Category: Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City suffered its first home loss of the 2014 season on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to the Philadelphia Union at Sporting Park.

The defeat snapped an 11-game home unbeaten streak in all competition dating back to 2013, when the same Philadelphia side were 1-0 winners on Sept. 27.

After a scoreless first half, Danny Cruz opened the scoring in the 49th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Dom Dwyer scored his team-best seventh goal of the season in the 80th minute to level the score, however the Union’s Cristian Maidana scored the game-winning goal less than a minute later.

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg made a season-high five saves on Wednesday, including three in a back-and-forth first half. His first came with a routine stop on Leonardo Fernandes in the seventh minute, followed by a more challenging save in 19th minute on a well-taken attempt by Cruz. His final save of the first 45 minutes was recorded in the 29th minute on a long-range effort from Vincent Nogueira.

Manager Peter Vermes’ squad — playing its third of seven matches in the month of May — matched the visitors with three shots on target in the opening stanza and all came from winger Sal Zizzo. Returning after missing two matches with a groin strain, Zizzo was on the end of an exquisite pass from Graham Zusi in the 12th minute and rolled his shot on frame from the right side. The two connected again in the 33rd minute as Zusi’s cross from the left flank found Zizzo, whose header was saved on the goalline off the leg of MacMath from close range.

The Zusi-to-Zizzo combination continued to create chances and nearly gave Sporting KC the lead in the final minute of first-half stoppage time. Zizzo lined up a shot from 10 yards out that forced MacMath into a sprawling stop at the near post to deny Zizzo his first goal of the campaign.

The second half began with more of the same as MacMath, a fourth-year pro at age 22, was called into action again in the 48th minute. Seth Sinovic let loose a dipping half volley from outside the penalty area that was smothered by the Maryland product with a dive to his right.

The save proved crucial when 30 seconds later Philadelphia pulled ahead on the opposite end of the field. Kronberg made the initial save to turn away Maidana’s left-footed strike only to see Cruz pounce on the rebound with a sliding finish from inside the six-yard box for his first goal of the season and 10th of his MLS career.

The Union could have doubled the lead in the 59th minute if not for an important intervention by Kronberg to come off his line. Andrew Wenger, acquired in a trade last month, shrugged off a tackle by Aurelien Collin but couldn’t slip his shot past Kronberg.

Dwyer entered the match in the 71st minute, replacing Designated Player Claudio Bieler who had directed a header on target moments before his exit. The move paid off within 10 minutes via a give-and-go with Paulo Nagamura that setup Dwyer’s thunderous goal into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. The Generation adidas product now has goals in back-to-back games after scoring twice in a 2-0 victory at Montreal on the weekend and his seven goals are fourth most in MLS this season.

The momentum from the equalizer was ultimately short-lived as Philadelphia responded with a goal of its own from the ensuing kickoff. Cruz played an entry ball inside the area to Wenger and the former No. 1 overall draft pick held off challenges from Benny Feilhaber and Lawrence Olum before laying the ball off to Maidana. The Argentine placed his first-time shot past Kronberg from 12 yards out for his first career MLS goal, which proved to be the difference in the first of three meetings between the two teams this season despite a 90th minute red card to Union midfielder Corben Bone within a minute of entering the match.

Sporting Kansas City remains in first place in the Eastern Conference and will next travel to Chicago for a 2 p.m. match-up with the Fire on Sunday at Toyota Park.

Defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi will join the U.S. Men’s National Team on Thursday as part of the 30-player preliminary roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. While serving as a sendoff for those two, Wednesday’s match was also the debut for Igor Juliao as he became the youngest player in club history to start and play the full 90 minutes in an MLS match at 19 years of age.

– Story from Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City re-claimed a share of first place in the Eastern Conference on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Jacob Peterson and Claudio Bieler scored their first goals of 2014 while Eric Kronberg made four saves for his fourth shutout of the season, most among MLS goalkeepers.

Sporting Kansas City remains unbeaten at Sporting Park in its last 11 games in all competition dating back to 2013, highlighted by the team’s MLS Cup triumph over Real Salt Lake.

Prior to Sunday’s match, Sporting Kansas City players, coaches and staff were formally presented with their championship rings in a special pre-game ceremony held on the field.

Peterson, making his second league start of the year and first since the regular season opener, struck for the game-winning goal in the 10th minute.

Chance Myers’ cross from the right flank connected with Paulo Nagamura, whose first-time shot was blocked by Giancarlo Gonzalez but eventually fell to Peterson following a deflection off Michael Parkhurst. A nine-year MLS veteran, Peterson made no mistake in a side volley from 10 yards out for his 14th career MLS goal and first since the final game of the 2012 regular season.

Kronberg made his first of four saves, and the match’s best, in the 31st minute on the Crew’s only shot on goal of the opening 45 minutes. Bernardo Anor rose high to re-direct a well-struck service from Wil Trapp, but Kronberg reacted quickly make a one-handed stop low to his right to stop the header on the goalline.

Seth Sinovic nearly doubled Sporting Kansas City’s lead three minutes later, settling a pass from Oriol Rosell behind the Crew backline and forcing a kick save from Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark. Dom Dwyer led all players on Sunday with four shots, coming close in the 49th and 66th minutes on the receiving end of Graham Zusi crosses.

Kronberg made three important saves in a seven-minute span during the second half to preserve the clean sheet. In the 58th minute, he dove to his left to hold a curling effort from Anor and followed that with an extension effort to his right to deny Federico Higuain five minutes later. His final save of the day came in the 65th minute, again on Anor as he pushed away the attempt from 30 yards out. The rebound fell to Jairo Arrieta from point blank range and that too was turned away by Kronberg, though the Costa Rican was ruled to be in an offside position.

After Sunday’s shutout, Sporting Kansas City has allowed only one goal at home in six matches in all competition in 2014 and lowered the team’s league-leading goals against average to 0.75 per game.

Bieler would eventually put the game out of reach in second-half stoppage time, the culmination of Sporting Kansas City’s offense creating continued chances during the game’s late stages. Feilhaber went forward with an individual effort in the 72nd minute, forcing a turnover and firing a shot from the top of the penalty area that carried narrowly wide.

The Crew were left shorthanded for the final 10 minutes upon Trapp being shown his second caution in the 80th minute for bringing down Feilhaber in the final third of the field. Sporting Kansas City quickly capitalized on the man-advantage, testing Clark with shots from Dwyer in the 83rd minute and rookie Alex Martinez in the 88th.

Bieler, the beneficiary of a pinpoint chip from Zusi, put the final touch on the 2-0 victory in the 95th minute with the fourth latest goal scored in regulation in the team’s 18-year history. Soony Saad, making his 2014 debut, won the ball from Parkhurst to start the scoring sequence and Zusi made the key play with a first-time, left-footed chip over the outrushing Clark. Bieler calmly slotted his shot into the empty net for his first goal of the campaign after leading the team in scoring in 2013.

With the assist, Zusi moves into a tie with Davy Arnaud for third most in club history with 35 assists in the regular season. The U.S. Men’s National Team starter has now played a part in 56 goals (17 goals, 39 assists) in MLS competition since the start of the 2011 season, sixth most among MLS players.

Attendance at Sunday afternoon’s match was 20,565, and the temperature was 81 degrees.

Sporting Kansas City will next travel to Montreal to take on the Impact (1-4-3, 6 pts) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, live locally on KMCI 38 the spot and across the Midwest on SKCTV.

Sporting Kansas City and the Columbus Crew meet Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan., in a meeting of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings.

Sunday’s match will kick off at 3 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network and can be heard locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB or La Gran D 1340 AM. A limited number of standing room only tickets might be available for $20 each.

The Columbus Crew got off to a fast start to 2014 with three consecutive victories to open the season, marking their best start in club history. The Crew failed to secure a win during the month of April but held on to first place in the Eastern Conference with a 1-1 draw last weekend against the New York Red Bulls. Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta scored the team’s lone goal in the 39th minute before New York equalized in the 66th minute.

Sporting KC suffered a road loss last weekend against the New England Revolution allowing two goals in second half stoppage time after referee Alan Kelly issued defender Aurelien Collin a straight red card in the 74th minute.

Sunday’s contest will feature two of the league’s leading goalscorers. Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer and Columbus midfielder Federico Higuain are tied for fourth in the MLS scoring charts with four goals apiece.

Sporting Kansas City is 22-21-6 against the Crew all-time and has earned victories in the last three meetings with Columbus including two wins at Sporting Park last season en route to the MLS Cup title.

Prior to kickoff, Sporting Kansas City players, coaches and front office staff will receive their 2013 MLS Cup championship rings in a ceremony beginning at 2 p.m.

Fans can follow the match online at Twitter.com/SKCGameday or by visiting  www.SportingKC.com/GameOn.