MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 Real Salt Lake 0

A pair of penalties from Camilo Sanvezzo earned Vancouver Whitecaps a 3-0 win over 10-man Real Salt Lake in the MLS on Thursday.

Nizar Khalfan added a third late on as the Whitecaps notched their fifth win of the season and first at their new home – BC Place.

The first half was a cagey affair, with Vancouver enjoying the better of the play.

Camilo had a penalty shout waved away when Chris Wingert body-checked him to the ground midway through the first half.

But just before half-time, Vancouver’s pressure paid off, albeit in somewhat controversial fashion.

Camilo whipped in a free-kick which resulted in a goalmouth scramble, the ball was headed goal-bound and appeared to be saved by the chest of Salt Lake midfielder Collen Warner, who was lying on the ground.

The referee immediately adjudged Warner to have used his hand and showed him a straight red card.

Camilo then stepped up and had no trouble converting the penalty kick.

That changed the complexion of the match and when a deflected ball struck the arm of Chris Schuler just inside the penalty box five minutes into the second half, the Whitecaps had another penalty.

Camilo made it 2-0 with his second conversion before Khalfan applied the gloss in the dying moments of the game, taking a flicked header from Omar Salgado and unleashing a sublime half-volley from the top of the box, as it ended 3-0.