KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Sporting Kansas City may have dominated possession, and taken 10 more shots than Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, but RSL needed just three shots on goal to score three goals on the way to an impressive road victory.
Yura Movsisyan and Juan Manuel Martinez scored goals and Movsisyan forced an own-goal by hitting a cross off Brad Davis to give RSL a 3-1 victory on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
RSL put Sporting KC on the ropes just before halftime, when Movsisyan sent a cross toward the center of the penalty area, where it blasted off Davis and past Tim Melia to give the visitors the 2-0 lead at halftime.
Sporting KC responded just five minutes into the second half when Dom Dwyer converted a pass from Jimmy Medranda.
Before Sporting KC could turn that into a rally, RSL struck right back just three minutes later when Kyle Beckerman stripped Benny Feilhaber in midfield and quickly sent a perfect long pass into the path of Movsisyan, who raced in and chipped a shot over Tim Melia for the insurance goal.
Sporting Kansas City returns to action on Friday, at home, against D.C. United. Real Salt Lake continues its road swing with a visit to the Columbus Crew on May 28.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Only one of the goals counted as his own, but Yura Movsisyan created two of the goals in this game. His cross that hit Brad Davis’ back and then the back of the net made it a 2-0 lead going into half. Then, his goal in the 53rd minute sealed the win. The goal just before half was counted as a Brad Davis own goal.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Sporting had some hope to equalize after scoring to make it 2-1 in the 50th minute, but Yura Movsisyan’s goal in the 53rd took that hope away. Movsisyan showed great athletic ability to catch up to a ball that looked well within Melia’s reach.
MATCH TO FORGET
Benny Feilhaber had another tough game on Saturday, the latest in a series of them for the veteran midfielder. His giveaway in the midfield launched the breakaway that made for Yura Movsisyan’s goal to make it 3-1.