MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Earns 1-0 Road Win at NYCFC

March 28, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City secured a 1-0 road victory on Saturday against New York City FC, handing the expansion side their first MLS defeat in front of a sold-out crowd of 27,545 - including 200 of the team's traveling supporters - at Yankee Stadium. Ike Opara headed home a Matt Besler throw-in for his second goal of the season and Luis Marin made three saves to extend the team's current shutout streak to 197 minutes.

Sporting KC's two central defenders combined for the game's lone goal at the 12-minute mark. With eight NYCFC players stationed in the goal mouth to defend the throw-in, Opara rose above Kwame Watson-Siriboe to connect with the 35-yard throw from Besler toward the top of the six-yard box and directed a powerful header past Josh Saunders.

Opara also scored on a header in the club's season opener and now has eight career MLS goals, five of which have come since 2013 - third most by an MLS defender over the last three seasons. Similarly, Besler has eight career MLS assists and all but two have come from throw-ins.

New York City FC, who led the East entering Saturday's inaugural match-up, were held scoreless for the second straight week. Marin was called into action early on Saturday with his first of three saves coming on a Ned Grabavoy attempt in the opening minute. Colombian Javier Calle logged a game-high four shots in his first MLS start - in place of Adam Nemec (international duty) and David Villa (injury) - but was twice turned away by Marin with efforts from outside the penalty area in the 40th and 55th minutes.

Sporting Kansas City came close to doubling their lead in the 64th minute through the playmaking abilities of Benny Feilhaber. The World Cup veteran fed Dom Dwyer behind the NYCFC backline with a pass from midfield, however Saunders raced off his line to win the ball with a sliding challenge.

Both sides were missing key players and Sporting Kansas City saw Graham Zusi exit in the 39th minute due to injury (hamstring). In addition, the visitors were without 2015 starters Roger Espinoza (international duty), Marcel de Jong (international duty) and Krisztian Nemeth (injury) while NYCFC were shorthanded due to the absences of Shay Facey (suspended), Khiry Shelton (international duty), George John (injury) and Sebastian Velasquez (injury).

Sporting Kansas City is now 7-1-2 in initial meetings against expansion (or relocated) clubs since 2005 and adds Yankee Stadium to the list of stadiums in which clubs have suffered their first loss against KC (BBVA Compass Stadium, BMO Field, Qwest Field, Rio Tinto Stadium, Robertson Stadium and Spartan Stadium). Coincidentally, Saturday's match was Sporting Kansas City's 300th regular season road game and the team's 100th road win across all competition in club history.

The team now returns home to host the Philadelphia Union at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 5 at Sporting Park live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. A limited number of tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com and the first 10,000 fans inside the gates will receive a commemorative Dom Dwyer print, painted by Kansas Citian John Bukaty and presented by adidas.

FAST FACTS

Sporting KC defeated New York City FC 1-0 at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, giving the expansion side their first loss in team history. Sporting KC has now handed MLS teams their first loss in a home stadium on seven occasions. During the MLS expansion era (2005-present), Sporting KC is now 7-1-2 against expansion (or relocated) teams in the inaugural meetings.With the loss, NYCFC falls to 1-1-2 in 2015 and sits in third place in the Eastern Conference.Servando Carrasco made his first start for Sporting KC, replacing Roger Espinoza in the midfield. Espinoza is on international duty with Honduras. Captain Matt Besler moved into a tie with Mo Johnson for eighth place on the club's all-time appearances list with 184 appearances in all competitions.Seth Sinovic returned to the Sporting KC backline, replacing Marcel de Jong who is with the Canadian National Team.Sporting KC was also without Erik Palmer-Brown (US U20's), Jon Kempin (loan), Mikey Lopez (loan), Chance Myers (injury) and Krisztian Nemeth (injury) on Saturday. NYCFC Designated Player David Villa was unavailable on Saturday due to an adductor strain. NYCFC was also without Shay Facey (suspension), Khiry Shelton (US U23's), Adam Nemec (Slovakia), George John (injury) and Sebastian Velasquez (injury).Ike Opara scored the game-winning goal on Saturday, heading Matt Besler's throw-in past NYCFC's Josh Saunders. The assist is Besler's eighth of his career and six have come from throw-ins.Opara has two goals in four matches in 2015 after missing the majority of the 2014 MLS season with an ankle injury. Opera's two header goals leads all MLS players in 2015.Opara made nine interceptions on Saturday and leads the League with 25 interceptions through the first four matches in 2015. Opara also led all players with 10 duels won, including nine aerials on Saturday.Opara and Besler led all players with 13 clearances on Saturday.Dom Dwyer suffered six fouls on Saturday, tied for the most by a player in an MLS match this season. Saturday marked the 300th MLS road game played by Sporting KC all-time and the 100th road victory across all competitions for the club.Sporting KC has secured back-to-back shutouts against the Portland Timbers and now NYCFC. The team's 197-minute shutout streak is the third longest active streak in MLS currently behind only Colorado and Dallas. Midfielder Mikey Lopez, on loan to USL affiliate OKC Energy FC, started and played 77 minutes on Saturday in the team's season-opening 1-1 draw at the Tulsa Roughnecks FC.

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