FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City combined for five goals – two in the last few minutes – as the Hoops pulled out a dramatic 3-2 victory at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in front of a raucous sell-out crowd.
Kei Kamara opened the scoring for the home team, Omar Bravo and Daniel Hernandez scored goals in quick succession in the second half and Brek Shea combined with Maicon Santos and Bobby Warshaw in the final minutes to shock the crowd of 20,018 that turned out for the match.
Schellas Hyndman’s team broke a three-game winless streak while Kansas City suffered just their second defeat in 18 games, both coming in the dying seconds at LSP. The game was rife with action from the opening whistle with both sides playing physical, pressing soccer on a warm night in the Midwest.
Despite arriving in Kansas City on just two days rest, Dallas managed what few teams have at LSP, grabbing the momentum in the early going with Shea and Santos leading the way.
Still, Kansas City had the game’s first real scoring opportunity in the seventh minute after Matt Besler’s long throw bounced around in the box, eventually popping out to Chance Myers for a half volley that flew past Kevin Hartman’s post.
But the Hoops answered back a minute later as a nifty touch by Shea created space for a cross, which found Santos at the front post. The Brazilan took the chance first time, but his side-footed effort was high and wide.
The next two opportunities for each side came from corner kicks as Santos nodded Ricardo Villar’s in-swinger wide, and Hartman pushed away C.J. Sapong’s sprawling, left-footed shot at the back post.
Hartman couldn’t do anything about Sporting’s next effort, though, as a defensive miscue by Bruno Guarda and Ugo Ihemelu sent Kamara in alone on goal. Graham Zusi’s driving run through the midfield advanced the ball deep in Dallas territory, but a long touched appeared to have killed off the move.
But neither Guarda or Ihemelu cleared the ball, and Kamara ghosted in to pick their pockets and send a low drive just inside the back post in the 22nd minute. It was his eighth goal of the season and fifth in seven games.
Dallas had two cracks at evening the score before halftime, but nobody got on the end of Andrew Jacobson’s header across the six-yard box and Jimmy Nielsen stretched to stop Graham Zusi’s goal-bound clearance attempt.
Neither side made a change at the break and the pace of the game picked up right where it left off with both teams using their pace and strength to try to overpower the other.
Each side uncorked a few wild attempts from distance, Shea garnered an early caution after a confrontation with Myers then a little luck kept Dallas down just one. Teal Bunbury picked up the ball in the midfield, got his head up and unleashed a dipping drive from 30 yards that Hartman could only watch strike the joint between the crossbar and the post.
Sporting heaped on the pressure from there as Zusi bossed the midfield and the back line kept Dallas on their heels. That paid off in the 68th minute when Bunbury’s shanked shot went directly into the path of Omar Bravo at the back post for a simple finish and a 2-0 lead.
That advantage lasted mere seconds, however, as Schellas Hyndman’s side cashed in from a dead ball in the 70th minute. Daniel Hernandez served the ball into the area, and it squirted through the pack and inside the back post to narrow Kansas City’s lead to one.
Manager Peter Vermes had another headache to deal with five minutes later when Bunbury kicked out at a Dallas defender, collecting his second yellow of the match and receiving his marching orders from referee Chris Penso.
Despite being down a man, Kansas City managed a few more scattered chances before Shea and Santos combined for the equalizer in the 89th minute. Shea found space on the left flank and curled in a cross that found the former Toronto FC hitman, who buried his header in the side netting.
Disappointment turned to despair for Kansas City just a few ticks of the clock later as Shea got free again and found substitute Bobby Warshaw for the game-winning header, silencing the overflow crowd.
Sporting Kansas City is back in action at 5:00 p.m. CT on September 5 against the Los Angeles Galaxy at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.