KANSAS CITY, KS – The last time Vancouver Whitecaps FC played against Sporting Kansas City, Tim Parker left the pitch with a bloody shin courtesy of Dom Dwyer.
It wasn’t the first time the two players came together – they played against each other in college in 2011 – and it certainly won’t be the last. The ‘Caps visit Sporting KC on Saturday night in a match that is crucial to Vancouver’s playoff hopes, before hosting them again three days later in an important CONCACAF Champions League fixture at BC Place (7 p.m. PT – tickets still available).
Pass the popcorn.
At 5-foot-9, Dwyer isn’t the biggest striker in the world. But he’s always up for a fight – and although it may result in a knock here and there – Parker wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Dom’s a good player and he likes a battle,” Parker said this week. “And to be honest I prefer forwards that like battles rather than forwards that fall over. So he’s a good one to play against.”
He’s also a dangerous one.
Dwyer has been Sporting KC’s most lethal offensive weapon this year. And it’s not even close. The 26-year-old has a team-high 12 goals, the fifth highest total in MLS, along with a pair of assists. He’s also coming off a two-goal performance last weekend at FC Dallas.
Interestingly, Dwyer’s four headed goals are tied for the most in MLS this season, while Parker has the second most clearances (119), which should make for an interesting matchup in the air.
The ‘Caps know all about Dwyer’s qualities.
In Week 2, he scored two first-half goals, including a 25-yard left-footed blast, to lead Sporting KC to a 2-1 win over Vancouver at Children’s Mercy Park.
Dwyer came off the bench and played just over half an hour in the second meeting between the two teams in April. He didn’t find the scoresheet, but he still made his presence felt, getting mixed up with Parker and exchanging a few words with a fan when he was warming up on the sidelines.
And that’s just this year.
Last year, it was Kendall Waston who went toe-to-toe with Dwyer on a few occasions – something 'Caps goalkeeper David Ousted discussed on TSN Radio’s Monday Night Futbol this week.
“I think him and Dom just love butting heads,” Ousted said. “It seems like they’d rather be in a wrestling ring together rather than actually having a soccer ball between them.”
“Dom knows not to go too close to Kendall once in a while, so he kind of ducks out and makes Kendall go over him,” Ousted continued. “And once in a while Kendall gets him back. It’s one of those duels that’s fun to watch and for us it’s important to win.”
Even if it takes a bloody shin.
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