Sporting Kansas City suffered their first loss in over a month with a 1-0 result at Stade Saputo on Saturday night. It was a physical match with both sides creating chances but Montreal ultimately geting the result on a late second half goal from Blake Smith.
Man of the Match
For the second match in a row, it was a solid performance from defender Ike Opara. Unfortunately Sporting KC didn't keep a clean sheet but Opara was routinely able to keep Montreal's Marco Di Vaio in check. Opara won all ten duels including six of six aerial duels, completed 80% of his passes, and had nine clearances. The defender was one of several offseason acquistions by Sporting KC and is proving to be a valuable player that adds depth to a strong backline.
Turning Point
Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins' save on Claudio Bieler's shot in the 52nd minute proved to be crucial. Sporting KC were inches from taking the lead but the save started to slowly shift the momentum towards Montreal. The home side was able to keep it scoreless and found the breakthrough in second half stoppage time. It's a tough loss for Sporting KC but overall three points out of two tough road matches is not bad at all.
A few stats
- Ike Opara won six of six aerial duels
- Lawrence Olum led all players with eight clearances
- Graham Zusi led all players with three good crosses
- The two teams combined for 38 fouls, second most in an MLS match this season
