It's amazing what a little confidence can do.
After three wins on the bounce against some of the weaker opposition in Major League Soccer, Vancouver Whitecaps headed into Sporting Park on Wednesday evening to take on a dangerous Kansas City side in a far tougher test of their new found form.
A stunning Camilo free kick on the stroke of half time cancelled out an Aurelien Collin strike, as a weakened Caps side offered little in attack but comfortably held on for a point.
It wasn't a particularly spectacular performance, but it was a team one full of grit and continued to show the credentials this team could have once all the pieces are in place.
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With Carlyle Mitchell and Russell Teibert away on Gold Cup duty, Vancouver were forced into two changes to the starting eleven from Saturday's win over DC. Brad Rusin came in at the back, with Corey Hertzog the surprise choice on the right wing, having not featured even as a sub of late.
It was a lively start by both sides but KC were first to test the opposition keeper, forcing Brad Knighton to parry a Graham Zusi shot four minutes in.
Sporting were enjoying the great possession and Kei Kamara was looking particularly dangerous. He nearly combined with Claudio Bieler in the 16th minute, lofting a deep ball to the back post but the Argentine's outstretched leg guided the ball past.
The home side came their closest yet to opening the scoring in the 24th minute and poor defending was nearly the Whitecaps' undoing once again.
Brad Rusin made a horrible attempt at clearing a corner and Kansas City kept the pressure on, playing the ball to Oriol Rosell at the corner of the box. The Spaniard's fierce strike brought an acrobatic stop out of Knighton but with the goal beckoning, KC couldn't bury the rebound.
Vancouver had a couple of ventures forward, without causing any real danger to Jimmy Neilson in the home goal.
It was no surprise when KC opened the scoring with ten minutes of the half remaining.
Rosell floated a cross into the back of the box and Chance Myers headed it down into the path of Aurelien Collin. Johnny Leveron managed to get a block in on his first shot but the Frenchman was not to be denied and managed to drill his second effort through Leveron and Jordan Harvey and past Knighton for the opening goal.
It was starting to look like a long night for Vancouver, but they stunned Sporting Park, and no doubt most people watching at home, when they got themselves back level in the final minute of the half.
Leveron was bumped to the ground by Soony Saad 20 yards from goal for a free kick. It was dangerous territory for Camilo and so it proved when the Brazilian stepped up and curled an inch perfect kick up and over the wall and into the postage stamp corner.
It was Camilo's 10th goal of the season and 7th in the last five games, for one of MLS' most in-form strikers.
The referee blew his whistle for half time seconds later and Vancouver headed in on surprisingly level terms.
The goal gave the Caps a lift and they looked a different team as they came out to start the second half, with both sides exchanging possession and attacks.
Matt Watson fired a wild shot wide five minutes in, as Vancouver grew in confidence.
Kansas City soon started to look the more dangerous of the two once again, but without really threatening the Caps goal as the game entered a period of lull and both sides made substitutions.
The home side nearly went back in front from nowhere in the 76th minute, when Zusi made the most of nothing but a little time and space to drill a low shot off the left hand post.
KC kept the pressure on forcing a corner, which Myers headed over, as they desperately tried to raise the tempo.
Vancouver seemed happy just to see out time, soaking up the Kansas pressure and looking fairly untroubled.
As the game entered stoppage time, Vancouver kept most of the play in the Sporting half and apart from one chance for Kamara, the Whitecaps held tight.
KC showed some flashes but it was likely to be one of the easiest second halfs that Vancouver will face on the road this year.
There are still concerns at the back, and there were several opportunities that you usually see KC punish, and the midfield was pretty much posted missing once again, but the Whitecaps played as a unit and put in a team performance that saw them through in the end.
Four points out of two away games is more than many would have realistically hoped for and as the season now reaches their halfway stage, they have set themselves up for a second half push.
That push couldn't get underway in more exciting fashion than with the visit of Seattle on Saturday and that will be another test of just what credentials the Caps currently have.
FINAL SCORE: Sporting KC 1 - 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 20,137
KANSAS CITY: Jimmy Nielsen; Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Kevin Ellis (Josh Gardner 86); Lawrence Olum (Benny Feilhaber 53), Oriol Rosell, Graham Zusi; Kai Kamara, Claudio Bieler (Dom Dwyer 58), Soony Saad [subs Not Used: Eric Kronberg, Ike Opara, Jacob Peterson, Teal Bunbury]
VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Nigel Reo-Coker, Brad Rusin, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Jun Marques Davidson, Matt Watson (Gershon Koffie 63), Daigo Kobayashi; Corey Hertzog (Tommy Heinemann 82), Camilo Sanvezzo, Kenny Miller [subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Greg Klazura, Darren Mattocks, Kekuta Manneh]
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