Sporting KC Clinches Playoff Berth in Draw vs. Houston
October 16, 2017 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting KC clinches playoff berth with scoreless draw against Houston Dynamo Club enters next Sunday's regular season finale at Real Salt Lake occupying fourth place in the Western Conference
2017 MLS Regular Season
Game 33 of 34
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 19,083
Sporting Kansas City: Andrew Dykstra; Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler (C), Cristian Lobato (Latif Blessing 83); Roger Espinoza (C), Ilie, Benny Feilhaber; Jimmy Medranda, Diego Rubio, Daniel Salloi Subs Not Used: Adrian Zendejas, Amer Didic, Seth Sinovic, Soni Mustivar, Kevin Oliveira, Gerso
Houston Dynamo: Tyler Deric; A.J. DeLaGarza, Adolfo Machado, Leonardo, DaMarcus Beasley; Ricardo Clark (C), Tomas Martinez (Vicente Sanchez 72), Juan Cabezas; Alberth Elis, Erick Torres (Mauro Manotas 90), Alex (Romell Quioto 66) Subs Not Used: Joe Willis, Jalil Anibaba, Dylan Remick, Eric Alexander StatsSKCHOU Shots2714 Shots on Goal72 Saves29 Fouls811 Offsides21 Corner Kicks96
Misconduct Summary:
HOU -- Erick Torres (caution; unsporting behavior) 67
HOU -- A.J. DeLaGarza (caution; unsporting behavior) 85
SKC -- Latif Blessing (caution; unsporting behavior) 94+
Scoring Summary:
None
Referee: Kevin Stott Assistant Referee: Kermit Quisenberry Assistant Referee: Craig Lowry Fourth Official: Ryan Cook VAR: Hilario Grajeda
(Oct. 15, 2017) -- Sporting Kansas City (12-8-13, 49 points) punched its ticket to the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs following a 0-0 draw against the Houston Dynamo (12-10-11, 47 points) on Sunday night at Children's Mercy Park.
The result clinches a club-record seventh straight playoff appearance for Sporting KC - the third-longest active streak in Major League Soccer - but drops the side to fourth place in the Western Conference after the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC both claimed home victories on Sunday evening.
With Sporting KC two points behind first-place Vancouver Whitecaps FC and a point behind both Portland and Seattle, the stage is set for a dramatic Decision Day next Sunday when Manager Peter Vermes' men wrap up the regular season at rivals Real Salt Lake (12-15-6, 42 points). The road test is one of 11 MLS matches that will kick off simultaneously at 3 p.m. CT.
The playoff-bound Dynamo, who salvaged a point Sunday behind a brilliant nine-save performance from goalkeeper Tyler Deric, sit two points behind Sporting KC in fifth place, while Real Salt Lake is one of three teams fighting for the sixth and final postseason spot in the West.
Vermes fielded a bolstered lineup from Wednesday's 2-1 loss in Houston, with U.S. internationals Matt Besler, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi accounting for three of the five changes. Cristian Lobato was deployed as a left back - joining Besler, Zusi and Ike Opara in defense - while Diego Rubio was reintroduced as the center forward in an attack that also featured Jimmy Medranda and Daniel Salloi.
Zusi wasted little time getting involved in his return to the lineup and nearly fired his club ahead in stunning fashion, unleashing a 35-yard piledriver that sizzled inches wide of the far left post in the 11th minute. Not long later, Salloi cut centrally from the left wing and forced the first stop from the busy Deric, whose nine saves set a new career-high.
Vermes' men continued to gain steam and again went agonizingly close in the 34th minute, but Zusi's wonderfully struck free kick bent over Houston's four-man wall and caromed high off the top of the crossbar. Rubio won a header on the ensuing rebound that deflected off Houston defender Adolfo Machado and was pushed aside by the sprawling Deric for his best save of the night.
Rubio found the back of the net following a superb combination with Salloi on 36 minutes, but the offside flag was raised. Salloi asked further questions of the Dynamo backline shortly thereafter, but his shot from the top of the box was smothered by Deric.
The final chance of the first period saw Houston breathe another sigh of relief. Rubio's cross from the left wing was headed errantly by Machado, requiring Deric to make a terrific reflex stop. Medranda latched onto the loose ball with an acrobatic scissor kick from the right side of the box, but Leonardo was stationed near the goal line to make a pivotal block that kept his side level heading into the break.
Houston head coach Wilmer Cabrera had made six lineup changes of his own, with the likes of Alex and Alberth Elis strengthening the attack, yet the Dynamo spent almost all of the second half weathering Sporting KC's siege on goal. Deric denied Feilhaber twice near the hour-mark before thwarting Salloi, whose side volley off a Zusi cross was cleanly hit.
Sporting KC's pressure intensified over the final quarter-hour, but the hosts were left exasperated again in the 76th minute when Rubio's thunderous attempt from 18 yards rattled off the woodwork and out of play. The Chilean threatened again early in second-half stoppage time, but his header off Zusi's corner kick sailed off target.
Another sold-out crowd at Children's Mercy Park drew a collective gasp of disbelief in the 96th minute when Houston survived their largest scare of the night. Medranda's low cross from the left side ricocheted off Machado to substitute Latif Blessing, whose effort from point-blank range was turned away by Deric's outstretched left hand. The Dynamo were then able to clear the danger as referee Kevin Stott blew the full-time whistle.
QUOTES
Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
Initial thoughts on match...
"We dominated, we didn't give anything away. We should have scored. I don't know what else to say, we couldn't stick the ball in the back of the net. We had too many good chances. Their goalkeeper played really well, he was the man of the match for sure. Even at the end there, we should have scored on the last play of the game. If you're two yards out and have a wide open net, you have got to score.
Thoughts on the build-up leading to scoring chances tonight...
"[The build up] was very good. They didn't have anything and we had all the chances in the world, and we just didn't score. If you're two yards away from the goal, with the goalkeeper to the left and 10 feet of the goal in front of you, you've got to stick it in the net. Unfortunately I can't get my foot on the field."
On meaning of result...
"Well, it was good we got in the playoffs, but we've put ourselves in the position where we're going to have to fight it out. We'll have to wait until the last game like the last couple of years but unfortunately it's because of missed chances. That's what it does to you. If you miss chances and don't score, that will put you in that position."
On lack of recent scoring...
"If you can't score, it always bothers you. But I wouldn't say that we can't score, we scored last game and we didn't keep the game. I'm just disappointed that we didn't get one- when you have as many chances as we had, I'm just a little disappointed. We played well, though."
Sporting KC Midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On what was missing after having 27 shots...
"We weren't clinical in front of goal. I had, I don't know how many shots and couldn't put one away and really there's not many words you can come up with to describe how frustrating it is to not put one away in that game."
On the significance of the final week of the season needing a win to guarantee a home playoff game...
"We put ourselves, again, in a really difficult position after getting two points in the last four games, which hasn't been good enough. So now we have a similar position that we put ourselves in the last three years where it's tough to get a result on the road, have to get three points where we're scoreboard watching and hopefully somebody else doesn't get the result that (they) want. It's incredibly frustrating not getting the results that we needed in these last four games, especially tonight where everything was there for us. Then as soon as today's over, we've got to get ready for Salt Lake knowing that essentially it's three points or we're bust really. I don't think a draw or a loss makes any difference, so it's three points or whatever else."
On if there's a difference in mentality heading into the last game knowing what happened the last three years...
"It's tough right now, it's all about putting yourself in the right position and right now we haven't put ourselves in the right position. It's what we've talked about for 10 months and we've been doing everything really well and we're not finishing the right way right now. We have one game to right our wrongs the last four games, but it's a much more difficult task now at hand than it was four games ago. There's not much to describe how disappointing this is right now today."
On the frustration that the team is playing well but still laboring into the playoffs...
"I don't think we're backing into the playoffs, I think we're just putting ourselves in a much more difficult path to get to the final. Playing a (knockout round) playoff game, which now seems almost inevitable, and then playing potentially away from home which is - of all the teams in the league we probably know better than anyone how difficult that can be - so we're going to do everything we can to win in Salt Lake, but having said that means we've got to win an away game anyway to get that home game. Either way we've got to win an away game now and we know it's very difficult in MLS to get those results but that's the task that we have in front of us."
Sporting KC Defender Graham Zusi
On if there are positives to take from the game with the amount of chances created...
"I don't know. I guess the fact that we got so many shots off and created so many chances, that's a positive, but it's kind of reaching to be honest. I think we have to finish one of those chances. We had too many shots, too many opportunities to not come away with a goal there."
On if it was just an off-day offensively...
"No. That happens sometimes, I think we can be a little bit more clinical and a little bit more ruthless around the box but sometimes it goes that way."
Houston Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera
Thoughts on clinching a playoff berth...
"I'm really happy for the group, for this team. From the beginning, we have put our goal, our objective and we have achieved that goal. Now, we are going to try and keep pushing because we have a good mentality and we still have one more game to play. It's at home so we have to continue pushing. This is good momentum for us, as a team. And good momentum for the players. It definitely helped us to play against Sporting Kansas City, a very talented team, a strong team and that's something that is going to help us to prepare for what is coming in front of us."
Thoughts on Tyler Deric's performance...
"He came up very strong today. Tyler [Deric] showed his personality and his desire to be in the playoffs and he came out strong. He was very sharp and he was very good and because of him, we kept the team to zero goals and the defense worked very hard. Then, we created some opportunities to score some goals but they defended well. It was a very tough game, but it was a very good game for us."
On needing a strong performance from Tyler to get the result tonight...
"As a manager, you have to take anything into consideration. Four days ago, we were very good and we beat this team. Today, they were strong and coming after us. They couldn't beat us and we also created some options. They created some very good chances which is normal at home. They have to take the risk because if they don't take the risk, at home, it's complicated. But we managed things very well. We could have won, they could have won and that's why I think it was a very good game."
On the team securing a playoff berth...
"The most important thing is everything is working for the Houston Dynamo with the plans and the goal from the beginning. I'm honored to be part of this project and I'm happy we have achieved, all together, this first goal but we are not going to relax. We are not comfortable and we want more."
On Alberth Elis...
"He was flying and he is a threat. That's why he has been so important to the team this season. The same way with Vicente [Sanchez] who is 37 years old and creating those chances and being so important. Everyone on the team, the good thing is at the end, we have had mostly 31 or 32 different lineups for different reasons. But everyone has played and everyone has been important for the team so at the end, everyone deserves credit."
Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric
Thoughts on tonight's match...
"It was a great team performance from everybody. From the top down, everybody was working hard, blocking shots. I give it to Kansas City. They are a tough team to play against. We know what it's going to take, that mental concentration for the entire 90 minutes to get a result here and I think we did that tonight."
On helping his hometown team achieve a playoff berth...
"I was with the team when we were in the playoffs and it was a good feeling. I've been desperate to get back ever since and I'm just trying to do whatever I can to contribute any way I can to help this team get there. Our goal was to get to the playoffs - that was our first goal - and we have many more goals after that."
On his performance tonight...
"You just take it one minute at a time, one shot at a time and focus on putting your guys in the right spots to make it difficult for Sporting Kansas City to beat us. I thought we did a very good job tonight. It took everybody with that concentration and willingness to put it all on the line and it's a lot of fun to play behind a group of guys that are willing to do that for you."
On the save at the end of the match...
"It's just one of those balls that's moving around. You just try to keep your head on a swivel and do whatever you can to keep that ball out of the back of the net."
On how this match prepares the team for the playoffs...
"You want to test yourselves against the best teams. Kansas City is a very good team. They are a playoff team and that is what we are going to see in the next couple weeks. I think it's a good test for this team. We came out well and now it's time to use what we learned today against Chicago [Fire] and in the games after that."
Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark...
On his journey with the Dynamo and where this team is now...
"It says a lot about what we went out to accomplish this year. We set a lot of goals and one of those goals was to make playoffs and it's been a long season and I think with our approach game in and game out we had a plan and we stuck to our plan and so far we've been able to achieve one of those goals."
On Tyler Deric's performance...
"Down this last stretch he's been huge for us. He's been on top of his game. He has been leading us in the locker room and through his play. Keeping us in games and making big saves so we are thankful to have him on our team and he's going to be great for us moving forward."
On everyone on the team stepping up...
"Our approach has always been the team, fulfilling our roles and different responsibilities within the team. We have had contributions from everybody. From the young players to the RGV players who have stepped up in different games to the veterans to everybody and we're thankful that everybody can be counted on when called upon. That's something special when everybody can contribute when making the playoffs this year."
On finding out that you qualified for the playoffs when you got off the pitch...
"Thankfulness. Just thankfulness. Like I said, we set a couple goals this year and one of them was to make playoffs. We enjoy the moment and then we get back at it, because there's a lot more room for other things to accomplish so that's the approach we take."
On the fact that there is still a lot of movement that can happen in the final week of the regular season...
"Exactly. It would be nice to get some good positioning for the playoffs. Like I said, our approach is going to be taking it one game at a time, one practice at a time and just keep moving forward."
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