MLS Game #10
Saturday, June 4, 2011, 6:00 p.m. CT
English TV: KSMO
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Ch. 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
Weather: Cloudy, 57 degrees
Attendance: 19,962
Video: Match Highlights
Score: 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (1-6-3, 6 pts) 0 0 0
Toronto FC (2-5-7, 13 pts) 0 0 0
Sporting Kansas City: Eric Kronberg; Michael Harrington, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Chance Myers; Craig Rocastle (Luke Sassano 61), Davy Arnaud ©, Graham Zusi (Birahim Diop 85); Omar Bravo, Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong 88), Ryan Smith
Subs not used: Jon Kempin, Julio Cesar, Milos Stojcev, Scott Lorenz
Toronto FC: Stefan Frei; Richard Eckersley (Dan Gargan 76), Ty Harden, Nana Attakora (Doneil Henry 92), Danleigh Borman; Tony Tchani, Nathan Sturgis, Mickael Yourassowsk; Javier Martina, Maicon Santos, Joao Plata (Nick Soolsma 67)
Subs not used: Milos Kocic, Oscar Cordon, Matt Gold, Keith Makubuya
Stats: SKC TFC
Shots 6 7
Shots on Goal 2 3
Saves 3 2
Fouls 16 16
Offside 5 1
Corner Kicks 5 5
Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Omar Bravo (Caution, tactical foul) 39
SKC – Graham Zusi (Caution, reckless tackle) 45
TFC – Tony Tchani (Caution, unsporting behavior) 68
SKC – Aurelien Collin (Caution, unsporting behavior) 68
TFC – Richard Eckersley (Caution, reckless tackle) 69
Scoring Summary:
None
Sporting Kansas City were held to a 0-0 draw by Toronto FC in the team’s final road match before coming home to open LIVESTRONG Sporting Park next Thursday, June 9th.
Goalkeeper Eric Kronberg got his second start of the 2011 season and made three saves to earn his first ever shutout in six MLS seasons.
Despite both sides playing an open, aggressive match right from the start, the first half lacked chances on either end. The match really started to get going in the 28th minute, when Toronto FC’s Ecuadoran rookie Joao Plata received the ball on the left-hand side outside the penalty area, but his low right-footed drive was just outside Erik Kronberg’s post.
Three minutes later, Sporting Kansas City captain Davy Arnaud did well to win the ball in the Toronto FC end. A quick one-two with forward Ryan Smith led to a cross from Arnaud that was hit hard into the area for Omar Bravo, but Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei was alert off his line to come and snuff out the danger.
In the 48th minute, just after the halftime break, Toronto FC earned their best chance of the match. A cross into the box from the right hand side was knocked down at the edge of the area by Chance Myers. The ball fell to the feet of Toronto FC forward Maicon Santos, who had a clear look at goal, but Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler was there right at the last to slide in and tackle the ball away from danger.
The 59th minute saw Toronto FC’s first truly clear shot on target. Following a cleared corner, Mickael Yourrasowsky let loose a drive from 25 yards out. His effort was strong, but it was right at Kronberg and easily dealt with by the Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper.
Sporting Kansas City would answer back just five minutes later with a dangerous chance of their own. In the 64th minute, Graham Zusi found Bunbury checking in at the edge of the area. Bunbury did well to hold off his marker, turned, and raked a low right-footed shot that was headed for the lower corner, but Frei got down well to palm away.
In the 67th minute, Maicon Santos was at the end of Toronto FC’s best chance of the second half. Receiving the ball from a throw-in, Santos turned past Chance Myers and headed for goal. His left-footed strike was hit with plenty of pace, but again, Kronberg was on hand to parry over the goal and keep the scores level.
Sporting Kansas City nearly went ahead from a freak free kick taken from just past the halfway line in the 73rd minute. Graham Zusi hit a high, arching ball into the area that Frei attemped to come for. Frei misjudged the flight of the ball as it sailed over his head, and just over the crossbar for a goal kick.
In the 84th minute, Sporting Kansas City had a chance to take all three points. Bravo, having switched to the right-hand side, sent an outswinging cross into the area for Smith. Smith rose well to put a powerful header towards goal, but it was too high and didn’t trouble Frei.
Toronto FC had the last chance of the match. Following a foul at midfield, the ensuing free kick was driven across the field, and fell perfectly onto the head of Doneil Henry who had come on moments earlier for an injured Nana Attakora. Henry put his header across goal, but Kronberg stretched to save the point and the clean sheet for Sporting Kansas City.
With the ten game road trip for Sporting Kansas City now concluded, Sporting will return home on June 9th to take on the Chicago Fire at 9:00 p.m. CT in the inaugural match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Fast Facts:
- Sporting Kansas City is now 1-6-3 in 2011 and is currently in ninth position in the Eastern Conference.
- Sporting Kansas City is 4-3-4 all-time against Toronto FC and 1-2-3 all-time on the road in the series.
- After handing Toronto FC their first loss at BMO Field in their home opener of the team’s inaugural 2007 season, Sporting Kansas City has gone scoreless in five straight matches at Toronto since.
- It was the third scoreless draw in the 11 all-time meetings between the two clubs since 2007.
- Toronto FC was shutout for the sixth time in 2011, while Sporting KC were held scoreless for the fourth time in ten games.
- Sporting Kansas City’s six shots on Saturday marked a team low in 2011, one less than the team totaled against Seattle on May 21st.
- KC’s two shots on goal matched the fewest of the season, marking the third time this season with a pair of attempts on target.
- Sporting Kansas City earned their first point of 2011 when tied at halftime. Prior to the draw, the team was 0-4-0 when level after 45 minutes.
- Graham Zusi committed four fouls on Saturday, a career-high. It also matches the most by a Sporting Kansas City player against Toronto FC, tying Jose Burciaga and Tyson Wahl.
- Sporting Kansas City's five offside infractions on Saturday was the most of the season, one more than the team was called for in a 1-1 draw at Colorado on May 28th.
- Sporting Kansas City have gone nine games without a win after opening the 2011 season with a 3-2 victory at Chivas USA. Toronto FC has won only once in their last 12 MLS matches.
- The clean sheet for Sporting Kansas City is the team’s first of the 2011 season, as well as the first since October 12, 2010 in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire. It snaps a span of 11 games without a shutout for Sporting Kansas City dating back to 2010.
- Eric Kronberg recorded his first career clean sheet in his third career start for Sporting Kansas City. Kronberg is now 2-1-0 all-time with a 1.67 goals against average.
- Kronberg also has two shutouts in Sporting Kansas City’s two 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying victories in 2011.
- Goalkeeper Jon Kempin made his second ever appearance in the Sporting Kansas City first team. He was named to the bench in the final match of the 2010 season against San Jose Earthquakes.
- Following the draw, Sporting Kansas City is now unbeaten in three consecutive matches in all competitions.
- Sporting Kansas City was without four first team players due to international duty. Forward Kei Kamara, midfielder Stephane Auvray and defenders Shavar Thomas and Roger Espinoza were all unavailable due to international duty.
- Kamara started and played 90 minutes today in Sierra Leone’s 1-0 win over Niger in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
- Toronto were without midfielder Julian De Guzman (Canada) and defender Dicoy Williams (Jamaica) due to their participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
- Former Kansas City Manager Bob Gansler was inducted into the U.S. Soccer National Hall of Fame on Saturday.
- 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.
Quotes
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the team's performance...
I think, for us, it's good from a numbers perspective. Obviously, its the last of our 10 games on the road. The clean sheet for us is a good thing. I thought the guys were pretty organized and balanced throughout the entire 90 minutes. Other than the one chance at the end, the header where they pumped the ball into the box, other than that, there really wasn’t much play. Santos had a long shot from distance but those things are going to happen, somebody is going to take a shot at one point along the line. Outside of that, I thought we had a couple little actions but couldn’t make the final pass here or there. But it's their home place and they need to drive the play, not us. I thought for us getting out of here with a clean sheet tonight is great after the ordeal that we've gone through the last 10 games.
About the tough schedule...
I think it's easy to understand the travel and all of that stuff, but one thing that most people don't take into consideration about those 10 games is that when you're always the enemy, week in and week out, and you are never home, you lose the connection back to your fans, back to your organization. And you almost, as a player, think 'what are we playing for?' Because when you come home and you do a good play, everybody cheers and they are on your side, that's the twelfth man. We haven't had that. I think that disconnect wound up being a little bit of a problem for some time there. I think the guys really honed in on themselves and got really tough and I think, here at the end, they finished well. We could be a lot better obviously, we could have won all 10 games that would be the best thing but that is unrealistic, especially in a League where we have teams that only have two or less wins right now on the road. The only difference is that they have played a lot of games at home as well. For us right now with a chance to come back home is going to be a good step in the right direction.
On expectations at home...
We are going to be connected to our fan base and I think that will be a big thing. We trained there the other night, we've trained a couple of times now in the new stadium and it is almost like I have to hold the guys back a little bit because they're feeling like they are finally home. One of the other difficulties about tonight's game is that I was a little concerned that they may be thinking ahead to going home and, 'who cares what happens here because we are getting home.' But I thought their concentration and their mentality was really good tonight.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg
On the team's performance...
Well we want to come in here and not give anything away, and for the most part we achieved our goal. We have got to start building out from the back and getting something in the attack going and scoring some goals again. But I thought defensively we were very good.
On the home opener next week...
We are really excited. Obviously it was a long, long trip and I think everybody is excited for the new stadium. All the pictures and videos, then we've trained in it a couple of times, it's amazing. The pitch is perfect and we are all just very excited to play in front of our home fans.
Toronto FC Manager Aron Winter
On the performance...
Good. If you are watching and you compare now with last week, it was very good. Even also because we are missing a lot of good players and the guys who came in like Nana (Attakora) Ty (Harden) and Nathan (Sturgis), they’ve done very well. If you watch the first and second half of the game, we didn’t create a lot of opportunities but we didn’t give anything away also, and that’s very good.
On Nana Attakora's performance, specifically...
Nana was really well (played) that’s what I’m saying except we are missing five players who normally playing in the team some of them are away with the Gold Cup, another one’s of them are injured and those guys who came in like Nana (Attakora), Ty (Harden) and Nathan (Sturgis) they had done very well.
On the status of Nana Attakora...
Now we have to wait. Tomorrow we know better but we have to check it first. I hope that it is nothing dangerous at this moment; it hurts because it is still fresh...No, it is not his knee. It’s his thigh.
Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei
On the team's improvement from last week...
I thought it was very good, you know obviously not the three points we wanted but I think the biggest disappointment from last week was just the work ethic wasn’t there, the will, the pride and I think today that was all there. We might of lacked the finishing touch at the end but as the eleven we kept a clean sheet which is a good thing I don’t think we gave them a sniff at goal, there was maybe one or two saves I had to make but other than that they didn’t create much, so very well done defensively as a team.
Toronto FC defender Richard Eckersley
On his replacement in the second half...
I just had an upset stomach. I mean I’ve been feeling it for the last few hours really, the only reason that I couldn’t play, that was the only reason why.
On Nana Attakora's contribution...
Fantastic, you can see in training that he’s (Nana Attakora) been ready to go, waiting for his opportunity and I think he took it tonight. Unfortunately he just injured himself a little bit hopefully it’s not too long term and he’s ready to go next Saturday.
