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Feilhaber goal, assist propels Sporting KC past FC Dallas

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports
Photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports

MLS matches have a reputation for exciting finishes, but it was an outrageous beginning that set the tone for Sporting KC’s win against FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park.

The Western Conference clash saw Sporting KC win 2-0 against Dallas, behind a strong effort by midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

In the 16th minute, Lawrence Olum sent a crisp back pass to Tim Melia, before the keeper cleared the ball off the line. Referee Jorge Gonzalez didn’t rule it a goal, but upon review it was obvious that the ball crossed the goal line (below). The dubious officiating continued later in the half, when Tesho Akindele was dragged down in the box on a breakaway but without a penalty call decision.

Despite conceding these breakaways and Fabian Castillo rattling the post in the 30th minute, Sporting KC pulled off the victory after the international break. Feilhaber assisted Lawrence Olum’s opener in the 43rd minute and added a penalty kick goal himself in first-half stoppage time.

Yet another controversial decision from the referee stemmed from Feilhaber’s penalty. The veteran midfielder appeared to have gone down under very little contact on the play, which was just a few minutes after a possible missed FC Dallas handball that would have been a penalty.

MAN OF THE MATCH

A good performance has been a long time coming for Benny Feilhaber. His pinpoint assist to Lawrence Olum for the first goal eliminated the momentum FC Dallas had built up and his penalty kick led the way to the win.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

FC Dallas looked like grabbing an early lead in this game, which would have changed the game from an early stage. Tim Melia‘s 16th minute clearance which should have counted as a Dallas goal was certainly a defining moment in this match.

MATCH TO FORGET

After the early craziness in the game, Sporting KC actually created some chances which kept FC Dallas on its heels. FC Dallas playmaker Mauro Diaz struggled to get anything going for the road side and could have done better in the attack.

Comments

  1. “After the early craziness in the game, Sporting KC actually created some chances which kept FC Dallas on its heels. FC Dallas playmaker Mauro Diaz struggled to get anything going for the road side and could have done better in the attack.”

    He barely played 30 minutes… what an odd thing to single out. They actually looked much better once him and Gruezo came on.

    How many missed calls?

    Clear goal, NOT offside Fabian Castillo scoring, penalty OR red card for denial for Tesho, handball on Zimmerman.

    I basically didn’t even care to watch this after half.

    Reply
  2. Worse than the missed own goal call were the two missed penalties for fouls on Tesho, once in the first half getting pulled down and then in the second half when Melia made no play for the ball and just threw a shoulder into his chest. But if you touch baby Benny on his wittle toesies, he falls over and gets the call…add to that the countless misawarded throw-ins and other foul no-calls, there was no way SKC was going to lose this game.

    Absolutely shambolic officiating, hardly any redeeming moments during the whole match.

    Reply
    • The call on that non-goal was shameful, yes. As is the sport’s continued failure to take steps to help improve the system and prevent such calls.

      Whether one team or the other deserved to win is of course an entirely different question, and may be an entirely independent one.

      Reply
      • Don’t blame the sport for this, goal line technology exists as do end line referees. Both methods of detection exist and are efficient. Both methods are also very expensive to implement, especially the former, and so a conscious decision to do so must be made by every league independently. Soccer governing bodies cannot impose this, except in their own tournaments, which they do for example in the World Cup and European championships. And they are starting to test replay on other calls but it is a very contentious issue for legitimate reasons, so will take time to figure out.

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