Twenty years on from the first ever match in Major League soccer between Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids ended in the reciprocal of the original scoreline as the visitors left Kansas City, Kansas with a 2-1 road victory.
With many starters on the bench for Sporting Kansas City Peter Vermes went to his reserves to win the day. But when Lawrence Olum was dispossessed and played a perfect ball to Luis Solignac it was just not to be Sporting’s night.
Former greats such as Digital Takawira, who scored a brace in that inaugural game against Colorado, leading the Cauldron in the opening match chant of “I believe that we will win” sparked the crowd into a frenzy but the squad didn’t show as much life until the end of the second half.
Diego Rubio had the best opportunity in a lacking first half for Sporting. Connor Hallisey poked a ball across the goal back and Zac MacMath but the Chilean was unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
In the second half Vermes went to Brad Davis, Dom Dwyer, and Benny Feilhaber to find the spark to gain the day’s points.
The gamble paid off as Hallisey was able to put a ball in play that Dwyer headed home to level the match.
Shame that Pablo Mastroeni seems to have Sporting KC’s number of late. The former defender has led the Rapids to three consecutive wins against Sporting.
Dillon Serna had a long range shot go off the goal post only to end up ripe for the picking for Shkelzen Gashi to put in and silence the crowd at Children’s Mercy Park. Despite the match being held mid-week Sporting had their 74th straight sellout with 19, 168 in attendance.
For Sporting Kansas City they have a quick turnaround as they head south to Frisco to take on FC Dallas in a match that will be telecast nationwide on Fox Sports 1.
Sporting Kansas City
Columbus Crew
