Recap: Sporting KC unbeaten streak reaches eight with 0-0 draw on road at Montreal Impact

StadeSaputo | Montreal, Quebec
Attendance: 20,521
Weather: 66 degrees and rainy
Video: 
Match Highlights

Sporting Kansas City:
 Jimmy Nielsen©; Seth Sinovic, Matt Besler, Lawrence Olum, Michael Harrington; Julio Cesar (Paulo Nagamura 60), Oriol Rosell (Peterson Joseph 91+), Graham Zusi; Kei Kamara, C.J. Sapong, Jacob Peterson (Chance Myers 83)
Subs not used: 
Eric Kronberg, Dom Dwyer, Neven Markovic, Michael Thomas
Montreal Impact:
 Troy Perkins; Jeb Brovsky, Alessandro Nesta (Sanna Nyassi 57), Matteo Ferrari, Hassoun Camara; Collen Warner, Patrice Bernier; Justin Mapp (Andrew Wenger 46), Felipe Martins, Davy Arnaud; Marco Di Vaio
Subs not used: 
Greg Sutton; Shavar Thomas, Dennis Iapichino, Lamar Neagle, Sinisa Ubiparipovic

Misconduct Summary:
MTL – Collen Warner (caution; reckless tackle) 55
KC – Julio Cesar (caution; reckless foul) 58
MTL – Davy Arnaud (caution; tactical foul) 77
KC – Jacob Peterson (ejection) 89*
KC – Peterson Joseph (caution; delaying a restart) 93+
*Not on field at time of ejection
Scoring Summary:
None


(September 22, 2012) – Sporting Kansas City drew 0-0 with the Montreal Impact on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo, extending the team’s unbeaten streak to eight matches. Sporting KC continues to lead the Eastern Conference, five points clear of the Chicago Fire, and moves within two points of San Jose in the team’s quest for the Supporters’ Shield. 
Jimmy Nielsen recorded his 13th shutout of the season, most in MLS this year, and lowered his goals against average to 0.83, the lowest mark among all MLS goalkeepers who have played more than 15 matches in 2012.


After a quiet opening 10 minutes, the first chance of the match arrived in the 12th minute when Michael Harrington made an overlapping run and crossed to Graham Zusi at the edge of the box. The Sporting KC playmaker took a shot from distance that skimmed just wide of the far left post.
Just two minutes later, Zusi weaved in and out of Montreal’s defense, passing to Jacob Peterson. The winger, making his first start since July 28, sent a cross to Kei Kamara, who was ruled to be narrowly offside prior to taking the shot.
With 20 minutes left in the first half, the physicality and intensity of the match picked up as both teams vied for a goal. In the 25th minute, Italian veteran Marco Di Vaio played a free kick short to Justin Mapp. The Montreal midfielder took the ball and charged down the center of the field before taking a driving shot that was just inches wide of the left post.
Sporting Kansas City responded three minutes later in the form of a promising buildup that was snuffed out by Perkins when he came off his line to collect a curling crossfrom Peterson on the right flank. Montreal, who had won six straight at home prior to Saturday’s draw, put the pressure on the visitors when Felipe turned and struck low from 25 yards out, drawing goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen off his line to make the save.
The two sides went into halftime goalless with Sporting KC controlling 61 percent of the possession despite the expansion Impact being credited with the lone shot on goal. 




It was Montreal with the first chance of the second half, arriving in the 52nd minute when Felipe played a quick cross for Andrew Wenger. Nielsen, who hasplayed every minute in net for Sporting KC this season, was there to intervene and put a stop to the dangerous play.
Sixteen minutes later, the Impact continued to threaten Sporting KC’s defense when former Sporting KC captain Davy Arnaud settled a cross at the far post and fired a low shot that grazed inches beyond the far left post.
The action picked up with 15 minutes to play when Peterson took an attempt from 25 yards out that was pushed away by Perkins at the near post. Three minutes later, the ball pinballed around the Montreal box, finally settling on Sapong’s head only to see the attempt go straight to Perkins for his second save in short succession.
Perkins, acquired from Portland in exchange for fellow goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts last month, earned his third clean sheet in six appearances for his new club. 
Montreal, on the brink of elimination from the MLS playoff race, got in on the flurry of action in the 80th minute when Sanna Nyassi took a tight shot from deep in Sporting KC’s box, but Nielsen and Sinovic combined to close down the attacker at the endline.
With more than six minutes of stoppage time added onto the second half, the Impact fought for the coveted three points until the last minute of the game. In the third minute of stoppage time, Felipe’s free kick was headed on goal by Matteo Ferrari but was punched away by an alert Nielsen.
Sporting KC, playing their third game in a nine-day span, held on for the hard-fought point away from home to conclude a successful two-game road trip that saw the club play two teams with a League-high 10 wins at home on the year.
Sporting Kansas City will return home to host the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday atLIVE
STRONG
 Sporting Park. Tickets for the match, to be nationally broadcast on the NBC Sports Network, are available 
online
 at Ticketmaster.com and at the LSP Box Offices.
FAST FACTS:

• Sporting Kansas City is now 16-7-7 on the season and remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points, five more than second place Chicago.
• Sporting Kansas City’s 55 points are second most in MLS, two points fewer than the San Jose Earthquakes and two points fewer than the club record set in 2000.
• Sporting KC is averaging 1.83 points per game in 2012, also second-best behind San Jose.
• Sporting Kansas City is now unbeaten in their last eight MLS matches. The streak is the longest active unbeaten streak in MLS currently and ties the longest undefeated streak by an MLS team this season.
• With the draw, Sporting Kansas City and the expansion Montreal Impact split the season series. Sporting KC is now 1-1-1 all-time against Montreal and 1-0-1 at Stade Saputo.
• Sporting KC has earned 27 points on the road this season with an 8-4-3 record, the best mark away from home in MLS this season and the most points by the club away from home in team history.
• Since 2000, only three MLS teams have earned more than 27 points on the road in asingle season.
• Sporting Kansas City's eight wins on the road in regulation is the most in team history.
• Sporting Kansas City is 71-131-60 all-time on the road and 210-206-107 in the regular season all-time.
• Sporting Kansas City has the most ties among all MLS teams in League history with 107.
• Despite the draw, Sporting KC still have the most wins (16) and best goal differential (+12) of all teams in the Eastern Conference this season.
• Sporting Kansas City is 7-2-6 when tied at the half.
• Sporting Kansas City is now 8-1-1 when leading at the half in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City is 3-1-1 when wearing dark indigo.
• Sporting KC made four changes to their lineup from Wednesday's 2-0 victory at New York. Lawrence Olum replaced Aurelien Collin, Michael Harrington replaced Chance Myers, Oriol Rosell replaced Roger Espinoza and Jacob Peterson replaced Paulo Nagamura.
• Harrington made his first appearance, and first start, since August 11, 2012.
• Rosell made the first start of his MLS career.
• Peterson earned his first start since July 28 after fully recovering from a sprainedshoulder. 
• Saturday marked Julio Cesar's 50th regular season game played.
• Michael Harrington surpassed 12,000 minutes played in MLS competition (including playoffs).
• Harrington is the fourth current Sporting KC player to break the 12,000 minutes playedbarrier in their MLS career, joining Bobby Convey, Kei Kamara and Paulo Nagamura.
• He becomes the only active Sporting KC player to have appeared in 12,000 or more minutes for the club in MLS competition (including playoffs).
• Harrington passed Matt McKeon on Saturday for ninth on Sporting KC's all-time regular season minutes played chart.
• Harrington tied Josh Wolff on Saturday for ninth place in regular season games started on Sporting KC’s all-time chart with 128.
• Harrington tied Mo Johnston on Saturday for eighth place in regular season games played on Sporting KC’s all-time chart with 149.
• Jimmy Nielsen surpassed 8,000 minutes played in the MLS regular season on Saturday.
• Nielsen tied Kevin Hartman for the third most regular season games played in team history by a goalkeeper with 90.
• The four combined shots in the first half were the third fewest between two teams in the first half of an MLS game in 2012.
• Sporting KC has now been involved in three of the five games with the fewest shots between both teams in a first half in MLS in 2012.
• Montreal Impact midfielder Collen Warner will be suspended in Montreal’s next match on October 6 at Houston due to caution accumulation.
• With two consecutive road games this week, Sporting Kansas City played two teams with 10 home wins, the most home wins in MLS this season. Montreal and New York are tied with Chicago, D.C. United, San Jose and Real Salt Lake for the most home victories.
• Sporting Kansas City went 1-0-1 in those match-ups, handing New York their first home loss of the year.
• Montreal’s last loss at home was against Sporting Kansas on July 4. The Impact had won six straight at home since. Saturday marked the first dropped points by the Impact at home since July 4.
• Sporting Kansas City has four games remaining in the regular season with two at home and two on the road.
• Sporting Kansas City has not allowed a header goal in its last 19 games.
• Sporting Kansas City is 10-0-3 when allowing zero goals this season and 0-4-3 when scoring zero goals in 2012.
• Roger Espinoza missed Sporting Kansas City’s match against the Montreal Impact due to caution accumulation after receiving a yellow card in Sporting KC’s midweek match against the New York Red Bulls.
• Sporting Kansas City has allowed 25 goals in 30 MLS matches for a 0.83 goals against average, the best in MLS this season.
• Sporting Kansas City has allowed only 14 goals on the road this season in 15 matches, the fewestroad goals allowed in the League.
• Jimmy Nielsen is the only Sporting KC to have played every minute for the club this season.
• Nielsen’s 1.05 career goals against average in the regular season is the best mark in MLS history among goalkeepers with 4,000 minutes played.
• Nielsen has a 1.11 career goals against average on the road in the regular season, which is also the best mark in MLS history among goalkeepers with 2,000 minutes played on the road.
• Nielsen’s 0.83 goals against average this season is on pace to be the best mark in club history, surpassing Tony Meola’s 0.92 goals against average in 2000.
• The 0.83 goals against average is the best mark in MLS among goalkeepers who have played in more than 15 MLS matches this season.
• Nielsen leads MLS with 16 victories and 13 shutouts this season.
• Nielsen has the most wins in regulation by a goalkeeper in club history with 16, reaching the milestone in one fewer game than Tony Meola's 15 wins in 30 games in 2000.
• Since 2000, only four MLS goalkeepers have earned more than 16 wins in a single season.
• Sporting Kansas City is 14-5-5 when outshooting an opponent in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City outshot the Montreal Impact 9-7 in Saturday’s match.
• Sporting Kansas City has outshot their opponent in 24 out of 30 matches in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City is 8-2-4 when the temperature is below 75 degrees at kickoff in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City is 6-1-1 in the Eastern time zone this season.
• Sporting Kansas City is 10-5-5 against the Eastern Conference this season.
• Sporting Kansas City is 13-6-6 on grass surfaces this season.
• Sporting Kansas City leads MLS with 493 shots this season and has allowed the fewest shots against (285).
• The club has led MLS in shots in five of the past seven seasons, finishing first in shots in 2006 (408), 2007 (420), 2010 (393) and 2011 (488).
• Sporting Kansas City leads MLS in all-time shots taken with 7,142.
• Graham Zusi leads MLS with 133 corner kicks this season and Sporting Kansas City leads MLS with 182.
• Sporting Kansas City continues to expand the club’s all-time single-season high for corner kicks with 182 this year.
• Kei Kamara now leads MLS with 125 shots this season.
• Kamara has the second most shots in a single-season by a KC player, behind only Preki (140), and fourth most in a single-season in MLS history.
• The last time an MLS player attempted more than 125 shots in a season was in 2000 (Ante Razov and Mamadou Diallo).
• Kamara also leads MLS in shots on goal with 46 this season.
• Sporting Kansas City's nine shots on Saturday were the fourth fewest for the club this season. Similarly, the team’s two shots on goal on Saturday matched Sporting KC’s season low.
• Montreal’s 22 fouls suffered on Saturday was a new season high for the club.
• Conversely, Sporting Kansas City’s 22 fouls committed was also a season high for the club.
• Montreal’s single corner kick on Saturday matched the club’s season low.
• The draw on Saturday was Montreal’s first draw in 20 games. Montreal’s last draw was on May 12 when they tied the LA Galaxy 1-1.
• The last shutout for both teams prior to Saturday came on July 21, marking a span of seven games without being held scoreless for Montreal and a span of eight games without being held scoreless for Sporting KC.
• Both teams have now been shutout seven times this season. Sporting KC has held opponents scoreless 13 times, while Montreal have held opponents scoreless six times.
• Saturday's 0-0 draw was the third scoreless draw the team has played this season.
• The shutout marks Troy Perkins third shutout in six games for Montreal. He replaced Donovan Ricketts, who had three clean sheets in 24 games for the Impact this year before Portland and Montreal traded starting goalkeepers last month.
• Sporting Kansas City is 12-5-4 when making three subs.
• Jacob Peterson was shown a red card in the 89th minute and will miss the team’s match on Sept. 28 against the Chicago Fire while serving a mandatory one-game suspension.
• Graham Zusi suffered four fouls on Saturday, matching his single-game career high.
• Peter Vermes is 45-36-28 all-time in MLS competition (including playoffs). The .541 winning percentage is the best winning percentage of any coach in club history.
• Saturday’s match was shown live on KCTV5, Kansas City’s CBS affiliate.