Highlights and context: Sporting Kansas City impress at New York
Sep 19, 2012, 11:38 PM EDT
Getty Images That scary version of Sporting Kansas City – the one that had us thinking “title contender” at the season’s onset – may be back.
That’s not to say they haven’t been a title contender all along. Steve’s got them at number two in his Power Rankings, and they’ve been at the top of the East most of the season. It’s kind of hard to avoid picturing them at MLS Cup … hosting MLS Cup … maybe raising MLS Cup.
The feeling’s been different since they came back to earth. Sporting’s lost the aura they had during that torrid start, and we’ve been distracted by New York, Houston, and Chicago.
But tonight, with two early goals at Red Bull Arena, Sporting got our attention. For one night, that title contending form was definitely back. And the key to that form: Get a goal and rely on that suffocating defense.
Tonight, the goals came for set pieces. Kansas City took advantage of a confused Red Bull defense (and Heath Pearce keeping half the team onside) for their first, while Kei Kamara hammered home the second from a Graham Zusi restart.
New York tried to come back, but Sporting was always more likely to score the next goal.
With the win, Sporting’s five up on New York, four up on Chicago (who have a match in hand).
Here are your highlights:
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- jerichowhiskey - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:46 AM
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The cracks Henry talked about shattered. Backe has no idea how to instill defending to the entire team and it’s what cost us the play-offs the previous two years and may well cost us a third year. Some point out Backe has brought about the best record New York has ever had, but given this was the Metrostars, that’s not saying much.
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- tylerbetts - Sep 20, 2012 at 8:22 AM
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KC looks good. Very good. If my team can’t hoist the Cup, there are a lot worse options to win it than KC. And, I don’t have a lot of faith in my team hoisting the cup.
Plus, it would give me the added satisfaction of explaining to my non-soccer watching friends how KC this year and LA last year both won “doubles”, but they were different doubles.
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- bobinkc - Sep 20, 2012 at 10:58 AM
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Now if the boys in blue could only do that at home on a regular basis! I missed the game (celebrating our son-in-law passing his ARNP boards) but caught the last 5 minutes and the post-game show and highlights. Beautiful execution, great defense, holy terrors on the field. I’m surprised NY could even catch a breath; the defense sucked all the air out of the stadium.
I can see SKC lofting the Cup easily if they can maintain the same focus they had at the beginning of the season and have refound the last several games.
