Beyond The Box Score: In-form Felipe Gutierrez leads rare comeback in Colorado

Sporting Kansas City matches certainly haven't lacked for drama during the early stages of 2018.

Following a pair of high-scoring victories over the Chicago Fire and San Jose Earthquakes, goals kept flying on both ends in Saturday's 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sports Goods Park.

An ominous start to proceedings saw the Rapids take a 2-0 lead after just eight minutes, putting Manager Peter Vermes' men in an early and unfavorable hole away from home. Only nine previous times in club regular-season history had Sporting KC overturned a two-goal deficit on the road to win or draw.

Undeterred, the visitors would weather the early storm and turn the game on its head.

"It was an incredible desire by the group — a good mentality, obviously," Vermes said after the match. "They believe in each other. They believe in what we’re doing. They know that we had a really poor first 15-20 minutes but outside of that, the rest of the game was ours."

Without question, that mentality was on full display throughout a second period that saw Sporting KC put six shots on goal while conceding none. Firmly on the front foot, Sporting KC kickstarted the comeback on 57 minutes when midfielder Felipe Gutierrez scored his MLS-leading fourth goal of the campaign. In doing so, he became just the 10th player in MLS history, and only the second midfielder, to score four goals in his first four regular season appearances.

MOST GOALS IN FIRST FOUR APPEARANCES
(MLS REGULAR SEASON, ALL-TIME)

Sporting KC's tails were up during the final half hour, but Colorado took their 2-1 advantage into stoppage time. That merely set the stage for yet another wild ending, akin to the late-game barrage that produced a 4-3 victory in Chicago just two weeks earlier. This time the hero was substitute Diego Rubio, who had been on the field for three minutes prior to leveling the match in the 91st minute with a close-range strike off Khiry Shelton's delectable back-heel pass.

Rubio's goal sealed a 2-2 draw in yet another entertaining battle, marking the 10th time ever that Sporting KC had come back from two goals down to earn a result on the road.

SPORTING KC: TWO-GOAL DEFICITS OVERTURNED ON THE ROAD
(MLS REGULAR SEASON, ALL-TIME)

Saturday's spectacle was the third straight game in which Sporting KC flexed its attacking muscles. The club leads MLS with nine goals through Week 4 after ranking 18th in scoring offense last year.

While the sample size remains small, the offensive uptick has been most pronounced away from home. In 2017, for instance, Sporting KC managed 10 goals in 17 away games. They already have six through two road matches in 2018. Similarly, the team scored multiple goals in two away games last year, a feat they have already matched this time around.

The recent offensive explosion marks the first time since 2007 that Sporting KC has scored six or more combined goals in consecutive road games.

SPORTING KC: SIX COMBINED GOALS OVER TWO STRAIGHT ROAD GAMES
(MLS REGULAR SEASON, ALL-TIME)

"The fact that we scored two to get back into it was great," Vermes said. "To get a point on the road is tremendous, but I really believe we deserved three points. I’m not happy necessarily with the two goals we gave up early. Outside of that, I thought we ruled the game away from home."

Vermes' sentiments allude to a scenario that few would have seen coming before the season started. While Sporting KC has had little trouble finding the back of the net, they have also allowed nine goals of their own. Dating back to the end of 2017, Sporting KC has now conceded multiple goals in five straight regular season games for the first time since 2001.

This coming weekend gives Sporting KC the opportunity to blend its offensive might with a defensive stinginess that characterized the side in 2017. D.C. United visits Children's Mercy Park for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday with tickets available at SeatGeek.com. The first 10,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive an Ike Opara bobblehead as Sporting KC hosts its first-ever Craft Beer Tasting Night courtesy of Anheuser-Busch. For $36, fans will receive one South Stand ticket, a wristband for entry into Sporting KC’s tailgate tent, a six-beer flight of Anheuser-Busch’s craft offerings, and a limited-edition 16-oz tasting glass that can be taken into the stadium.