MLS Game #23
Saturday, August 6, 2011, 7:30 p.m. CT
English TV: KSMO-TV
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Ch. 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Weather: Sunny, 94 degrees
Attendance: 17,493
Video: Match Highlights
Score 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (7-6-10, 30 pts) 1 0 1
Seattle Sounders FC (11-5-8, 41 pts) 0 2 1
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen; Seth Sinovic, Matt Besler, Julio Cesar, Michael Harrington; Birahim Diop, Graham Zusi, Jeferson (Luke Sassano 39); Omar Bravo, C.J. Sapong (Teal Bunbury 65), Kei Kamara (Chance Myers 82)
Subs not used: Eric Kronberg, Chance Myers, Daneil Cyrus, Milos Stojcev, Soony Saad
Seattle Sounders FC: Kasey Keller; Tyson Wahl, Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, James Riley; Alvaro Fernandez (Pat Noonan 55), Osvaldo Alonso, Servando Carrasco, Mauro Rosales; Fredy Montero(Mike Fucito 55), Roger Levesque (Lamar Neagle 68)
Subs not used: Josh Ford, Patrick Ianni, Erik Friberg, Nate Jaqua
Stats: KC SEA
Shots 13 12
Shots on Goal 4 5
Saves 3 4
Fouls 9 10
Offside 4 1
Corner Kicks 6 1
Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Birahim Diop (Caution; Reckless Foul) 37
SKC – Omar Bravo (Ejection; Serious Foul Play) 59
Scoring Summary:
SKC – Kei Kamara 6 (Matt Besler 2) 20
SEA – Mauro Rosales (Servando Carrasco 1) 90
SEA – Lamar Neagle (Mike Fucito 1, Mauro Rosales 7) 92+
Sporting Kansas City’s record unbeaten run was stopped at 14 matches on Saturday night, as Seattle Sounders FC stole a 2-1 victory at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Sporting Kansas City’s unbeaten run ends tied for third longest all-time in MLS history.
Forward Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the first half, but a red card to Designated Player Omar Bravo in the 59th minute left Sporting Kansas City short a man for the final half hour, as Seattle were able to equalize through Mauro Rosales in the 90th minute before substitute forward Lamar Neagle got the winner in the 92nd minute.
Sporting Kansas City earned the first true chance of the game in the seventh minute of play. Following a cross from midfielder Graham Zusi that Seattle goalkeeperKasey Keller parried away from goal, defender Seth Sinovic collected the loose ball and whipped a left-footed cross back into the box. Sinovic’s ball into the area found the head of a leaping Kei Kamara at the back post, but Kamara’s header was saved well by Keller, who pushed over the bar for a corner.
In the 20th minute, Sporting Kansas City edged in front with the first goal of the match. Defender Matt Besler sent a long throw-in from the right touchline to the near post that was met in the air by Kamara, who beat Keller to the ball and powered his header into the net for his sixth goal on the year.
Eight minutes later, Seattle created their first opportunity of the match. Finding space on the right, defender James Riley drove a cross to the backpost intended for an unmarked Alvaro Fernandez, but the Uruguayan international couldn’t direct his header on target.
Sporting Kansas City forward C.J. Sapong nearly scored an impressive individual goal in the 32nd minute. Sapong made a run into the left channel and, receiving a pass in space from Zusi, went past Sounders FC defender Jeff Parke before having his shot attempt blocked away at the last moment by a recovering Zach Scott.
Seattle generated the first chance of the second half, when a foul gave Seattle forward Fredy Montero a free kick opportunity just outside the area. Montero curled a right-footed shot over the wall, but Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen got down to hold the effort from the Colombian.
Four minutes later, Kei Kamara flicked a long pass from Julio Cesar into the path of Sapong, streaking to goal. Sapong took one touch and hammered a low drive towards goal, but the shot was beaten away well by Keller.
Sporting Kansas City went down to ten men in the 59th minute, when Omar Bravo was shown a red card by referee Jair Maruffo for a tackle on Sounders FC forward Pat Noonan just outside of Sporting Kansas City’s penalty area.
In the 70th minute, Seattle had two chances to equalize. The first, a shot from the top of the box from substitute Mike Fucito was parried away by Nielsen. The rebound attempt fell to Seattle forward Lamar Neagle, who had come on just two minutes earlier. Neagle hit a first time shot to the near post, but Nielsen reactedquickly to get in front of Neagle’s shot, and keep the lead for Sporting Kansas City.
Sporting Kansas City forward Teal Bunbury, who had come into the match for Sapong, nearly put the game out of reach as his dipping effort in the 90th minute was hit just wide of Keller’s far post.
Seattle would equalize on their next trip down the pitch. Receiving a pass from midfielder Servando Carrasco, Rosales evaded challenges from Graham Zusi and Birahim Diop before hitting a low shot to the far post that deflected off Julio Cesar and past Nielsen.
The 92nd minute saw the winner for Seattle. Fucito drove to the edge of the area where his progress was stopped by Sporting Kansas City defenderMichael Harrington. Fucito was able to get a final touch into the path of Neagle, who hit a low right-footed drive in off the far post to seal the win for Seattle.
Sporting Kansas City will continue their homestand on Wednesday, August 17th when they host the Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m. CT at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets are available at TicketMaster.com or at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park box office.
Fast Facts:
· Sporting Kansas City is now 7-7-9 and tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
· The loss ended Sporting Kansas City’s 14-game unbeaten streak in MLS play, the longest in club history and tied for the longest in MLS this season and the third longest in MLS history.
· Sporting Kansas City's last home loss came on October 9th, 2010 in a 2-1 defeat by the Seattle Sounders at CommunityAmerica Ballpark
· Saturday’s loss was Sporting Kansas City’s first MLS defeat at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park since its opening on June 9th. The eight-game unbeaten run matches the longest by an MLS team to open a stadium.
· Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made three saves on Saturday and now has 62 saves this season. Nielsen turned 34 on Saturday.
· Sporting Kansas City allowed more than one goal for only the second time in their past 16 MLS matches in a span that dates back to May.
· Saturday’s match was Sporting Kansas City’s fourth in a nine-game homestand, which is tied for the longest in MLS history along with the Chicago Fire in 2006.
· Sporting Kansas City began the season with their first 10 MLS matches on the road, a new MLS record.
· Sporting Kansas City is 1-5-0 all-time against Seattle Sounders FC and 0-3-0 at home in the series. Sporting KC has lost the last five meetings with Seattle after winning the first-ever match.
· Sporting Kansas City is 6-2-1 when scoring the first goal in 2011.
· Sporting Kansas City lost for the first time when leading at halftime and are now 6-1-1 when leading at halftime this season.
· Sporting Kansas City striker C.J. Sapong played 65 minutes on Saturday and is the only Sporting Kansas City player to appear in all 22 MLS matches for the club this season.
· Seattle Sounders FC are one of four teams with a winning record on the road in MLS this season and one of four teams with a non-negative goal differential on the road this year.
· Seattle has the second most points in MLS this season on the road with 20.
· Seattle have lost only once in their last 11 matches
· Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza served a mandatory one-game suspension on Saturday for the red card he received on Wednesday in Sporting KC's 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
· Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes is 0-5-0 all-time against Seattle.
· Sporting Kansas City scored their first goal in the first-half against Seattle in team history on Saturday. Of the 14 goals scored all-time in the series between Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders FC, only two have come before halftime.
· Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller is 5-0-0 in his career against Sporting KC.
· Sporting KC defender Michael Harrington started and played 90 minutes on Saturday, surpassing 11,000 minutes played in his Sporting KC and MLS career when including postseason. He becomes the third current Sporting KC player to surpass the milestone in their MLS career.
· Sporting KC striker Kei Kamara started and played 82 minutes on Saturday, surpassing 9,000 minutes played in his MLS career when including postseason. He becomes the fourth current Sporting KC player to have played more than 9,000 minutes in his MLS career.
· Seattle Sounders FC lead MLS in second-half goal scoring, with 22 goals after halftime in 2011.
· Seattle Sounders FC have the best record in MLS when allowing the first goal in 2011, with a .458 winning percentage (4-5-3).
· Sporting Kansas City players wore black armbands on Saturday in a tribute to the Kevin Ellis' mother, who passed away on Saturday.
· Kei Kamara’s goal in the 20th minute is his sixth of the season, tying him for the team lead with Omar Bravo.
· Kamara's sixth goal of the season matches his second-best single season in career history, after scoring 10 goals last year
· Entering Saturday's match, Sporting Kansas City had only held a lead over the Seattle Sounders for 26 minutes all-time. Sporting KC held a lead for 70 minutes prior to Mauro Rosales’ equalizer in the 90th minute.
· Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Jeferson exited the match with a right quad strain in the first half.
· Sporting Kansas City midfielder Luke Sassano suffered a injury to his right MCL during the second half and will undergo an MRI on Monday for further evaluation.
· Seattle did not register a shot on goal in the first half, marking the second straight match & fifth time this season that Sporting KC has held an opponent without a shot on goal.
· Omar Bravo received his second red card of the season in the second half. It was Sporting Kansas City's seventh ejection of 2011, the most in a single-season in team history.
· Bravo will receive a mandatory one-game suspension for the ejection and will miss Sporting Kansas City’s match on Wednesday, August 17th against the Portland Timbers.
· Seattle Sounders FC Manager Sigi Schmid recorded his 150th career MLS win on Saturday.
· Three-year-old cancer patient Austin Douglas was a special guest in the Victory Suite at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Saturday. Austin is currently fighting kidney cancer and was invited to the match as part of the Sporting Club partnership with LIVESTRONG.
· 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.
