MLS Game #2
Saturday, March 26, 2011, 3:00 p.m. CT
English TV: KSMO
Spanish TV: TeleFutura
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
Toyota Park | Bridgeview, Illinois
Weather: Clear and Windy, 32 degrees
Attendance: 12,157
Video: Match Highlights
Score: 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (1-1-0, 3 pts) 0 2 2
Chicago Fire (1-0-1, 4 pts) 2 1 3
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen; Scott Lorenz (Birahim Diop 84), Matt Besler, Roger Espinoza, Chance Myers; Stephane Auvray (Graham Zusi 69), Davy Arnaud ©, Craig Rocastle (Teal Bunbury 46); Omar Bravo, C.J. Sapong, Milos Stojcev
Subs not used: Kevin Ellis, Mike Jones, Eric Kronberg
Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Josip Mikulic, Cory Gibbs; Patrick Nyarko (Dasan Robinson 89), Michael Videira, Logan Pause, Marco Pappa, Gonzalo Segares; Gaston Puerari (Orr Barouch 74), Diego Chaves (Dominic Oduro 89)
Subs not used: Jon Conway, Baggio Husidic, Dan Paladini, Davis Paul
Stats: SKCCHI
Shots 9 12
Shots on Goal 3 7
Saves 4 1
Fouls 17 16
Offside 1 4
Corner Kicks 6 4
Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Omar Bravo (ejection, Denied Goal Scoring Opportunity) 30
CHI – Gaston Puerari (caution, Persistent Infringement) 49
SKC – Davy Arnaud (caution, Reckless Tackle) 58
SKC – Birahim Diop (caution, Reckless Tackle) 88
Scoring Summary:
CHI – Diego Chaves 2 (penalty kick) 34
CHI – Gaston Puerari 1 (Michael Videira 2) 40
SKC – Matt Besler 1 (unassisted) 51
CHI – Marco Pappa 1 (unassisted) 59
SKC – Teal Bunbury 1 (unassisted) 72
(March 26, 2011) – Sporting Kansas City fell 3-2 to the Chicago Fire on Saturday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, suffering their first defeat of the 2011 season. Playing with 10-men for the majority of the match after Designated Player Omar Bravo was sent off in the 30th minute, Sporting Kansas City scored twice in the second half despite being a man down as defender Matt Besler recorded the first goal of his career and striker Teal Bunbury marked his return with a well-taken strike for the game’s final goal.
WATCH: Highlights from Saturday's showdown
Fire midfielder Marco Pappa was at the center of Chicago’s attack early in the first half, sending a shot narrowly wide of the far post in the 14th minute and forcing a save by Nielsen on a curling free kick seven minutes later.
The game then took a decisive turn in the 30th minute. Moments after Sporting Kansas City defender Chance Myers nearly got on the end of a free kick from forward Milos Stojcev for KC’s first notable scoring threat, Chicago countered immediately on a long pass from Pappa and earned a penalty kick after Bravo was called for pushing Puerari as he sent his shot over the crossbar. Bravo, deemed to have denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity by referee Jasen Anno, was sent off for the challenge and Chaves converted the ensuing penalty kick for his second goal of the season.
Down a man, Sporting KC fell behind 2-0 in the 40th minute. Fire midfielder Michael Videira avoided a tackle in midfield and sent a well-weighted through ball for Puerari behind the KC defense. The Uruguayan bent his first-time shot around Nielsen for his first goal in MLS play.
The two-goal deficit sparked life into the Sporting Kansas City attack, which created a pair of chances in the first half’s final minutes. Sporting KC captain Davy Arnaud delivered a free kick that forced a solid save from Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson after a defensive header nearly ended up in the net. Three minutes later, a cross from KC midfielder Stephane Auvray found Myers at the backpost but his sliding volley went high.
The second half started with a strong save by Nielsen on a shot taken by Chaves on the right side, but KC’s insertion of striker Teal Bunbuy at the break brought immediate energy to the frontline, sans Bravo. In the 50th minute, Bunbury broke through the Fire defense but had his shot saved by Johnson.
On the second of two corner kicks in the aftermath of Bunbury’s blast, Sporting Kansas City got on the scoreboard as Arnaud sent a dangerous cross into the penalty area that couldn’t be collected by Johnson and fell to Besler for the first goal, and point, of his career in the 51st minute. Besler, a Notre Dame alum, was playing in front of several close friends who made the nearly 100-mile trip to Toyota Park from South Bend, Indiana.
Sporting Kansas City’s momentum was short-lived as Chicago scored their third goal of the game on an individual effort from Pappa with just over 30 minutes to play. The Guatemalan midfielder dribbled his way into the top of the penalty area and slipped a shot inside the post for the swift response, which proved to be the eventual game-winner.
Unwavered, Sporting Kansas City cut into the Chicago lead in the 72nd minute as Bunbury intercepted a pass from Fire defender Gonzalo Segares and beared down on Johnson before burying hit shot on the breakaway. Bunbury, making his return from a dislocated elbow suffered in the pre-season, now has six MLS goals in his career.
Having scored twice despite playing down a man since the 30th minute, Sporting Kansas City couldn’t find the equalizer in the final 20 minutes. Chicago continued to press forward with Pappa shooting high of the near post in the 75th minute and Nielsen making his best save of the match in the 81st minute to deny striker Orr Barouch on a breakaway.
Nielsen finished the match with four saves in the loss, moving into sixth place on Sporting Kansas City’s all-time saves chart. Arnaud also moved up the club’s all-time charts on Saturday, tying Preki with 199 games started for Sporting Kansas City, fourth most in team history.
Sporting Kansas City will continue its 10-game road trip to start the 2011 season at 6 p.m. CT next Saturday in their first ever meeting against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps at Empire Field. The match will be televised locally on KSMO-TV, beginning with a pre-game show at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Fast Facts:
• With the loss, Sporting Kansas City is 1-2-0 in 2011 and are tied for fifth position in the Eastern Conference along with Toronto FC and D.C. United.
• Sporting KC is now 10-21-8 all-time against Chicago Fire and 3-14-2 on the road in the series (2-5-1 at Toyota Park). Kansas City lost for the only the second time in the last eight meetings since the start of the 2008 season.
• Sporting KC defender Matt Besler scored the first goal of his career on Saturday in the 51st minute. In 41 previous MLS regular season matches, the Overland Park, Kansas native had only four shots on goal.
• Striker Teal Bunbury made his first appearance of 2011after suffering a dislocated elbow in pre-season, scoring in the 72nd minute for his sixth career MLS goal.
• Defender Scott Lorenz made his Sporting Kansas City and MLS debut on Saturday, starting at left back and playing 84 minutes.
• Defender Chance Myers and midfielder Stephane Auvray started their first matches of the 2011 season, as well.
• Sporting Kansas City was without striker Kei Kamara, the team’s leading goal scorer in 2010, and central defender Shavar Thomas on Saturday due to commitments with their respective National Teams.
• Thomas captained Jamaica in a 2-0 loss to Venezeula on Friday, and will next face El Salvador on Sunday.
• Kamara was chosen to the Sierra Leone National Team for their African Cup of Nations qualifier at Niger on Sunday.
• Sporting Kansas City dressed only six players on the bench in Saturday’s loss due to injuries. Five players were listed as out on Friday’s injury report: Ryan Smith, Konrad Warzycha, Julio Cesar, Michael Harrington and Korede Aiyegbusi. Defender Luke Sassano was also not available.
• Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made four saves in the loss, breaking a tie with Garth Lagerway for sixth on the club’s all-time saves chart with 86 career saves.
• More than 300 Sporting Kansas City supporters traveled to Chicago for the match on Saturday, taking advantage of Sporting Club’s new membership program that provides free tickets for fans who travel to away matches.
• Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman announced on Friday that the team will donate $500 to LIVESTRONG for every goal scored against the Fire in 2011, beginning with Saturday's match. The two goals scored on Saturday start the donation at $1,000 with 32 games remaining on Chicago's schedule.
• KSMO-TV will air highlights and reaction from Saturday’s match on the station’s weekly 30-minute soccer show “Off the Pitch with Sporting Kansas City” on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
