MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Advances to Fifth Round of Open Cup with 2-0 Victory over Minnesota United FC

Published on June 19, 2014 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City defeated Minnesota United FC 2-0 Wednesday night in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Soony Saad and Alex Martinez tallied second half goals in front of 15,307 fans at Sporting Park.

Sporting KC will now host the Portland Timbers at Sporting Park on Tuesday, June 24 in the fifth round of the competition. Tickets for that match will go on sale to the general public Thursday morning at 10 a.m. CT.

Saad was a threat for Sporting KC all night and nearly put the home side ahead in the seventh minute. The 21-year-old striker picked up a pass from Seth Sinovic inside the Minnesota penalty box, shook off a defender and curled a ball to the far post. Minnesota goalkeeper Mitchell Hildebrandt took a step back, but could only watch as Saad's attempt ricocheted off the crossbar.

Minnesota had a flurry of chances midway through the first half, but goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum - who made his first start for Sporting Kansas City - was up to the task. Gruenebaum caught Christian Ramirez's floating shot in the 22nd minute and did well to stop Kevin Venegas' near-post attempt in the 31st minute.

The visitors had one more opportunity before halftime to break through, but Daniel Mendes' driven attempt to the far post skipped past a sliding Ramirez.

Victor Munoz made his Sporting KC debut Wednesday night, but the affair was short-lived as the Spanish midfielder was subbed of in the 36th minute after suffering an apparent leg injury.

The game turned in Sporting KC's favor in the 50th minute when referee Tyler Ploeger issued Cristiano Dias a straight red card for a hard challenge on forward Dom Dwyer.

Following the ejection, Hildebrandt did his best to prevent Sporting KC from capitalizing on the man advantage. The 25-year-old goalkeeper stopped point-blank attempts from Dwyer in the 64th minute and Sinovic a minute later.

Sporting KC would not be denied, however, and broke through in the 76th minute. Lawrence Olum, who wore the captain's armband with Matt Besler on national team duty, picked up a poor Minnesota clearance and quickly squared the ball to Saad. The young striker took a touch to tee up a 25-yard strike that skipped between Hildebrandt and the near post. The goal was Saad's third in four career Open Cup matches.

Sporting KC doubled its lead in the 87th minute when Martinez tallied his first professional goal. The play developed in the midfield when Toni Dovale played a through ball down the wing to Sal Zizzo. The speedy winger's initial cross was deflected, but Zizzo stayed with the play and found an open Martinez at the penalty spot. The rookie midfielder one-timed the ball into the open net to secure the victory.

QUOTES

Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes

On Sporting KC's 2-0 win...

I think Minnesota is a good team. I thought they did what we expected them to do, and that was drop off and bunker in and try and counter. I thought overall we did a good job on their counter. I thought a few times they got through a bit, but at the end we did a good job in managing those cases. We did a really good job in trying to create a lot of chances, and I feel like we should have scored earlier than we did. We had a couple of early opportunities and you have to give their goalkeeper a lot of credit, he played very well. We moved the ball well and the biggest thing-I've this before-is we have a lot of new guys on the field. It's not a criticism to them, but when you have a lot of new players on the field, it's very difficult for them to get continuity quickly. We play a certain way and those guys need to get into that routine, and each game they're getting a little better with it. I think tonight was good because we stuck to being organized and disciplined and patient. We got the first goal and then we were doing things that we can do to get the second goal, and that's things that we worked on in practice. It was good to see us get the goal based on things we've worked on. All in all, it's the first step in doing something we're very serious about, and that's winning the U.S. Open Cup. And we obviously know we have a big challenge next week, but we'll be getting ready for that over the next few days.

On Soony Saad's performance...

He always plays well on offense; it's the other side that he has to be conscientious about. When he has the awareness to play on both sides of the ball, he becomes extremely valuable to the team. All the guys know what the expectations are: you have to play on both sides of the ball. What he has is the ability to do what he did, and that's finish from distance. He actually had a shot in a different circumstance a little bit earlier where he gave the ball to Dom. He had the same exact play and I thought he was going to hit it and he didn't and I made a joke to him saying, "Now I have to tell you to start shooting - because usually it's the other way around. But again, everyone on the team knows we have to play the way we play on both sides of the ball and when he does, he is a very valuable player to the team.

On Sal Zizzo's contribution as a second half substitute...

That's what he does. He's a guy that because of his speed, he can glide past defenses. When we move Toni (Dovale) inside, he can really give that final pass and play a good ball through, and that's how we got that second goal. It's something we really work on quite a bit in training. First off, it was a good ball through, but it was a great run, good timing, and good numbers in the box and that's why we got the finish.

On Soony Saad and C.J. Sapong's improved fitness after injuries...

Soony wasn't in the lineup for a long time. It's a routine. He left injured, then he got injured even (worse), and then he got injured again in the second phase of that training camp. By the time he got back, he was out for a while. Then it was all about trying to get himself back, not only into the line up, but into a level of fitness. It's the same thing with C.J. He was out for a long time and being out the way he was, where he wasn't really able to do much at all with getting back into fitness and with the summer months, it becomes a difficult thing to do.

On Minnesota United FC's red card early in the second half...

I think it was a very dangerous challenge. I really do. We have seen in our league on a regular basis that there are all kinds of red cards, and we've been on the other side of those many times for things not even close to that kind of challenge. I thought it was a very dangerous, reckless tackle in the air and there was another one inside the box, as well, that was not called on Dom that was reckless where he was undercut. From what I saw, I thought it was a reckless tackle.

On the challenges posed by Minnesota United FC...

The difficulty in the game today is so many teams are so okay with playing within a 30-40 yard space of their goal. What you could do as a team is you could go 100 miles an hour and try and break them down, and the next thing that happens to you is you lose the ball and you're back on defense and they're countering you because you've opened yourself up. I thought we did a good job. A few times, we got a little to anxious playing straight up the middle channel and we lost the ball. Outside of that, we actually did a great job switching the point of attack, especially from left to right and finding Toni (Dovale) deep on the wide channel. All of a sudden, we started really creating a lot of difficulty for them.

Sporting KC midfielder Lawrence Olum

On playing with an unfamiliar starting lineup...

We've had a lot of new guys. (Tonight) we had Victor (out) there, who hadn't played in months. With the guys who start, a few times you might see here an there that there's not a lot of continuity. But with Alex coming in, he's played there a couple of times. As the game went on, we were finally (playing better).

On Sporting KC taking control of the game after gaining a man advantage...

It's been something we've been practicing for a while now. We kind of knew with them being down a man that we had to find the right spots to be in, and Soony did. He was wide open, and you have to get the open guy the ball. There was an open strike by him and he scored.

On serving as Sporting KC's captain...

I'm just holding it up for (Matt) Besler, you know. (The captaincy) is his. I'm glad coach has faith in me to wear the armband with (Paulo) Nagamura being out. It's just a level of trust he has in me that he can see me lead the boys out. Tonight we got the win, and it took something from everybody on the team.

Sporting KC defender Jacob Peterson

On Sporting KC's 2-0 win over Minnesota United FC...

The first half definitely wasn't our best. We didn't have good ball movement, and the jerseys (clashing) made it difficult to distinguish who was who. That's not an excuse; it's just how it was out there. In the second half, even before the red card, we moved the ball better. Then when you go up a man, you obviously have to make the other team work and chase you. I thought we had a lot of chances in the last 20 minutes and we capitalized on two of them. We'll take this result into the Portland game next week, but I think it has to be better. We all know that and we'll start working on it tomorrow.

On Minnesota United FC's performance...

Any time a lower division team comes in here, you know you're going to get the work rate and the fight from them. I thought they were very resilient. Their challenges and their work rate from side to side was really good-big credit to them. In this particular game there was a red card, and eventually we started moving the ball and we were able to keep (possession). In the first half, we weren't our best. But if you can go into halftime even or ahead against these teams, you set yourself up for a good performance in the second half because eventually they'll wear down.

On playing out of position at right back...

I've played the position a little bit before. I've done it in training for the past week and a half. Learning a new position isn't the easiest, but the guys around me helped. Seth (Sinovic), Kevin (Ellis) and even Chance (Myers) talked to me a little bit about it. The coaching staff has been helpful, too. In our system, I think it's a position I can play because you get a lot of the ball in the attacking half. I'm not sure what the future holds but right now, I'm going to work on that position. Then, once Igor (Juliao) and a few other players get healthy, we'll see where I'll be playing.

On what the U.S. Open Cup means to Sporting KC...

We have a lot of new guys on the team that haven't won it. I also think that last year we were complacent. We won in in 2012, then last year gave up a goal (early) against Orlando in the early rounds and lost. That just wasn't good enough. This is a five-game tournament-you win five games and you lift a trophy. So we're going to take that very seriously. We've seen around the league what's happened to other MLS teams-some have lost to lower-division teams in this tournament. We know that next week's Portland game will be tough, and then we play them three days later in the league. We're going to place a lot of importance on both games.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum

On making his Sporting KC debut in goal...

It was really exciting for me. I've been waiting to play in front of those fans in my hometown. To have them yelling at my back was phenomenal. They guys worked really hard in front of me and made my night pretty easy. It wasn't easy to play in those conditions, for sure. But we were happy to come away with the win and advance.

On Minnesota United FC's performance...

They did a phenomenal job making it really difficult on us. We didn't make it easy on ourselves either. In the first half, a lot of our troubles were (our fault). You see teams like this come in and beat MLS a lot. It happens year after year, and we didn't want to be one of those teams. We're glad to be on the winning end of things, and I'm excited for Portland now. That'll be another tough match so we'll have to plan for them now.

On what the U.S. Open Cup means to him and the team...

I was a part of the (U.S. Open Cup) Final with the Crew (in 2010) and we were so close to winning it at Seattle. To come up just short is devastating. This tournament is meaningful for us every year. For us, to have Lamar Hunt's name on it makes it special. I think that will always ring true around Kansas City. So we definitely want to win it. For me, to come so close and lose definitely has me motivated to win it with this team.

On Sporting KC gaining confidence...

We've faced a lot of adversity with injuries. We just have to keep battling through and holding together as a team. We've had to rely on a lot of different guys, and luckily we've had the depth to do that. We're getting some confidence with a couple wins in a row, and now we have to build on that.

Minnesota United FC manager Manny Lagos

On the back-and-forth flow of the match...

I think both teams had chances. I thought we handled them pretty well-we had some really good chances. And I thought they came back and presented some challenges to us, particularly on the left side in the first half. I thought both teams were trying to manage the game, and it was a good game up until (the red card).

On Minnesota United FC's performance...

I thought we did all right. I think it was the worst time to get a red card like that because you are putting a lot of energy into the game. This was really our hottest night of soccer this year. So I think that really affected the way we could have defended. I'm very proud of the guys. But considering the environment, I thought we really responded well. We have a lot of pride in or club, and we really showed it tonight.

On exiting the U.S. Open Cup...

I think we are devastated. We try to be one of the best clubs in North America, regardless of our league. And this is a tournament that we wanted to play well in. Like I said, I'm very proud of the guys, but as a club we set a standard of trying to do well in these types of games. I think we have a little bit of a break now where we can get better in the second half of our season. We'll try to make sure to pick our heads up and compete in our league.

On goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt's performance...

I think he did a great job. When we went down 1-0, he had a couple of really big saves and we had a couple moments where we could have tied up the score. And I think that was due to Mitch and his ability to keep us in the game. He really kept his head, too. Like I said, I was really proud of the guys. I probably lost my head more than the guys did on the field tonight. And I think that's a testament to them and the focus they had and the effort they (exerted).

Minnesota United FC goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt

On Minnesota United FC's performance...

I thought we did really well. I think they had a hard time breaking us down in the first half. It's tough when a red card changes the game as much as it did. They were having trouble breaking us down and then handling us going forward. I think we broke out of our defensive shape really well and that gives credit to Juliano (Vicentini) and Greg (Jordan) in the middle.

On going down a man early in the second half...

It's tough to get a red card, especially as a center back. Cristiano has been really big for us this year. When we went down to 10 men, we just had to keep it at zero and hope that everyone settles down and continue what we are doing. But it was too much for us and it was a lot of pressure. We had some chances there, which was good, but whenever you lose a solid center back, it's tough.

On Soony Saad's go-ahead goal in the 76th minute...

Soony can really hit a ball. I have known him since high school and he has always been able to strike a ball. It went right though Greg's legs and skipped off the turf and just went right over my hand. I thought I had it, but you know those things happen.

On losing narrowly to an MLS team...

I think in the first half we were right there with them. I don't think any one team was better. I thought that we came in full of confidence, and its just tough with a red card because it changes the game so much. With 11 men you never know what could have happened. Even though we went down to 10 men, everyone showed great resolve and started working from the first minute. No one stopped working from the first to the 95th minute, so that's a lot of credit to the whole team. We just need to get back to work and concentrate on the fall the season.

Minnesota United forward Christian Ramirez

On how Minnesota United FC approached Sporting KC...

I think we take the same approach; it's a soccer game, its 90 minutes. We have a lot of respect for Sporting KC and what they bring. I thought we played them pretty well. Sometimes the call doesn't go your way, but all credit to them-they're a good team.

On Minnesota's second half performance...

Sometimes you hate to see the game being changed like that so drastically with the red card, but its part of the game. I thought we adjusted well and I think our tired legs just kicked in at that point, and they had a great goal.

FAST FACTS

- Sporting Kansas City defeated Minnesota United FC 2-0 in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday at Sporting Park. - Wednesday's attendance was 15,307, the largest attendance in the 2014 edition of the tournament. - Minnesota United plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL). - Minnesota United FC defender Cristiano Dias was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute of the match for a reckless challenge with Dom Dwyer. - Dias played in the Major Indoor Soccer League for the Missouri Comets from 2011-13. - MLS teams enter the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the fourth round. - NASL teams enter the tournament in the third round. - Minnesota United FC defeated the Des Moines Menace 1-0 in their third round match. - Defender Justin Davis and midfielder Aaron Pitchkolan were the only two Minnesota players to play the full 90 minutes in all nine NASL matches. Both started on Wednesday with Davis subbing out in the 84 minute. - Minnesota United allowed nine goals in nine NASL matches during the 2014 Spring season, second-fewest in the league. Minnesota allowed two goals on Wednesday. - Ramirez was involved in nine of Minnesota's 16 goals during the 2014 Spring campaign and was NASL Player of the Month for May & June, but was held scoreless on Wednesday. - Jacob Peterson started at right back on Wednesday for the first time since his two-year stint with Toronto FC from 2010-11. - Sporting KC continues their Open Cup campaign on Tuesday, June 24 against the Portland Timbers at Sporting Park. - Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m. CT. - The Timbers defeated the Orlando City U-23's on Tuesday to advance to the fifth round. - Soony Saad opened the scoring for Sporting KC in the 76th minute. - With a goal in tonight's match, Saad is tied for fifth place with three goals on Sporting KC's all-time chart. - Lawrence Olum earned the assist on Saad's goal. Olum wore the captains armband during Wednesday's match. - Alex Martinez doubled the lead for Sporting KC in the 87th minute. The goal was Martinez' first as a professional. - Sal Zizzo earned the assist on Martinez' goal. - Sporting KC is 5-0-1 in the round of 32 in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. - Sporting KC is 12-5-3 against against non-MLS opponents and 13-6-2 at home. - Sporting KC has scored 71 goals in USOC play and has secured 15 shutouts in the tournament. - Sporting KC are 19-13-5 all-time in U.S. Open Cup matches. - Sporting KC won the title in 2004 and 2012. - The start marks Andy Gruenebaum and Victor Munoz first in a Sporting KC uniform. - Munoz left the match in the 36th minute for a left hamstring strain. - Gruenebaum earned his first shutout in goal for Sporting KC.

- Saad has started the last two matches for Sporting Kansas City and has scored in back-to-back matches with tonight's 76th minute finish. - Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes and Minnesota head coach Manny Lagos were teammates at the New York-New Jersey Metrostars during the inaugural year of MLS (1996). - There has been 10 red cards issued in Sporting KC's last 12 matches. Four have been to a Sporting KC player and six have been to an opponent.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 19, 2014


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