Brian Turrel – Page 114 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Sporting KC wins; to go on to final of U.S. Open Cup

Sporting KC team captain Matt Besler sent a penalty kick into the left side of the goal to give his team an advantage in the sudden death phase of the penalty kick shootout. It turned out to be the winning kick. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Update: After extra time expired, Sporting KC won the match in a series of kicks. Sporting KC goes on to the finals of the U.S. Open Cup.

The score was tied 1-1, and the Sporting KC – San Jose match went into extra time tonight at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

The U.S. Open Cup semifinal match was still under way at 10 p.m., and still tied 1-1.

Sporting KC forward Diego Rubio scored in the 33rd minute to tie the game at 1 – 1. Sporting KC faced of against the San Jose Earthquakes on the semi-final of the U.S. Open Cup. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Latif Blessing’s shot was blocked by a diving stop by the San Jose goalkeeper. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC forward Diego Rubio launched a shot on goal in the second half. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Diego Rubio laid the ball off to fellow forward Latif Blessing on an attacking run in the second half. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Forward Diego Rubio went to the ground in the penalty area, but did not get a foul call in overtime. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia dove to his right to save a San Jose penalty kick and give Kansas City the victory. Melia saved 2 of 6 kicks in the shootout. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

These Sporting KC fans from the Piper Soccer Club were thrilled with the victory. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Atlanta United comes back to tie Sporting KC, 1-1

by Brian Turrel

Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes refused to call Sunday’s 1 – 1 draw against Atlanta United FC bittersweet. It was only bitter, he said. “We gave up a ridiculous goal at the end.”

Former Sporting KC player Jacob Peterson scored in second-half stoppage time to take away what had seemed like a solid Sporting victory over the league’s highest scoring team.

The game was scoreless through the first half as both teams felt out the other’s defense. Sporting’s ball control let them keep the advantage in shots and possession. Atlanta fought back, playing an aggressive style that led to 20 fouls and 5 yellow cards for the match, but earned them 19 won tackles.

Sporting finally broke through in the 59th minute when forward Latif Blessing was taken to the ground in the penalty area. Midfielder Benny Feilhaber sent home the penalty kick to give Sporting a 1 – 0 advantage.

With the lead, Sporting intensified its ball control and shot advantage. Jacob Peterson came on as a substitute in the 67th minute to a cheer from the home crowd that remembered his time in a Sporting uniform.

In stoppage time as the Kansas City crowd chanted, “I believe that we will win,” Peterson slipped past a cluster of Sporting defenders and faced goalkeeper Tim Melia alone, threading the ball inside the left post to earn his new team a point on the road.

Kansas City plays next at home on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia was unable to stop the short range shot of Atlanta’s Jacob Peterson in second half stoppage time. Peterson was with Kansas City from 2012 to 2016. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC defender Seth Sinovic fought for the ball with Atlanta forward Hector Villalba. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi took a shot on goal in the first half. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC forward Latif Blessing, Atlanta defender Mikey Ambrose, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan converged on the ball simultaneously. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

The Aug. 6 game was a salute to the military. Units from the Kansas and Missouri National Guard were at the game and brought military vehicles and weapons for the public to view. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Delaware Ridge third grade teacher Kristi Rivera was honored as a Sporting Samaritan before the game. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Gold Star families, those who have lost a loved one in military service, were honored on the field before the game. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Air Force Major John Tice coordinated a flyover of four A-10 fighters so that they arrived just as the national anthem concluded. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC defender Kevin Ellis played with his daughter on the field after the game. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Sporting KC defeats Chicago Fire, 3-2

by Brian Turrel

Sporting KC defeated the Chicago Fire 3 – 2 on Saturday evening at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sporting was missing its two leading scorers, Gerso Fernandes, who was suspended by the league for rough play, and Dom Dwyer, who was traded to Orlando earlier in the week. Even so, the team found plenty of offense with the remaining front line to cover a couple defensive lapses.

Game play was not nearly as close as the final score, with Sporting controlling the attack and running up a 19 to 10 shot advantage over the Fire.

Sporting forward Daniel Salloi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, curling a shot from the left side into the upper right corner of the goal. Salloi was responsible for much of the offensive pressure on the night with a couple of near misses and another shot that was barely deflected away by Chicago goalkeeper Matt Lampson.

Chicago tied the score five minutes later on a Sporting own goal. Defender Matt Besler, freshly back from service with the U.S. Men’s National Team, failed to handle a Chicago cross into the box, instead chipping the ball past Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia.

Sporting retook the lead just before half when midfielder Benny Feilhaber used an acrobatic bicycle kick to slam home the rebound of a Lampson save.

Kansas City’s third goal came just six minutes into the second half when a strong but wide shot from Diego Rubio barely deflected off the boot of fellow forward Latif Blessing and just inside the right post. Blessing was given credit for the goal.

Chicago threatened midway through the second half. Forward David Accam bounced a low shot off the left post to make the score 3 – 2. He nearly tied the game three minutes later with a header that was slightly off target.

Melia made two great saves late to keep the lead, including a notable lunging save on a shot by league scoring leader Nemanja Nikolic.

The victory moved Sporting KC back atop the MLS Western Conference standings, two points ahead of FC Dallas, which lost on Saturday. Kansas City plays next against Atlanta United FC at Children’s Mercy Park at 7 p.m. Aug. 6.