Dynamo End Sporting's Cup Defense

After it looked like Sporting Kansas City just might be turning a corner, after a big win over FC Dallas at home and a good draw on the road with Montreal, Sporting KC fell back into the form that the team has been in most of this season, falling 3-1 on he road to the Houston Dynamo ending their defense of the US Open Cup.

Houston started out quickly and grabbed the lead in only the seventh minute as some work down Kansas City's right side allowed Abdoulie Mansally to get wide open on the wing where he crossed the ball in to Mauro Manotas who beat Alec Kann to give the Dynamo the early lead. The Dynamo continued the early pressure and easily could have put the game away in the first half but some missed opportunities by Manotas and Cristian Maidana kept Kansas City in the game. After a water break in the 30th minute Kansas City came out and finally started to get involved in the game. Diego Rubio forced a good save from Joe Willis on cross into the box, while Roger Espinoza forced turnovers in the Dynamo end with some high pressure. Sporting though was unable to find a goal in those final 15 minutes and went into the half down a goal.

In the second half the Dynamo came out again and looked the more aggressive side. That aggression paid off as Manotas forced a good save out of Kann for a corner. Off the ensuing corner though KC couldn't clear the ball as it went to the back post, where it was headed back into the middle for Alex who just got enough on it to direct it past Kann and into the net to double Houston's lead. From there Kansas City picked up their play and started to come into the game more as Houston sat back trying to kill the game off. Sporting found some chances and in the 61st minute found a way back into the game. Rubio did well cutting into the box and getting some space on his defender sliding a ball across where Brad Davis stepped in front of his defender and tapped the ball home to make it 2-1. Kansas City continued the pressure from there looking to find an equalizer but the Houston defense stepped up and was able to shut down Sporting's attack. Late on it became apparent that KC's chasing the game had taken a toll on them as they were unable to get the ball out of their own end, and the Dynamo took advantage. In the 84th minute Manotas was played in behind the KC defense again and beat Kann for his second goal of the night. The Dynamo continued to pressure and almost added a fourth late on but had to settle for advancing easily over a listless Sporting side.

Wizards Man of the Match - Diego Rubio - Did a great job setting up Kansas City's loan goal of the night with some good dribbling and was a threat when KC was able to get the ball up to him, which as has been the story of the season, was not nearly enough.

Player Ratings - Kann 3, Medranda 4, Olum 2, Besler 3, Ellis 3, Mustivar 4, Feilhaber 4, Espinoza 5, Hallisey 3, Rubio 5, Zusi 2. Subs Davis 4, Dwyer 2.