MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Records 1-1 Draw against EPL's Stoke City FC

Published on August 2, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City drew 1-1 with English Premier League side Stoke City FC on Wednesday in an international friendly at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Michael Tonge's penalty kick put the visitors ahead in the 84th minute but Overland Park, Kan. native Kyle Miller scored the game-tying goal in second-half stoppage time to leave both teams level.

The late goal, Miller's first as professional since signing his hometown club on May 30, keeps Sporting Kansas City unbeaten in three straight matches against English Premier League clubs over the past three seasons, following a 2-1 win against Manchester United in 2010 and a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United FC a yearago.

The first chance of the match came in the fourth minute from the home side when Teal Bunbury's attempt from 20 yards out was deflected out for a corner. Five minutes later, Soony Saad took a similar shot from the other side of the box and was just inches from the left post.

Stoke City FC had their first notable chance of the match in the 15th minute when KenwyneJones took a shot from 35 yards out that was struck just above the goalpost.

Stoke again threatened Sporting KC in the 21st minute when Jones thundered down the right flank and shot into the right side netting. Just four minutes later, Jonathan Walters whipped in a great ball from the left to Peter Crouch, who headed the ball high from close range.

Sporting Kansas City responded in the 27th minute when Saad took a low shot from 20 yards out that was denied by the woodwork. The game's first shot on goal then came from Kevin Ellis in the 33rd minute when he was on the receiving end of a corner kick, heading it into the arms of Stoke City FC goalkeerp Asmir Begovic.

The 41st minute saw a chance for the visiting side when Ryan Shotton curled in a cross but Eric Kronberg valiantly came off his line and punched the ball out of danger. The first half ended scoreless, with possession evenly split between the two sides.

Kronberg opened the second half with a huge save in the 52nd minute. Walters slippedpast the backline and into the penalty area, but Kronberg did well to cut off the angle and saved the shot from the Irish international.

The visiting side continued to pressure Sporting Kansas City's defense in the 63rd minute when Crouch took a low, direct shot from the top of the box that was again saved by Kronberg again. One minute later, second-half substitute Cameron Jerome put another shot on frame but Kronberg threw his body in front of the shot to deflect it for his third and final save of the night.

Sporting Kansas City came back with a chance of their own in the 69th minute, when Saad took a set piece on the left flank that just skipped outside the far post.

Stoke City would open the scoring from the penalty spot when Konrad Warzycha was called for a foul in the box on Tonge along the endline. The 29-year-old Manchester native calmly converted the penalty, sending Kronberg to his left and placing the ball into the opposite corner.

The stage was then set for the stoppage-time equalizer as Miller, making his first professional start and second professional appearance, struck in the second of three minutes of added time. Begovic's clearance from just outside the penalty area came straight to Miller, 40 yards from goal, and his first-time headerlooped over the stranded goalkeeper and into the empty net.

The 92nd minute goal, the latest goal scored at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park this season and one minute shy of Sporting Kansas City's latest in all competition this season, keeps Sporting Kansas City unbeaten (1-0-3) in international friendlies under Manager Peter Vermes, with results against Manchester United (England), Newcastle United (England) and CD Guadalajara (Mexico) prior to Wednesday.

Sporting Kansas City will return to the road to face the New England Revolution at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, live on KSMO, WIBW and KMTW. The Members' Club at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park willhost a Watch Party open to fans of all ages. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CT andfans are asked to park in Lot D. The Pick Special ($3 for choice of chips and hamburger, hot dog or bratwurst) will be available to purchase and all Sporting Kansas City home jerseys will be on sale for 25% off.

FAST FACTS:

* Sporting Kansas City started nine of the 11 starters from their friendly versus Montpellier Herault SC last Tuesday. Teal Bunbury and Kyle Miller replaced Lawrence Olum and Julio Cesar. * Sporting Kansas City defender Kevin Ellis appeared in his second match of 2012 with the first team, starting and playing 90 minutes against Montpellier Herault SC on July 24th and starting and playing 90 minutes against Stoke City FC on Wednesday. Ellis dressed in the team's 3-1 win at Montreal on July 4. * Amongst the eleven players in Sporting Kansas City's starting lineup on Wednesday, the group had a combined 17 MLS Regular Season matches started in 2012 with 10 of those coming from forward Teal Bunbury. * Seven of the eleven starters from Wednesday's friendly have not started an MLS match in the regular season during 2012. * Sporting Kansas City forward Korede Aiyegbusi appeared in his third straight match of 2012 with the first team. Aiyegbusi started and played 67 minutes against Montpellier Herault SC, followed by 19 minutes against Columbus as a second half substitute in MLS competition and most recently starting and playing all 90 minutes in Wednesday's friendly against Stoke City FC. * Aiyegbusi is from London, England, which is roughly 150 miles from Stoke-on-Trent. * After signing on July 6, 2012, Neven Markovic has appeared in three straight matches against Montpellier Herault SC, the Columbus Crew and Stoke City FC. * Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg appeared in his second match of 2012 in all competition, starting and playing 90 minutes in both international friendlies this season. Kronberg recorded three saves in the friendly and has now faced Manchester United, Newcastle United, CD Guadalajara, Montpellier Herault SC and Stoke City FC since 2010. * Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer appeared in his third match of 2012 with the first team. Dwyer started in both international friendlies this season, clocking 55 minutes against Montpellier and 90 minutes against Stoke City FC. Dwyer also started in Sporting Kansas City's 3-2 win over Orlando City SC on May 29 in the U.S. Open Cup. * Dwyer is from Cuckfield, England, which is roughly 200 miles from Stoke-on-Trent. * Sporting Kansas City defender Konrad Warzycha appeared in his fifth match of 2012 for the first team, starting and playing 90 minutes against Montpellier Herault FC and he also started and played 90 minutes against Stoke City FC. He played in one MLS match and two U.S. Open Cup games prior to Wednesday. * Sporting Kansas City midfielder Kyle Miller made his second appearance of 2012 for the first team on Wednesday. Miller appeared as a second half substitute against Montpellier Herault SC and started and played the full 90 minutes versus Stoke City FC. * Miller was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas and notched the equalizer in the 92nd minute of Wednesday night's friendly. Miller's goal was his first since joining the club on May 30, 2012. * Miller becomes the second Sporting Kansas City player in as many seasons to score their first professional goal in an international friendly. Kevin Ellis scored for the first time in a KC uniform in the 86th minute against Club Deportivo Guadalajara last October in his third appearance for the club. * Miller's goal came in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, making it the third latest goal scored by a Sporting Kansas City player in all competition in 2012. C.J. Sapong (at D.C. United) and Graham Zusi (at Philadelphia Union) both scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time this year. * The goal is also one minute shy of the latest goal ever scored at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, trailing only Omar Bravo's goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time on July 9, 2011 against Chivas USA. Miller's goal becomes the fourth goal scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time at LSP, joining Lamar Neagle (8/6/11), Bobby Warshaw (8/27/11) and Omar Bravo (9/5/11). * Stoke City FC's goal in the 84th minute was scored on a penalty kick taken by Michael Tonge. * In three matches versus English Premier League opponents, Sporting Kansas City has allowed two goals and both came on penalty kicks. * Sporting Kansas City is unbeaten (1-0-3) in international friendlies under Manager Peter Vermes, with results against Manchester United (England), Newcastle United (England) and CD Guadalajara (Mexico) prior to Wednesday. * In conjunction with the friendly, Stoke City FC held a coaches clinic at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park on Monday. The team also held an open training and autograph session at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Tuesday. * Wednesday's friendly against Montpellier marks Sporting Kansas City's fourth international friendly to be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, following last year's matches against Newcastle United FC (EPL) and CD Guadalajara (Mexico), and this years match against Montpellier Herault SC. * Wednesday marks Kansas City's third international friendly against an English Premier League opponent. Sporting Kansas City has yet to be defeated by a Premier League opponent, earning a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in 2010 and drawing Newcastle United FC 0-0 in 2011. * Wednesday marks the first time in 2012 that Sporting Kansas City went an entire match without making a substitution.Wednesday's friendly was played with unlimited substitutions per an agreement between the two clubs. * Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza is with the Honduras Olympic team and missed Wednesday's friendly. * Wednesday's LIVESTRONG guest was Joseph Charles, who sat in the Victory Suite's yellow chair. * The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies from 2004 and 2012 were on display at tonight's match. The U.S. Open Cup trophy from when Kansas City won the tournament in 2004 was on display in the Field Club, while this year's trophy spent the first portion of the evening in the Members' Club before shifting to the Shield Club for the second half of the night. * Sporting Kansas City will resume MLS competition on Saturday when they travel to Foxboro, Mass. to face the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.

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