MLS Game #18
Saturday, July 9, 2011, 6:30 p.m. CT
English TV: KCTV5
Spanish TV: Galavision
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Weather: Sunny, 91 degrees
Attendance: 18,467 (sellout)
Video: Match Highlights
Score:12F
Sporting Kansas City (5-6-7, 22 pts)011
Chivas USA (5-7-7, 22 pts)101
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen; Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Michael Harrington; Roger Espinoza, Julio Cesar (Luke Sassano 46), Graham Zusi (Birahim Diop 80); Omar Bravo, C.J. Sapong, Milos Stojcev (Kei Kamara 38)
Subs not used: Eric Kronberg, Teal Bunbury, Scott Lorenz, Shavar Thomas
Chivas USA: Dan Kennedy; Michael Lahoud, Heath Pearce, Michael Umana, Zarek Valentin; Ben Zemanski, Simon Elliott (Francisco Mendoza 68), Nick LaBrocca, Blair Gavin (Jorge Flores 63); Justin Braun, Marcos Mondaini (Mariano Trujillo 79)
Subs not used: Zach Thornton, Andrew Boyens, Chris Cortez, Victor Estupinan
Stats: SKC CHV
Shots1614
Shots on Goal75
Saves46
Fouls157
Offside23
Corner Kicks82
Misconduct Summary:
CHV – Justin Braun (Caution; Tactical Foul) 32
KC – Roger Espinoza (Caution; Reckless Foul) 83
Scoring Summary:
CHV – Nick LaBrocca 6 (Justin Braun 3, Blair Gavin 1) 30
KC – Omar Bravo 4 (unassisted) 93+
Sporting Kansas City striker Omar Bravo scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time to secure a dramatic 1-1 draw against Chivas USA on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. The point extends Sporting Kansas City’s unbeaten streak to 10-straight MLS matches and 12 games in all competition, tying the longest undefeated stretch in club history.
Chivas USA midfielder Nick LaBrocca scored in the 30th minute to give the Goats a 1-0 lead they would protect until the match’s dying moments behind a six-save performance from goalkeeper Dan Kennedy before Bravo broke through with less than two minutes remaining in the hard-fought contest.
LaBrocca fired the first warning signal in the 12th minute as he lofted a crafty chip over Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen and off the crossbar. The rebound came to Marcos Mondaini inside the penalty area, but Nielsen was there to block his follow-up header.
Sporting Kansas City then threatened in the 26th minute as Designated Player Omar Bravo provided the pass for C.J. Sapong, who curled a shot just inches over the crossbar that had many in the sold-out crowd momentarily thinking it had snuck in.
Chivas USA then took the 1-0 lead on a counterattack four minutes later. Blair Gavin and Justin Braun combined to create the chance, with Braun supplying the key pass for LaBrocca to break behind the Sporting Kansas City backline. The fifth-year pro from Rutgers calmly slotted his shot around Nielsen for his sixth goal of the season and third straight match with a strike. The goal was also the 10,000th Major League Soccer goal in all competition.
The two sides exchanged scoring opportunities off of set pieces minutes apart near the end of the first half, as Sapong settled a free kick from Graham Zusi before firing right at Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy and then Braun won a header at the backpost but it fell harmlessly to Nielsen.
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes made two early substitutions to ignite the club’s attack, inserting forward Kei Kamara in the 38th minute and midfielder Luke Sassano at halftime. The changes paid dividends as Sporting KC controlled the run of play throughout the second half.
Zusi, reigning MLS Player of the Month, sent a free kick narrowly wide of the near post from 30 yards out in the opening minutes. In the 59th minute, Bravo was left laying on the ground after a challenge from Michael Lahoud inside the edge of the penalty area but no foul was called.
Five minutes later, Chance Myers connected with a cross from Michael Harrington and struck a first-time half-volley that was well-saved by Kennedy on the bounce. Moments later Matt Besler took his turn to test Kennedy from long distance, but the Chivas USA netminder pushed the attempt over the crossbar.
Kamara also worked his way into the attack, muscling off his mark before firing wide of the far post in the 75th minute and then ten minutes later rifling a shot from nearly the same spot on the right side that was destined for the top corner before a fingertip save by Kennedy.
The veteran goalkeeper was called into action again for his sixth and final save in the 87th minute as Sassano’s service was re-directed on target by Bravo but his header was pushed wide by Kennedy at full extension.
But with an announced four minutes of stoppage time, the Sporting Kansas City Designated Player finally broke through as he got on the end of a mishit clearance from defender Zarek Valentin to power a header into the back of the net from six yards out. Matt Besler began the play with a long-ball into the attacking end that Sapong flicked forward for Kamara to challenge for inside the box, forcing the errant clear to Bravo at the backpost.
The former Chivas Guadalajara star now leads the team with four goals scored this season and Saturday’s strike was his third of the season against his former team’s sister club, after scoring twice on his MLS debut in a 3-2 win in the season opener.
Sporting Kansas City will now turn their attention to the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as they host the USL PRO’s Richmond Kickers at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in the quarterfinal round. Tickets for the match are available at Ticketmaster.com and should Sporting Kansas City advance to the semifinals, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park was chosen to host the semifinals on August 30th against the winner between the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls.
Fast Facts:
•Sporting Kansas City is now 5-6-7 in 2011 and is tied for fifth position in the Eastern Conference.
•Sporting Kansas City is unbeaten in the club’s inaugural season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park with a 2-0-3 record in MLS matches. Sporting Kansas City is 125-70-39 all-time at home.
•Sporting Kansas City has allowed only three goals at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park and has the second-best home goals against average in MLS at 0.60.
•Sporting Kansas City is unbeaten in 10 straight MLS matches, and 12 games in all competition.
•With the draw, Sporting Kansas City’s 10-game unbeaten streak in MLS play is the second-longest in MLS this season, behind only the LA Galaxy, and is the second longest in team history behind a 12-game stretch to begin the 2000 MLS Cup season.
•When including Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition, the club is unbeaten in 12 straight games, matching the longest stretch in team history (2000).
•Sporting Kansas City is 6-4-4 all-time against Chivas USA and 4-1-2 at home in the series.
•Sporting Kansas City striker Omar Bravo scored his team-best fourth goal of the year on Saturday. Bravo now has four goals and two assists for 10 points in MLS play, most on the team.
•After scoring twice against Chivas USA in the season-opening 3-2 win, Bravo now has three goals against the Goats in 2011.
•Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen recorded four saves on Saturday and now has 50 on the year. Nielsen lowered his goal against average in 2011 to 1.27 with the performance.
•Sporting Kansas City has allowed one goal or less in their last 11 MLS matches and last 13 overall.
•Sporting Kansas City earned their third point of the 2011 season when trailing at halftime and are now 0-2-3 when behind at the break.
•Sporting Kansas City is 1-5-3 when conceding the first goal in 2011, while Chivas USA is 4-2-4 when scoring first this season.
•Sporting Kansas City is 3-0-4 when the temperature is above 75 degrees at kickoff in 2011.
•Sporting Kansas City is 5-2-4 against the Western Conference this season.
•Sporting Kansas City improved to 5-3-6 in all-Sporting blue uniforms this season in MLS play.
•Manager Peter Vermes made two changes on Saturday from the starting line-up used from Wednesday’s 1-1 win against Colorado. Strikers Milos Stojcev and C.J. Sapong started in place of Teal Bunbury and Kei Kamara.
•Sapong started and played the full 90 minutes on Saturday and is the only Sporting Kansas City player to appear in all 18 LS matches for the club this season.
•Sporting Kansas City defender Roger Espinoza surpassed 5,000 minutes played, including postseason, in his KC and MLS career on Saturday. He becomes the fourth current KC player to have played more than 5,000 minutes for the club.
•Sporting Kansas City striker Kei Kamara entered in 38th minute of Saturday’s match, making his 50th appearance for KC.
•Chivas USA midfielder Nick LaBrocca scored his team-best sixth goal of the season in the 30th minute. The goal was Major League Soccer’s 10,000th goal in all competition.
•Graham Zusi left the game in the 80th minute with a left ankle sprain.
•Trio Aztlan performed in the Sprint Plaza prior to Saturday’s match as part of the Live at LSP concert series, presented by INK, which features up-and-coming local bands.
•Rotary International District Governor Dan Hall presented the United Nations NGO Positive Peace Award to President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Area Development Council Bob Marcusse during halftime of Saturday’s match.
•Chivas USA defender Jimmy Conrad was honored with a public address announcement and video board graphic in his return to Kansas City on Saturday after being selected in the 2011 MLS Re-Entry draft by Chivas USA.
•KSMO-TV will air highlights and reaction from Wednesday’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.
