The biggest game of the past week saw Sporting Kansas City face the streaking Chicago Fire with first place on the line, and the way Sporting KC controlled the match and defeated the Fire with so much on the line made them the easy pick for SBI MLS Team of the Week.
There were some outstanding team performances, such as the ones turned in by Real Salt Lake, the New York Red Bulls and Houston Dynamo, but none of those teams outplayed an opponent as strong as the Fire. Sporting KC showed why they are the top team in the East in shutting down a Fire side that had won seven of eight before last Friday's contest.
Sporting KC not only shut down red-hot Fire star Chris Rolfe, they contained Chicago's attack very well for much of the evening. Graham Zusi did the rest, scoring a pair of beautiful goals for the victory.
What did you think of Sporting KC's performance this week? Which team impressed you the most last weekend?
Share your thoughts below.
Indeed, if some of the fouls that occurred at the top of the box had been called, the outcome might have been different.
2-0 reflects a competitive game, and all games are decided by who puts the ball in the net more, or at all
To say that the game was decided by one team scoring and the other not is not a helpful analysis. While the point about the second Zusi goal is accurate, it ignores non-taken SKC chances to imply the game is closer than it was. I would expect you to back it up with other information regarding the relative non-scoreline stats. Let’s look at them, shall we?
16 shots to 9 in favor of SKC.
6 SOG to 1 in favor of SKC.
59.4% possession to 40.6% in favor of SKC.
Rolfe’s opportunity in the 5th minute was not open-net, Nielsen was in front of the goal mouth (although would likely not have saved the shot had it been accurate).
completely agree with this assessment. all of it.
The game was decided by the fact that Zusi put his first shot on target and Rolf could not put his empty net shot on frame. The 2nd goal was due to a full on sell-out as time expired. So the score line does not reflect the actual competitiveness of the match.
On a side note, the Referee was as horrible as I have seen all year (both ways). Was he a replacement ref?
Stockton to Malone! Nice slam dunk, sir. (should’ve counted as a three pointer with the extra dig on Lance Armstrong)
More loosey than doobie to me. But yeah, gangsta all the way.
Id say its a doobie….and that its more than just him puffin by the amount of smoke in the stadium.
I’m Kidding of course…as the livestrong name would never be involved in any doping controversy..
Is Kei smokin a loosey????? GANGSTA.
Beard of the week: Kei Kamara.
Honorable 12th man: Chris Penso