Sporting Blow Two Leads, Have to Settle for a Point vs Houston

After a strong start by Sporting Kansas City last night the club blew a pair of leads and ended up drawing in the final moments of the game as the Houston Dynamo came back to tie Sporting 3-3 at Children's Mercy Park. Sporting had a major let down after going up 2-0 and again in the final moments and it cost them two points at a critical point of the season when they need to get points, especially at home.

For their early pressure in the game, KC was rewarded with the opening goal just 13 minutes in. A Saad Abdul-Salaam cross found Jacob Peterson unmarked near the penalty spot, his initial shot was saved by Joe Willis, the rebound fell to Dom Dwyer who had two chances to put it away with both being blocked before the ball fell to Peterson again who buried it into the net to put KC ahead. KC was able to double their lead about 10 minutes later on a rocket by Roger ESpinoza as he stepped in front of a poor pass by Collen Warner and fired from about 25 yards out that flew into the top corner to make it 2-0. The two goal lead only lasted four minutes as Houston pulled one back in the 30th as Boniek Garcia found himself with all kinds of space near the top of the box before sliding a ball through to Mauro Manotas whose shot to the back post beat Alec Kann to make it 2-1. After the goal the Dynamo controlled the game, keeping KC pinned back in their own end through the rest of the half, but KC held the lead heading into the break.

Just before the hour mark though the lead was gone, after some work down KC's left the ball was crossed into the middle for Manotas who didn't get a good touch on it but it deflected into the path of Alex, who beat Kann to make it 2-2 with the Dynamo having all the momentum. KC finally started to come back into the game though after the equalizer with Dwyer forcing a good save from Willis in the 66th minute. As the minutes ticked by though it seemed KC would have to settle for a 2-2 draw, but in the 81st minute Dwyer found the back of the net off a Benny Feilhaber corner that was knocked into his path by Espinoza to give KC a 3-2 lead and possibly all three points. Unfortunately that wasn't to be either as Sporting again blew the lead, this time in stoppage time after a silly foul by Espinoza on Garcia. With the free kick about 40 yards out Garcia drove the ball into the box where Raul Rodriguez beat Matt Besler in the air, his header hit the cross bar, bounced off Kann and into the net to give the Dynamo a last gasp equalizer as the final whistle blew just seconds after the kick off by KC.

Wizards Man of the Match - Roger Espinoza - The foul on Garcia aside, Espinoza had himself a strong match with a wonder goal and an assist on Dwyer's goal in the second half.

Player Ratings - Kann 4, Ellis 2, Besler 2, Coelho 3, Abdul-Salaam 3, Feilhaber 5, Espinoza 7, Mustivar 5, Davis 4, Dwyer 5, Peterson 5. Subs Sinovic 3, Hallisey 3, Opara NR.