Second-Half Comeback Falls Short as Sporting KC Drops 2-1 Decision to Chicago Fire
May 18, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City's frantic second-half comeback fell short as the defending MLS Cup champions lost to the Chicago Fire 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Dom Dwyer's second-half goal was not enough as Mike Magee's two first-half penalty kick goals gave the home side three points.
Vermes entered Sunday's match missing three players due to national-team duty (midfielder Graham Zusi and defenders Matt Besler and Lawrence Olum) and another four due to injury (defenders Aurelien Collin and Ike Opara and midfielders Oriol Rosell and Peterson Joseph). 17-year-old defender Erik Palmer-Brown made his professional debut on Sunday, becoming the youngest player to appear in an MLS match in club history. The Lee's Summit native also became the youngest defender to start an MLS match, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Official Statistician of Major League Soccer.
The home side got off to a hot start as Sporting KC goalkeeper Eric Kronberg was whistled for a foul in the penalty box in the sixth minute. Rookie midfielder Harrison Shipp split a pair of Sporting KC defenders, leaving forward Quincy Amarikwa one-on-one with Kronberg. The veteran goalkeeper clipped Amarikwa seven yards from goal and Mike Magee converted the penalty kick for Chicago.
The Fire doubled their lead only minutes later as Palmer-Brown was given his first of two yellow cards on the day for a foul on Benji Joya at the edge of the penalty box. Referee Jose Carlos Rivera immediately pointed to the spot and Magee converted his second penalty kick of the afternoon.
Sporting Kansas City had a golden opportunity to cut the deficit before halftime as 19-year-old Brazilian defender Igor Juliao played a perfectly weighted ball over the Fire backline. Dwyer ran on to the pass and tapped it around an out-stretched Sean Johnson, but the ball hit off the far post and was cleared from danger.
The afternoon turned again in Chicago's favor in the 64th minute when Palmer-Brown was issued a second yellow card for a foul on Amarikwa. The red card was Sporting KC's third of the year after being issued only one red card in 2013.
Despite playing a man down, Sporting KC continued to press in the second half. The effort paid off in the 68th minute, when Dwyer headed home a Benny Feilhaber free kick to cut the deficit in half. The third-year striker has scored four goals in his last three games and his eight goals in 2014 are tied for second in MLS behind New York Red Bulls' striker Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Eric Kronberg made four saves in the match including a finger-tip save on second-half sub Dilly Duka less than a minute after Dwyer's goal. Kronberg came up big again in the 76th minute, stopping Magee twice in one sequence. A Sean Johnson goalkick skipped through the Sporting KC backline and freed Magee for a one-on-one opportunity with Kronberg. The veteran goalkeeper tapped the ball away from the 2013 MLS MVP at the top of the penalty box and recovered quickly to get his body in front of Magee's rebound attempt.
Sporting KC's best opportunity at an equalizer came off a nifty passing sequence in the 79th minute. Juliao played a ball into Dwyer that the English striker one-timed out wide to Jacob Peterson. The veteran winger collected the ball and played it back across the six-yard box, but his cross rolled just out of the reach of a sliding Dwyer.
Sporting KC will now return home for two home games in four days, starting with Friday's match against Toronto FC, presented by adidas. Limited tickets are available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
FAST FACTS
- Sporting KC fell to the Chicago Fire 2-1 on Sunday. - The loss is Sporting KC's second in as many games, marking the first time Sporting KC has dropped back-to-back match in 2014. - With the loss, Sporting KC fall to second place in the Eastern Conference with 17 points. - Sporting KC is now 12-25-10 against the Fire all-time and 4-17-2 at home. - With the loss, Sporting KC's record moves to 5-4-2 in 2014. - Sunday's two first half goals mark the only time Sporting KC has conceded first half goals in 2014, snapping a span of 14 consecutive matches during the MLS regular season that Sporting KC had not given up a goal in the first half dating back to 2013. - With the two goals allowed on Sunday, Sporting KC has now conceded two goals in back-to-back games and four times this season. - Sporting KC was without Matt Besler and Graham Zusi on Sunday as they are with the U.S. Men's National team preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup this summer. - With Besler unavailable, midfielder Paulo Nagamura wore the captain's armband on Sunday. - Sporting KC was also without Lawrence Olum who has joined the Kenyan National Team for a pair of qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations. - Sporting Kansas City homegrown defender Erik Palmer-Brown (17) started Sunday's match becoming the youngest player in MLS history to start a regular season match as a defender (via Elias Sports). - Sporting KC midfielder Victor Munoz was in the gameday 18 for the first time after being officially added to the roster earlier this week. - Sporting KC had four players out due to injury on Sunday. Aurelien Collin (hamstring), Oriol Rosell (quad), Ike Opara (surgery) and Peterson Joseph (illness). - Sunday's match marked the first time that Claudio Bieler and Dom Dwyer played on the field together. - Chicago's two goals on Sunday came from the penalty spot. - Sporting Kansas City conceded two penalty kicks in one game for the second time this season. The first was against Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on March 29.
- Mike Magee converted both penalty kicks for Chicago. - Palmer-Brown was show his second yellow card in the 64th minute of Sunday's match. Palmer-Brown will serve a mandatory one-game suspention against New York on Tuesday.
- Dom Dwyer scored Sporting KC's lone goal on Sunday, for his team-leading eighth goal this season. - Eight goals ranks Dwyer tied for second in MLS this year.
- Benny Feilhaber earned the assist on Dwyer's goal, his second of 2014 and 15th of his MLS regular season career. - Sunday was the first of three regular season meetings between Sporting KC and the Chicago Fire in 2014. The Fire visits Sporting Park on July 6 and October 10.
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