There was a downpour last night at Blue Valley Athletic Complex, both of goals and rain, as Sporting Kc demolished New England Revolution 5-0 on a surprisingly wet and cold summer night. The win is just what Sporting Kc needed. A big win in front of their own home crowd has surely lifted spirits both for the players and for the supporters. Maybe this win will carry on into league play as well, SKC will definitely need it as they travel to defending MLS Cup Champions, Colorado Rapids this Saturday.
The First Half
Sporting put out a decent lineup in the first half that saw captain Omar Bravo, reserve league star Chance Myers, and hometown hero Matt Besler start. From the early goings you could tell SKC were the more dominant side. And before you knew it KC was ahead 1-0. The goal came on a cross from Bravo on the left hand side who picked out Chance Myers perfectly and Myers was able to slide it home. After the goal it was all Sporting Kc and Omar Bravo was again causing trouble for New England on the left wing. In the 19' minute that "trouble" from Omar Bravo saw KC take a 2-0 lead as Bravo played in a ball which was deflected and fell perfectly in front of Myers who finished it off from 3 yards away. Then in the 24' minute the left hand side was again pressing and creating opportunities. This time it was left back Seth Sinovic who played in the ball on the left side that found striker Sapong, who slid it into the back of the net beautifully. 3-0 and it wasn't even the 30' minute. After the goal the light rain had turned into a more pounding storm and it was difficult for either team to get some healthy possession, however, SKC were clearly the more dominant side at halftime.
The Second Half
After some hot cocoa and coffee the supporters were back on their feet and ready for the second half as the rain pounded down on the athletic complex, however, the weather could not dampen spirits*. Sporting again seemed the more dominant side in the early goings, but because of the pitch's soggy condition SKC were forced to play the long ball more than they would have liked to. Omar Bravo made way for Ryan Smith in the 57' minute (I'm assuming these are the conditions that Englishman Ryan Smith is used to, but Mexican Omar Bravo is not). Ryan had some powerful bursts of speed and tricky dribbling after his arrival and a goal scoring opportunity that he unfortunately could not finish. But, in the 81' minute Smith provided the assist from the left wing that found center back Collin lurking in the box who finished it off with a stunning header a couple of yards out. The goal just confirmed the suspicion that Sporting were going to finally get a win. And in the 88' minute Sapong wrapped up the win as he took advantage of a defensive error outside the box and finessed his shot into the upper corner. 5-0 Sporting Kc.
*Comedic Gold
Player Ratings Out of 10
Kronberg 7, Harrington 9, Sinovic 6, Besler 6, Collin 9 +, Rocastle 8, Zusi 7, Sassano 7, Bravo 8, Sapong 8, Myers 9.
Subs: Smith 6, Diop N/A, Kamara N/A.
+ denotes man of match
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