On This Day presented by UMKC takes daily strolls down memory lane and celebrates memorable moments in Sporting Kansas City history. As one of Major League Soccer's proud charter members, Sporting has a decorated past full of thrilling victories, amazing goals, momentous off-the-field developments and more. This series pays tribute to these specific instances, turning back the clocks while treating fans to nostalgia and club history lessons. For more, visit SportingKC.com/OnThisDay.
Five years ago today, the largest regular season crowd in Children's Mercy Park history watched Sporting Kansas City claim a momentous 1-0 victory over Western Conference heavyweights Seattle Sounders FC.
Playing in front of 21,505 fans on a hot and humid Saturday night, Benny Feilhaber converted an 84th-minute penalty kick to help Sporting snap a nine-game winless run against the Sounders, the longest drought against a single opponent in team history.
Tim Melia made six saves en route to the shutout, his MLS career-high at the time, and became the first Sporting goalkeeper ever to go unbeaten in his first six league appearances for the club.
Manager Peter Vermes' men would hold the Sounders without a shot in the game's final 30 minutes and secured the win with a goal in the late stages. After Roger Espinoza played Dom Dwyer into the penalty area, the Englishman held off Zach Scott and beat goalkeeper Stefan Frei to the ball before a collision that produced the penalty. Feilhaber stepped to the spot and sent Frei the wrong direction to seal the 1-0 result.
Feilhaber ended the 2015 regular season campaign with 10 goals and 15 assists, earning MLS Best XI honors as one of the league's three MVP finalists.
