Sporting KC Falls 2-1 at RSL in Regular Season Finale
October 23, 2017 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
(Oct. 22, 2017) -- Sporting Kansas City suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake in Sunday's regular-season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium, falling to fifth place in the Western Conference on a dramatic Decision Day in which 11 MLS matches unfolded simultaneously.
The loss, coupled with Houston Dynamo's 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire, means No. 5-seed Sporting Kansas City (12-9-13, 49 points) will travel to face No. 4-seed Houston (13-10-11, 50 points) in the Western Conference Knockout Round of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday or Thursday night. Date, kickoff time and television details will be confirmed later tonight.
If Sporting Kansas City wins in Houston, the club will host the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals next Sunday, Oct. 29 or Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Children's Mercy Park. Sporting KC Season Ticket Members who opted in for the playoffs will be contacted by their client service executive tomorrow morning. Single-game tickets for the potential home playoff match will go on sale to the general public tomorrow at noon CT via SeatGeek.com .
Luis Silva and Brooks Lennon tallied first-half goals for Real Salt Lake, but the hosts (13-15-6, 45 points) ended their 2017 campaign one point below the playoff line to settle for an eighth-place finish in the West. Ike Opara salvaged a consolation goal in the 89th minute for Sporting Kansas City, who will begin their postseason journey away in the Knockout Round for the fourth consecutive year.
The visitors endured a tumultuous start at sun-drenched Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, as Real Salt Lake took just three minutes to surge ahead. Lennon was afforded space to cross from the right wing, and although Albert Rusnak flubbed his first-time effort at the top of the box, Silva pounced on the loose ball and poked low past goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra for his seventh goal of 2017 and his second in as many games against Sporting KC.
Lennon doubled his side's advantage in the 41st minute, seeing his right-footed blast repelled by Dykstra before burying the rebound for the 20-year-old's third MLS goal. It marked just the third time this season that Sporting KC had conceded twice in the first half of a game.
If the first 45 minutes belonged to the Claret and Cobalt, Sporting Kansas City seized the initiative after intermission. Diego Rubio went agonizingly close in the 50th minute, only for his close-range shot to be smothered by RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Rubio turned creator less than a minute later, slipping a through ball into the path of Salloi, but Rimando produced another save before Latif Blessing's rebound attempt skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Frustration continued to permeate the afternoon for Sporting Kansas City, as Rubio nodded narrowly wide of a Graham Zusi corner kick in the 55th minute before Zusi rifled inches beyond the far left post near the hour-mark. At the opposite end, Dykstra made a pair of strong saves to deny Lennon his brace.
Opara cut the deficit in half in the 89th minute, heading home off Zusi's free-kick delivery for his career-high fifth goal in all competitions and his third of the MLS season. Zusi, meanwhile, tallied his team-leading eighth league assist - tied for the second-most in his nine-year professional career.
Sporting Kansas City now prepares for the club's seventh straight appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The 2013 MLS Cup champions have fallen on the road in the single-elimination Knockout Round in each of the last three seasons. Manager Peter Vermes' men hoisted the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last month - their fourth major trophy since 2012 - and will aim to become the first Open Cup and MLS Cup double winners since the 2005 LA Galaxy.
• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...
Major League Soccer Stories from October 23, 2017
- Head Coach Mauro Biello Dismissed - Club de Foot Montreal
- Goal-Scoring Record Finale Adds Hype to Start of Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs - MLS
- Last Call at RFK Media Assets - D.C. United
- Last Call at RFK Media Assets - D.C. United
- Real Salt Lake Announces 2017 Season-Ending Award Winners - Real Salt Lake
- Knockout Round Pits Red Bulls against Chicago - New York Red Bulls
- 2018 MLS All-Star Game Presented by Target Awarded to Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium - MLS
- Major League Soccer to Hold Press Conference Today in Atlanta - MLS
- Ignacio Piatti Named Impact Most Valuable Player for Third Consecutive Season - Club de Foot Montreal
- New York Red Bulls Weekly Media Availability: October 23 - October - New York Red Bulls
- TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR TIMBERS November 5 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - Portland Timbers
- Timbers Secure Top Seed in Western Conference, Win Cascadia Cup With - Portland Timbers
- MATCH RECAP: Columbus Crew SC 2, New York City FC 2 - Columbus Crew SC
- New York Red Bulls Knockout Round Match Set - New York Red Bulls
- Columbus Crew SC Travels to Face Atlanta United FC in Knockout Round - Columbus Crew SC
- Earthquakes Clinch Spot in Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs - San Jose Earthquakes
- Toronto FC (2) - Atlanta United FC (2) Post-Match Summ - Toronto FC
- Quote Sheet: Real Salt Lake 2-1 Sporting Kansas City - Real Salt Lake
- Sporting KC Falls 2-1 at RSL in Regular Season Finale - Sporting Kansas City
- Impact Finishes Season with 3-2 Loss to New England Revolution - Club de Foot Montreal
- Single-Match Tickets for Sounders FC's Western Conference - Seattle Sounders FC
- SPR Advances in USL Cup Playoffs - Sporting Kansas City
- Last Call at RFK: United Fall to New York in Their Final Match At RFK Stadium - D.C. United
- Last Call at RFK: United Fall to New York in Their Final Match At RFK Stadium - D.C. United
- Last Call at RFK: United fall to New York in their final match at RFK Stadium - D.C. United
- Real Salt Lake Closes Season with a 2-1 Win over Sporting Kansas City - Real Salt Lake
- MNUFC Falls 3-2 to Quakes in Final Match of Season - Minnesota United FC
- Match Recap: Philadelphia Union 6, Orlando City SC 1 - Philadelphia Union
- Chicago Fire Forward Nemanja Nikoli wins 2017 MLS Golden Boot - MLS
- Chicago Fire Forward Nemanja Nikoli wins 2017 MLS Golden Boot - MLS
- Houston Dynamo Secure Home Playoff Game with 3-0 Victory over Chicago - Houston Dynamo FC
- Earthquakes Announce 2017 Club Award Winners - San Jose Earthquakes
- Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Sporting Kansas City Stories
- Sporting KC Weekly
- Sporting Ties St. Louis 3-3
- Sporting KC Hosts St. Louis on Saturday
- Sporting KC to Visit Union Omaha in U.S. Open Cup Round of 32
- SKC Loans Ozzie Cisneros to Carolina