Kei Kamara and Robbie Findley scored first half goals, but neither Kansas City nor Real Salt Lake could find the go-ahead tally as the sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The Wizards (5-8-5, 20 points) are now undefeated in their last four games while RSL (10-4-5, 35 points) earned their second road point of the season.
Kansas City were the aggressor right from the start. Ryan Smith, who was listed as questionable with a hamstring strain, and Kei Kamara caused the RSL back line problems with their speed, while Stephane Auvray and Craig Rocastle cleaned up the midfield.
The home side racked up six corner kicks and seven shots in the first half alone and scored the game’s opening goal in the 21st minute, when Smith found created enough space on the left flank to serve the ball in to the box with his right foot. His cross found the head of an unmarked Kamara, who nodded the ball perfectly into the top left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Wizards continued pressing forward from there, but RSL were the ones who snatched a tying goal against the run of play just 12 minutes later. With the home team stretched, Robbie Russell served a ball to the back post, where Findley appeared unmarked to head home his fifth goal of the year.
Kansas City argued that Findley had used his hand to direct the ball into the back of the net, but referee Paul Ward waived off the protests.
Salt Lake briefly flipped the script at the beginning of the second half, and Jimmy Nielsen was forced to in a sprawling save on Javier Morales. But the visitor’s momentum didn’t last for long.
For the next 45 minutes, both sides settled into a half dominated by individual battles in the midfield and occasional forays forward broken up by solid defensive play.
The lack of scoring opportunities prompted both Peter Vermes and Jason Kreis to go to their benches to insert some attacking verve into a game that had lost it’s edge. Vermes brought on Graham Zusi and Jack Jewsbury, while Kreis turned to Andy Williams and Fabian Espindola.
Both sides responded with half chances as Kansas City threatened on a variety of dead balls, while RSL's Morales sent a drive just over the crossbar. But even the substitutions failed to liven up a match in which both sides looked content to walk away with a point.
Despite the generally drab play, the Wizards had a goal called back for offside in the 86th minute, when Teal Bunbury was judged to be behind the last defender, rendering his tidy finish past Rimando meaningless and leaving the teams with a point each.
Scoring Summary:
KC -- Kei Kamara 7 (Ryan Smith 7) 21
RSL -- Robbie Findley 5 (Robbie Russell 4) 33
Misconduct Summary:
RSL -- Javier Morales (caution; Reckless Tackle) 22
KC -- Ryan Smith (caution; Dissent) 29
RSL -- Will Johnson (caution; Reckless Foul) 31
RSL -- Nat Borchers (caution; Delaying a Restart) 41
RSL -- Ned Grabavoy (caution; Reckless Tackle) 61
KC -- Teal Bunbury (caution; Dissent) 71
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake -- Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert, Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Ned Grabavoy (Andy Williams 65), Alvaro Saborio (Pablo Campos 89), Robbie Findley (Fabian Espindola 70).
Substitutes Not Used: Jean Alexandre, Tony Beltran, Nelson Gonzalez, Kyle Reynish.
Kansas City Wizards -- Jimmy Nielsen, Michael Harrington, Shavar Thomas, Jimmy Conrad, Roger Espinoza, Davy Arnaud, Stephane Auvray, Craig Rocastle (Graham Zusi 63), Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury, Ryan Smith (Jack Jewsbury 89).
Substitutes Not Used: Korede Aiyegbusi, Nick Kounenakis, Jonathan Leathers, Chance Myers, Eric Kronberg.
Referee: Paul Ward
Referee's Assistants: Joe Fletcher; Eric Proctor
4th Official: Mark Kadlecik
Weather: Sunny and 90 degrees
Attendance: 10,385 - sellout
