A little more than two months after it began, Sporting Kansas City’s unbeaten streak is finally over after yet another thrilling game at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Left for dead through 60 minutes, the Seattle Sounders scored two goals in the game's final minutes through Mauro Rosales and Lamar Neagle as Kansas City failed to hold onto a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 in front of 17,493 fans at LSP.
Omar Bravo was shown a controversial red card in the 59th minute, but Kansas City still appeared to be in line for three points until Seattle struck twice to spoil what ended as tied for the longest unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer this season.
As they did against Real Salt Lake, Sporting took the game to the visitors from the very start in their home digs. C.J. Sapong had the first chance in the seventh minute when he rose in a crowd to get a head on the ball, but Kasey Keller was equal to the effort and pushed it over the bar.
Kansas City continued to stream forward, using the wide areas to break down down Seattle, before they got the opener from another long throw by Matt Besler in the 20th minute. Just four days after a Besler throw led to Teal Bunbury’s goal against RSL, the central defender found Kamara unmarked at the top of the box, where the he beat Keller to the ball and flicked it into the empty net.
Seattle had their best chance of the half eight minutes later when James Riley found space at the edge of the penalty area to send a cross to the back post. Alvaro Fernandez was there with time and space to put his effort on frame, but the Uruguayan scuffed the header badly and sent the ball wide of the post.
Five minutes later, it was Sapong again who put a scare into the Sounder’s defense. The rookie forward used some fancy footwork to cut two players in the penalty area and looked to be in alone on Keller, but center back Zach Scott came flying in to deliver a timely sliding tackle to put the ball out of play. Besler had an open header from the ensuing corner kick but put his effort just wide.
Unfortunately for the home side, Designated Player Jeferson was forced off with a knee injury in the 39th minute. He was replaced by Luke Sassano.
Still, Kansas City finished the half with four shots on goal and five corner kicks to zero of either for Seattle, and they started the second half in the same vein as their first half performance.
Once again, it was Sapong doing the threatening just six minutes into the half. Kamara flicked the ball into space on the right side of the area, where Kansas City’s center forward took a touch and drove and low shot that Keller got in front of to clear.
With Seattle lacking any cutting edge, Sigi Schmid went him bench on the 55-minute mark, removing the ineffective Fernandez and Fredy Montero for Pat Noonan and Mike Fucito.
And although Seattle still couldn’t find space going forward, the game changed completely in the 59th minute when Omar Bravo was sent off for a tackle on Pat Noonan. The Mexican forward appeared to have gotten the ball cleanly, but referee Jair Marrufo judged it a dismissible offense nonetheless, showing Bravo a red card and sending the crowd into hysterics.
Down a man and holding onto a one-goal lead, Kansas City manager Peter Vermes went to his bench, replacing the dangerous Sapong with Teal Bunbury in the 65th minute. Quiet for the better part of 70 minutes, Seattle then began to threaten, forcing some spectacular goalkeeping out of Jimmy Nielsen.
Fucito created space at the top of the penalty box in the 69th minute and struck a shot with his left foot that the Dane parried away only as far as substitute Lamar Neagle. Neagle immediately uncorked a drive that appeared destined for net, but Nielsen came out of nowhere to pull off a stunning kick save and keep the score 1-0 for the home team.
Even down a man, though, Sporting managed to create some chances and hold onto the ball. Kamara was especially impressive in his hold up play, but that didn’t stop the Sounders from pushing the issue at every opportunity.
They finally got their equalizer in the 90th minute when Rosales poked the ball just inside the back post and scored the winner two minutes later when Neagle did the same from the opposite side of the field.
