Sporting Kansas City forward Krisztian Nemeth and the Hungary Men’s National Team continued their UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign on Monday with a 1-1 road draw against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in Belfast.
Making his 19th international appearance and his fourth career start for the Magyars, Nemeth played 89 minutes and helped Hungary (3-1-4, 13 points) solidify third place in Group F. Hungary remains four points behind group leaders Northern Ireland (5-1-2) and three points behind Romania (4-0-4) with two all-important Euro qualifiers still to play next month.
Hungary grabbed a 74th-minute lead when midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak delivered a free kick into the six-yard area from the left flank. The ball sailed narrowly over Nemeth’s head and bundled off a Northern Ireland defender before Richard Guzmics poked home to give the Magyars a 1-0 advantage.
Nemeth exited the match in the 89th minute, three minutes before Northern Ireland salvaged a stoppage-time equalizer. Niall McGinn’s long-range shot following a half-cleared corner kick was saved by goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, but Kyle Lafferty buried the rebound from five yards out to draw the hosts level.
Hungary currently ranks fourth among all third-place nations in Euro qualifying. The third place team with the most points advances directly to the tournament next June while the remaining eight third-place teams advance to a two-legged playoff in November to determine the final four participants in the competition.
Nemeth has enjoyed a strong first season for Sporting Kansas City since arriving in January. The 26-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions and was named Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month in May. His four game-winning goals in MLS are one off the league lead, and he has scored in each of his three appearances in Sporting Kansas City’s run to the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
