Sporting Kansas City closed preseason Saturday night with a 1-1 draw against Seattle Sounders FC at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick Connor Hallisey and 2014 MLS MVP runner-up Obafemi Martins traded goals as the clubs played their final tune-up before the 2015 regular season. Sporting KC finished the Desert Diamond Cup with a 1-2-1 record and preseason with a 3-2-2 record.
With two games on Saturday, including the morning scrimmage against Minnesota United FC, Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes started 11 different players in each match. All three of Sporting KC's goalkeepers featured on Saturday with Luis Marin playing 90 minutes against Minnesota and Tim Melia and Jon Kempin each playing 45 minutes against Seattle.
Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid put out a first-choice lineup Saturday night that included Martins, U.S. Men's National Team striker Clint Dempsey and 2014 MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall. The defending Supporters' Shield champions controlled the run of play early, putting Sporting KC on its back foot. It was Sporting KC that drew first blood, however, taking advantage of a counter attack in the eighth minute.
The scoring play began down the right flank as 21-year-old midfielder Jimmy Medranda laid the ball off to 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick Saad Abdul-Salaam. The University of Akron product dribbled down the right sideline and found Medranda at the top of the penalty box. The young midfielder cut past a defender and laid the ball off to Hallisey who placed his shot to the far post past Stefan Frei.
Down 1-0 at the break, Seattle came out strong in the second half looking for the equalizer. Kempin was called into action twice within a span of two minutes. His first save came in the 57th minute after Dempsey slalomed through the Sporting KC defense and got off a shot from close range. The 21-year-old goalkeeper sprawled to his left to keep the USMNT captain off the board.
Kempin was put to the test minutes later, this time from Martins. The Nigerian international found space in the box off a Dempsey through ball, but the Leawood, Kansas native was there to smother the low attempt. The equalizer came two minutes later, however, and it was the Dempsey-to-Martins partnership that leveled the match. Dempsey picked the ball up deep in Sporting KC territory and found Martins sprinting behind the defense. Martins did not waste the breakaway attempt, lacing his shot past Kempin in the 60th minute.
Kempin was called into action again in the 73rd minute, this time coming up big with consecutive saves. The first save came off a short-range strike from Dempsey. Kempin reacted well to stop the shot and then quickly recover to block Martins' rebound attempt.
Despite Gonzalo Pineda's ejection in the 76th minute for a dangerous foul on Seth Sinovic, Seattle remained the aggressor through the game's final minutes. Dempsey had one final opportunity in the 89th minute, but Servando Carrasco cleared the shot attempt off the line to keep the scoreline even.
Sporting KC will now return home to prepare for the season opener on March 8 against the New York Red Bulls at Sporting Park. Limited tickets are available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
2015 MLS Preseason
Desert Diamond Cup
Kino North Stadium | Tucson, Arizona
Misconduct Summary:
SEA — Michael Azira (caution; reckless foul) 12
SKC — Connor Hallisey (caution; reckless foul) 36
SEA — Lamar Neagle (caution; dissent) 50
SEA — Gonzalo Pineda (ejection; serious foul play) 76
Scoring Summary:
SKC — Connor Hallisey (Jimmy Medranda) 8
SEA — Obafemi Martins (Clint Dempsey) 66
Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia (Jon Kempin 46); Saad Abdul-Salaam, Erik Palmer-Brown, Jalil Anibaba, Seth Sinovic; Servando Carrasco, Mikey Lopez (Marquis Brooks* 67), Paulo Nagamura; Jimmy Medranda, James Ansu Rogers, Connor Hallisey.
Seattle Sounders FC: Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Chad Marshall, Brad Evans, Leo Gonzalez; Marco Pappa (Andy Rose 67'), Micheal Azira, Gonzalo Pineda, Lamar Neagle (Aaron Kovar 67'); Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins
*Non-roster invitee
