The Sounders left the pitch with ire for referee Ismail Elfath  after he called a controversial penalty on Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 82nd minute.

Elfath whistled Frei for clipping a charging Dom Dwyer inside the box. Benny Feilhaber converted the penalty kick for the game-winning tally.

Sporting KC’s (6-2-6, 24 points) win moved them within two points of the conference leading Sounders (8-3-2, 26 points) to remain unbeaten at home (5-0-3).

Credit SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia for his heroics in keeping the visitors off the scoreboard. He made six saves to record his third consecutive shutout and fourth in six games. Melia became the first Sporting player to be unbeaten in his first six starts (4-0-2). 

Melia’s goalkeeping counterpart Stefan Frei was also active. He stopped forward Graham Zusi’s attempt to break the scoreless deadlock with less than five minutes left in the first half. Frei dove to his right and made a two-handed reaction deflection on Zusi’s bullet from outside the box to keep the game even.

In the opening three minutes of the second half, Melia was in perfect position to catch defender Zach Scott’s free header. He continued his heroics in the 62nd minute on Marco Pappa’s close-range shot after he eluded several SKC defenders inside the penalty area.

Three minutes later,  Neagle appeared to score the go-ahead goal on a through-pass from Pappa. The linesman raised the flag to indicate an offside call on Neagle. Television replays appeared to show the goal should have stood.

With both teams missing their top scorers, a goalless result appeared in the works until the late penalty call on Frei.

Sporting’s Krisztian Nemeth was out due to an internal call-up with Hungary’s Men’s National Team. CJ Saong is out on a long term injury and Dom Dwyer was only fit enough for the bench.

Clint Dempsey stayed in Seattle to be with his wife after the arrival of their fourth child, while forward Obafemi Martins needed surgery after breaking his nose in the Colorado game.

The loss snapped Seattle’s four-match unbeaten streak.

Seattle returns home for a Western Conference clash against FC Dallas next Saturday. Sporting KC hosts St. Louis FC on June 16 in an Open Cup match.

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