Newly acquired forwards Krisztian Nemeth and Bernardo Anor scored in the second half as Sporting KC erased a two-goal halftime deficit to draw the Colorado Rapids 2-2 in the opening match of the 2015 Diamond Desert Cup. Their strikes in the 77th and 78th minutes -- a penalty kick from Nemeth and a close-range effort from Anor -- cancelled out early goals from Gabriel Torres and Dominique Badji.
Manager Peter Vermes fielded two different lineups in either half, with defender Ike Opara making his preseason debut in the second half after missing most of 2014 through injury. In addition, the starting XI featured trialist defender Marcel de Jong, a 28-year-old Canadian international with more than 30 caps.
Three Desert Diamond Cup fixtures remain for Sporting KC at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, all of which will be streamed live on SportingKC.com. The club faces defending Supporters' Shield champion Seattle on Saturday at 9 p.m. CT, with SKCTV's Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Andy Gruenebaum (color) providing the call. A rematch of 2013 MLS Cup beckons next Wednesday when Sporting KC meets Real Salt Lake, and the tournament concludes with placement matches on Saturday, Feb. 28.
