Sporting KC Draws D.C. United 1-1 at RFK Stadium
Published on May 19, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City drew 1-1 with D.C. United on Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium. Sporting KC took the lead through an Ethan White own goal in the 60th minute but D.C. United responded with an equalizer from Kyle Porter five minutes later to split the points.
Sporting Kansas City started strong, with a run from Graham Zusi causing problems for the D.C. United backline in the game's opening minute. He turned the corner past Daniel Woolard and nearly connected with Jacob Peterson on a pass inside the six-yard box at the near post.
D.C. United recorded their first chance of the match in the 10th minute when midfielder Nick DeLeon took an attempt from long-range, but goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen rose to the challenge and punched it out for a corner kick.
The home side fired back again with a notable chance in the 26th minute when Tyler Kemp, in his MLS debut, charged down the left flank and whipped in a low shot to the near post that Nielsen once again deflected.
Controversy came in the 30th minute when Ike Opara was ruled offside and his goal disallowed. Matt Besler had cut the ball back from the endline for Jacob Peterson, who slipped a pass first-time to Opara at the back post. Opara hammered home his shot from close range to finish the superb sequence but assistant referee Matthew Nelson raised his flag and referee Jair Marrufo called the goal off despite four D.C. United players -- Bill Hamid, Kyle Porter, Dejan Jakovic and Ethan White -- positioned behind or even with Opara at the time of Peterson's pass.
D.C. United nearly went up a goal in the 36th minute when veteran midfielder Dwayne De Rosario fired a low, angled shot from the top of the box that barely missed the far post. Two minutes later, Zusi whipped in a dangerous shot on target that Hamid blocked expertly with his body.
In the dying minutes of the first half, De Rosario threatened again, this time with a slick header that floated just over the crossbar.
Sporting Kansas City broke the deadlock in the 60th minute of play on a corner kick from Zusi. Opara beat his mark and rose high for the header, re-directing the service at the near post. In short succession, the ball deflected off White's head and past Hamid for the own goal.
Five minutes later, D.C. United equalized with a goal from Porter. Second-half substitute Chris Pontius played a pinpoint cross from the left flank to Porter at the far post and the Canadian international's sliding volley tucked inside the post to level the score at 1-1.
Sporting KC nearly claimed a second goal in the 77th minute of play when Zusi whipped in a cross to the crowded box, where it was pinballed around from Opara to Kei Kamara and nearly sent in past Hamid.
A minute later, Porter almost notched his second goal of the game when he settled a cross from De Rosario and struck a dangerous ball that was blocked by Nielsen.
The action continued three minutes later when Zusi played the ball to a wideopen Bieler at the top of the box. His one-touch strike was expertly saved by Hamid, who pushed it inches wide of the right post.
Kamara came close to scoring his first goal of the season in the final minutes of the match. In the 90th minute, the Sierra Leone international fired a left-footed shot at the edge of the box that nearly slipped through Hamid's fingers. Two minutes into stoppage time, he flicked in a header that glanced past the near post.
Sporting Kansas City will return home to host the Houston Dynamo at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 26 at Sporting Park. Tickets are available in limited supply through Ticketmaster and Sporting Park Box Offices.
FAST FACTS
With the draw, Sporting Kansas City moves into sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference behind only the New York Red Bulls.
Sporting KC is now 6-4-3 in 2013 and 3-2-2 on the road.
Sporting Kansas City is 218-210-112 all-time and 74-133-64 all-time away from home.
Sporting Kansas City's record against D.C. United moves to 19-18-10 all-time and 6-12-5 on the road in the series.
Sporting Kansas City is unbeaten in their last six matches against D.C. United. Prior to Sunday's draw, Sporting Kansas City had won their last five matches in the series.
D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen earned his first point against Sporting KC and is now 0-5-1 all-time against the club.
D.C. United (1-8-1) is winless since their home opener on March 9. With the draw, D.C. United breaks a seven-game losing streak, the longest in team history and seventh longest in MLS history.
Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes made two changes to the starting lineup from last Sunday's 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. Benny Feilhaber started the match in place of Oriol Rosell and Matt Besler was on for Aurelien Collin.
Rosell and Collin missed the match due to yellow card accumulation. Sunday marked the first time that Rosell and Collin have not started during the 2013 season.
Matt Besler and Ike Opara played their first competitive minutes together in central defense on Sunday.
D.C. United made three changes to their starting XI from last weekend's 2-1 loss at FC Dallas Stadium, including Bill Hamid returning in net to replace Joe Willis. Daniel Woolard started for James Riley and Taylor Kemp started in place of Raphael Augusto.
Taylor Kemp made his professional debut on Sunday, playing the first 45 minutes of the match before being replaced by Chris Pontius for D.C. United.
Chris Korb and Perry Kitchen have started all 11 games for D.C. United this season.
Sporting Kansas City took the 1-0 lead on an own goal by D.C. United in the 60th minute of the match. It was the first own goal in a Sporting KC match in 2013.
The goal came from a Graham Zusi corner kick and is the second goal Sporting KC has scored this season off a corner kick.
All 15 of Sporting Kansas City's goals in 2013 have come from inside the penalty area.
D.C. United earned their first point of the season when conceding the first goal. Prior to Sunday, the team was 0-8-0 when allowing the game's opening goal.
D.C. United have given up 20 goals this season, most in MLS. Twelve of the 20 goals conceded have come at home, which is also a League high.
D.C. United equalized five minute later on a goal from Kyle Porter assisted by Chris Pontius.
The goal was the latest D.C. United has scored in a match this season. Five of the team's six goals in 2013 have come at RFK Stadium.
Sporting KC is 5-2-2 when wearing Sporting Blue and 5-1-3 versus the Eastern Conference in 2013.
Jimmy Nielsen has appeared in 74 straight MLS matches, including postseason, for Sporting Kansas City, dating back to June 12, 2011. The streak covers a span of 6,660 straight minutes of MLS action.
Jimmy Nielsen surpassed 10,000 minutes played with the club on Sunday (including playoffs). Nielsen becomes the second player on the active roster to surpass this milestone in a KC uniform.
Seth Sinovic surpassed 7,000 regular season minutes played in his MLS career on Sunday.
Sporting Kansas City outshot D.C. United 14-7. Sporting KC is 5-3-3 when outshooting an opponent this season.
Sporting KC controlled 59% of the possession on Sunday and won 60% of the duels.
Sporting Kansas City earned 12 corner kicks on Sunday, most in a single-match this season for the club.
Graham Zusi took 11 of the 12 corner kicks. Zusi leads the League in corner kicks with 60.
Zusi made 18 total crosses in the match, more than any other player on the field.
Sporting Kansas City leads MLS in fouls suffered this season, but suffered a season-low nine fouls on Sunday.
Sporting KC leads MLS all-time in shots with 7,374 and ranks first in MLS this season with 182 shots.
Sporting Kansas City has allowed the fewest shots among all MLS teams this year with 109 shots against.
Matt Besler returned to the starting lineup for the first time since April 27, 2013 after suffering a knee injury at training.
Besler made 16 clearances in the match, more than any other player on the field and won seven of his nine aerial duels, also more than any other player in Sunday's match.
Besler and Seth Sinovic each had 76 touches in tonight's match, tied for most of all players.
D.C. United was without Young Designated Player Rafael due to concussion symptoms.
The Boulevard Members Club at Sporting Park hosted a Watch Party for Sunday's match. Sporting KC striker Soony Saad was in attendance to meet supporters.
Forward Dom Dwyer, on loan from Sporting KC, scored two goals for Orlando City on Friday in a 2-2 draw at Harrisburg. Dwyer set the team record with 12 goals so far this season, most in USL PRO.
Major League Soccer Stories from May 19, 2013
- Steven Purdy Called up by El Salvador's National Team - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Sporting KC Draws D.C. United 1-1 at RFK Stadium - Sporting Kansas City
- Galaxy Fall to Red Bulls on Another Late Goal - LA Galaxy
- Timbers Reserves Earn 1-1 Draw at Whitecaps FC Reserves - Portland Timbers
- Last Gasp Cahill Goal Gives First Place Red Bulls 1-0 Win over LA Galaxy - Red Bull New York
- Reserve League: San Jose Earthquakes Top Colorado Rapids 3-0 - San Jose Earthquakes
- Houston Dynamo Reserves Fall to Charleston Battery, 1-0 - Houston Dynamo FC
- Gehrig Steps up for Injured Marshall - Columbus Crew SC
- Final: Revs 2, Dynamo 0 - New England Revolution
- High-Pressure Game Plan Works Wonders as Revolution Stuns Dynamo - New England Revolution
- Rapids Take 1-1 Draw in San Jose with Sturgis on Target - Colorado Rapids
- Sounders FC Continue Hot Play by Toppling Dallas 4-2 - Seattle Sounders FC
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