Photo Credit: Graham Green
After a lively first half featuring two outstanding goals neither hosts Sporting Kansas City nor Los Angeles Galaxy were able to find the winner as the two Western Conference adversaries played out to a 1-1 draw in front of a 75th consecutive league sellout at Children’s Mercy Park.
Entering the match it was to honestly be a really difficult sort for the hosts. After starting the season on three successive wins the club had earned four points from their last six and only a mere point in their last four. Things were looking a little bleak but when you are on the road an a run like that occurs then you can usually write it off as not too big of a deal when you return home.
What was not anticipated was sadly a really poor performance from the home side who faced a team that has a history of making it turn on when the playoffs hit.
The Galaxy has under Bruce Arena won and won often when it comes to the MLS titles they have amassed over the history of the league.
For 2016 many saw this as a roll of the dice as numerous players were brought in for 2016. But Arena has earned enough credit to be given the benefit of the doubt.
Peter Vermes has earned such in Kansas City. Turning a underachieving squad into a winner with one MLS Cup and two US Open Cups in the last four seasons is a respectable haul. But in this match it seemed that the tactics were not there.
Take away Brad Davis’ goal, a piece of absolute brilliance which undoubtedly will win goal of the week honors Sporting very much was playing a simple strategy. Get the ball, retrieve the ball, move it forward, if you can’t do something try and find Dom Dwyer.
Dom Dwyer has covered and very well so by Jelle Van Damme who has a few inches on Dwyer and was pretty much an all covering blanket on the Sporting striker.
Actually take away the moment of brilliance on behalf of Giovani dos Santos who played the offsides perfectly to get behind the Sporting defense to chip Tim Melia in another goal that deserves the credit as a piece of individual skill.
The second half was rather only highlighted by LA Galaxy defender Ashley Cole receiving two yellow cards in the amount of time it takes to down a beer, unless you drink professionally or like this writer.
If there was a third star out on the pitch it was the center referee Chris Penso.
There have been few enough referees who ever get defended and in 2016 it seems the fans and media have been out for blood.
This man held his composure. Called every solid foul. The players hardly spoke a word to him all match. And at the end of the day nearly all fans can’t tell when they have seen an excellently called match that leaves the room for error entirely on their own team.
Sporting Kansas City
