Before the calendar turns to 2018, SportingKC.com is counting down the top 10 moments from Sporting Kansas City’s 2017 season. From thrilling wins and heroic performances to individual accolades and new arrivals, let’s revisit the very best of 2017.
#10-9: Homegrowns arrive and Rangers shine | #8-7: Ilie signs and Benny climbs
#6-5: Gershow Erupts and Nats lift the Cup
4. Prevailing on Penalties
A heavy dose of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup drama engulfed Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 9 as Sporting KC edged the San Jose Earthquakes in a heart-pounding penalty kick shootout. A first-half equalizer from Diego Rubio and shootout saves from Tim Melia gave Sporting KC just enough to progress to the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, which took place more than a month later.
Simply put, this was another 120-minute epic that will be fondly remembered in the glory-stricken annals of Children’s Mercy Park. Of the five games in stadium history to go to extra time, Sporting KC has prevailed on all five occasions.
As with any dramatic cup tie, the joy of victory didn’t come without setbacks that were overcome earlier in the match. San Jose shocked the home crowd when Danny Hoesen fired his side ahead in the fourth minute — the first Open Cup goal conceded by Sporting KC this season. The leveler would come in the 32nd minute as the product of a remarkable build-up involving every single Sporting KC field player. In a flowing, 18-pass move that spanned 53 seconds, Rubio applied the 19th and final touch to tie the score.
Melia had just two saves to make through 120 minutes on Wednesday, but his pair of stops to bookend the shootout were heroic. Melia came up big in the first round when he thwarted veteran forward Chris Wondolowski, just seconds after Benny Feilhaber had his PK saved by Andrew Tarbell. His match-winning denial would come in the sixth round when Victor Bernardez’s low drive was batted away, igniting wild celebrations inside Children’s Mercy Park.
3. Simply the Best
To argue otherwise would be foolish and unfounded: from the beginning of the season to the end, Ike Opara and Tim Melia were the best MLS players at their respective positions.
Opara was named the 2017 MLS Defender of the Year on Nov. 9, punctuating a career year in which he anchored the league’s best defense. One week later, Melia received Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors to cap his best season as a professional.
The subjective eye test and objective statistics both indicate that Opara and Melia were fully deserving of their merits. What made these awards truly special, however, was the fact that Opara and Melia both overcame significant obstacles en route to reaching the proverbial summit.
As any Sporting KC fan will know by now, Opara suffered season-ending injuries in early 2014 and 2015, prompting the defender to consider retirement after the latter setback. Instead, Opara bounced back in 2016 with an injury-free campaign and reached new heights this year, cementing his status as one of the league’s most dominant defenders.
Melia, on the other hand, was a seldom-used backup for the first six seasons of his MLS career. After riding the bench at Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA, Melia seized his opportunity with Sporting KC during the 2015 campaign, his first as a regular starter. He took another step forward in 2016 and was nothing short of brilliant in 2017, ranking among the best goalkeepers in just about every relevant statistical category.
Opara and Melia’s giant-sized breakthroughs were further recognized on the final day of November when both were included in the MLS Best XI for the first time in their careers. And while both are proud of what they have accomplished in 2017, their sights remain firmly set on achieving greater feats next year.
“This is an honor that could have gone to anyone on our backline this season, and I’m grateful to be recognized by MLS,” Opara said. “It’s an accomplishment that I will cherish, and I’m already looking forward to next season and challenging for more trophies as a team.”
Added Melia, “It’s an honor to be selected the best at your position from peers you compete against throughout the season. While these awards mean a lot, my top priority is to win an MLS Cup with Sporting KC, and I’m excited to work toward that goal in 2018.”
