made a nice move around midfielder Andy Rose, then took a shot that hit Adnan’s foot and rolled into the open net.

Gerso helped set up Gutierrez’s goal, taking advantage of a mistake by Whitecaps’ goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

MacMath tried to move a ball forward, but Gerso knocked his kick down then fed it to Gutierrez, who scored on a low-hard shot.

Gerso’s goal late in the game came off a shot that went through a maze of players.

MacMath had to look sharp in the 12th minute when he went to his knees to block a free kick from just outside the box by Gutierrez.

The Whitecaps began forcing the play late in the opening half. In the 43rd minute Reyna took a right-footed shot from outside the box that Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia saved in the bottom right corner.

Forward Hwang Inbeom came close early in the second half when Melia had to make a diving save off a rocket of a free kick.

NOTES: Former Whitecap Alphonso Davies, who spent this season playing for Bayern Munich, attended the game and received a loud cheer from the crowd when shown on the big screen …. Forward Fredy Montero, who leads Vancouver with six goals, missed the game due to a red card picked up in the loss to LAFC. … If the Whitecaps qualify for the next round of the Canadian Championships, they will play 15 games over July and August. … The Whitecaps leave early Monday morning for a game Wednesday against New England.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press