By BRYAN ROBISON
Sporting Kansas City may have entered Sunday’s Eastern Conference semifinal opener against the Houston Dynamo as the No. 1 seed in the East, but the Dynamo entered with two facts squarely in their favor. The Dynamo hadn’t lost at BBVA Compass Stadium all year, and they hadn’t lost to Sporting Kansas City in any of this year’s three meetings.
Both streaks continued, with Adam Moffatt and Will Bruin delivering vital goals to help the Dynamo post a 2-0 first-leg victory in their Eastern Conference playoff semifinal series at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday.
Moffatt delivered a beautiful 30-yard blast to open the scoring and put Sporting KC on the back-foot, but it was Bruin’s late insurance goal that could ultimately help sink Kansas City when the team’s meet in Wednesday night’s second leg at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Sporting Kansas City’s offense at times looked as if it was still conducting pre-game warmups during the match, as they struggled with their passing throughout the game. An offense featuring Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi, which helped lead the team to the top of the conference, failed to make an impact on Houston’s defense.
Houston made sure to take advantage of Sporting KC’s struggles, as Dominic Kinnear subbed in forwards Brian Ching and Cam Weaver late in the match to put even more pressure going into the second leg. Bruin also continued his strong start to the 2012 playoffs, netting his third goal in two matches, following a brace at Chicago on Wednesday. Bruin finished off an impressive sequence started by Calen Carr to put the pressure squarely on the top seed in the East.
For Sporting Kansas City, Wednesday will mark a welcome return home, after a dismal opening round game. As they return to Livestrong Sporting Park down two goals, they will look to become the third team in playoff history to return from a multiple goal deficit at home since Major League Soccer switched to home-and-home series in 2003.
What did you think of the match? Can Sporting KC come back down two goals? What do you make of Houston’s continued success in the playoffs?
Share your thoughts below.
I am always amazed how well the Orange play during the play-offs. I am still wary of KC attack. Too many good players. Dynamo need to be on attack and not sit on 2 goal lead. this game could end in stoppage time or in goal kicks. I hope not but I feel it could happen.
I’m hoping that whimsical blonde fan with the infamous middle finger from last year’s playoffs gets front row seats again to the return leg… because this is going to be another great outing for the orange.
That was a lovely woman wasn’t it? She did NOT like Carlos Costly
YES!! i hear you, i love watcing her on replay. awesome pationate crowdsmanship. truth is all teams have their pationate fans and their middle finger(s)…love it !!
says guys who attacked the visiting supporters bus after this game. You all bait constantly, its pathetic, go whine to a hack beat writer
It’s high time for Lawrence Olum to replace Collin on the back four. Sure, Olum’s raw talent, and not even superior talent at that. But Collin showed he can be equal parts lazy and equal parts a hothead in Sunday’s game.
SKC’s by no stretch finished, but if you’re going to be down 2-0 to any team in MLS, don’t make it against Houston. No team is better at gumming up the defensive third. SKC has the advantage of their home crowd’s energy on Wednesday, but it could also be their downfall. They’ll take an attacking mentality, but guys like Collin and Myers often take that mentality too far and can get caught out of position on Houston’s counterattack.
Well don’t look shocked. SKC knew the beginning and end of this story before it even started. Houston would be the underdog, Houston would shut down their midfield with quartet of Moffat/Clark/Davis/Garcia and Houston would knock them out of the playoffs for the second year straight. Please realize though, you’re being outcoached more than you’re being outplayed. Dom has Vermes’ number.
Kandji will play at some point wed night.
this series is not over by far. these playoffs have been a lot of fun, regardless the results on wednesday.
Bruin with 3 goals in two games, but how many of those goals came against playoffs teams?
3
The switch back to the 442 has been huge for Bruin. He looks so much more comfortable and fluid.
lol good one …
Hahahaha nice
Pleasantly surprised by how much game Rico Clark still has.
Clark and Moffat have been extremely well in locking down the midfield together. I have been critical of Moffat as well but he has looked good the past few games.
I think Clark and Moffat were effective destroying, although I’m worried long term whether that’s enough offensive oomph from the center to get us there. That Moffat shot was nice but that’s twice-a-season.
I think the return to the 442 was stabilizing and gets Boniek and Davis in positive positions where the 433 was hiding Davis. Bruin then looks better because he gets more service.
I actually felt like KC was a better matchup for us than Chicago, who was a tougher game in the regular season (I think our progress will boil down to matchups this year, it’s all about getting lucky on the draw each round, the right set of East and West teams maybe we can win it, wrong set this is it). I’m not going to get ahead of myself because there are some 3-0 NY eggs that have been laid by us in the playoffs historically, but 2-0 at home is a good result. I expect them to come out attacking at home and we’ll need to grind out the result.
Wow. Houston doing a great impression of West Germany in WC tourneys.
Only if Century link belong to sounders and seahawks were second in the owners pocket but only one can dream. Also, so dynamo played right after the texans game and still got a good crowd in the SUN without a roof cover like texans have, not bad. What was the attendace 19000?oh and by the way so weird that san jose or dc might end up hosting the cup with weird stadium situations. Dc needs to add stands like crew stadium to both endslike it was done for the USA game vs Jamaica and make them super cheap. Another question, giants stadium is pack like always but red bull couldn’t host…
Giants Stadium and Red Bull Arena are no where near each other.
Crowd was about 20,600. About 1500 short of a sellout. Not bad at all, for a match that started about midway through the third quarter of the Texans game.
I was at the game and I thought it looked more like 16-18K. One of the end zones (the one in the sun) was more than half empty. And yes they should try not to schedule games when the Texans are playing.
I was there as well and there was about 20k there. I’m there every home game and there is no way it was 16k. Regardless Disappointed it wasn’t a sell out. The only thing I miss about the Rob was the cheap seats… always had huge walk up crowds for big games.
The game start during a Texans game was not inspired thinking.
Hate Houston and all of the orange thugs, but man they know how to win in the playoffs. Hate to say it but they lose in the Cup.
You must be from Dallas…Thugs in Orange? Houston plays aggressive soccer bottom line. Calling them thugs is unnecessary. FC Dallas should take a page out of the Dynamo book of success and step it up. Lame crowd, lame stadium (in Frisco nonetheless), poor attitude (see Brek Shea) and most of all no Heart. I can keep going.
You cry as much as Ching. 🙂
CHINGate
for all the criticism we got during the Eddie Robinson/Ryan Cochrane years the performance by KC was insane today. Can’t believe the ref let it all go. I guess the Concacaf games and bad refs served as some good practice.
Dude, no-K at the end of Dominic. That is now in both the articles on here. Have some respect for the greatest post-season coach in MLS. Oh, and “the Dom” is schooling the Eastern Conference. Great job by Boswell and Carr today. Bruin continues to put himself in the right position.
Thanks for correcting… I think the Dynamo advance to the conference championship game, but it will be at the death in Kansas City.