by Brian Turrel
Sporting Kansas City’s offense went on a tear of productivity on Wednesday night, generating 22 shots. Unfortunately, the Dallas defenders knocked aside so many of those shots that Kansas City settled for a 1-1 draw on their home field.
Dallas’s 14 blocks out of 22 shots (64%) was the highest percentage of blocked shots in an MLS game since 2014. Forward Johnny Russell, on the wrong end of five of those blocks, was frustrated.
“Everything we had seemed to be blocked,” Russell said after the game. “I feel like we created enough chances and just couldn’t get that final touch. That’s the most frustrating part — when you dominate a game that much and you don’t come away with the three points, kind of feels like a defeat.”
Dallas got on the board first, with a goal in the 9th minute. Bryan Acosta picked off a lackadaisical pass near the right corner of the Sporting 18-yard box and rolled it to Franco Jara charging up the middle. Jara chipped the ball over goalkeeper Tim Melia for his first MLS score.
Kansas City equalized the score in first half stoppage time. Gianluca Busio won the ball with a header in the midfield and played it forward to Khiry Shelton. Shelton cycled the ball through Felipe Hernandez and Gerso Fernandes before getting it back on well timed run into the Dallas box. Shelton punched the ball into the right corner past the dive of Houston goalkeeper Kyle Zobeck.
Sporting continued to pile up chances in the second half, and stayed aggressive throughout. Daniel Salloi, on as a substitute in the second half, got a particularly strong opportunity in the 60th minute, forcing Zobeck to make a diving save. However, the final whistle blew with the score still knotted at one apiece.
Sporting will play at the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 5, and then they’ll return home to face Minnesota at Children’s Mercy Park on Sept. 13. The Minnesota game completes the third phase of the MLS regular season. MLS is expected to announce plans for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs within a few days.
