By SKYLER ROLSTAD
KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Krisztian Nemeth, Benny Feilhaber and Dom Dwyer combined for a goal each as Sporting KC advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinal with a 3-1 quarterfinal win over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.
Dwyer bounced back from a saved penalty in the 61st minute, shortly after Will Bruin’s corner kick goal from short range in the 59th minute. Joe Willis dove to his bottom right to save the kick.
Nine minutes after Bruin’s goal, Benny Feilhaber scored from 25 yards away to draw Sporting level.
“I had no doubt that he was going to score because I just know his [level of] determination,” Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes said. “There was no doubt in my mind he would score.”
Sporting KC gained the advantage early as Luis Garrido was shown a red card in the 29th minute. Garrido’s two-footed challenge on defender Amadou Dia prompted referee Ted Unkel to show him a straight red card.
In the post-match press conference, Dynamo coach Owen Coyle said he felt the red card against Garrido was fair but also said Roger Espinoza should have been sent off for an off-the-ball altercation with Brad Davis.
Sporting KC captain and defender Matt Besler said his team handled being up a man well, even if it took awhile for the team to capitalize on it.
“It didn’t cross my mind when we were playing,” Besler said. “When we were out on the field we were focused on ourselves. I actually thought we did a good job playing with the man advantage.”
Despite the physical play, Houston was the team that jumped out of the gate to challenge Sporting KC. The man advantage didn’t seem to pay off for Sporting KC until the team was down 1-0.
In the 86th minute, Dwyer latched onto a Krisztian Nemeth pass to tap past Willis for the 2-1 lead. Shortly afterward, Krisztian Nemeth launched a shot from just inside the 18-yard box that deflected in to make the score 3-1 in the 88th minute.
Sporting KC advances to the US Open cup semifinal to play Real Salt Lake on Aug. 11 or Aug. 12.
Dynamo are in big trouble. Not because of this game but this game showed the rest of the cards in their hand – and there is no pair, flushes or straight. I don’t even think we have an Ace.
Nice little punch in this game when it was 1-0. Could have changed the game if a red was shown. Either way I think Espinoza will be in some trouble.
Yawn. Nothing new when you hear the Dynamo lost.
I’m not saying that SKC wouldn’t have won this game but Owen Coyle basically gift wrapped it for them putting in Torres when the Dynamo were up. Why not Rodrigez and have five in the back.