Recap: Sporting KC advances in USOC with 2-0 win over Colorado

LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kan.
Attendance: 14,868
Weather: Sunny and 81 degrees

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen©; Seth Sinovic, Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler; Julio Cesar, Peterson Joseph (Lawrence Olum 73), Graham Zusi; C.J. Sapong, Teal Bunbury, Jacob Peterson (Soony Saad 73)

Subs not used: Jon Kempin, Michael Harrington, Kyle Miller, Michael Thomas, Konrad Warzycha

Colorado Rapids: Matt Pickens; Scott Palguta, Tyrone Marshall, Kosuke Kimura, Hunter Freeman; Martin Rivero, Jeff Larentowicz©, Jaime Castrillon (Ross LaBauex 85); Tony Cascio (Kamani Hill 46), Edu, Wells Thompson (Andre Akpan 75)

Subs not used: Steward Ceus, Eddie Ababio, Joseph Nane, Luis Zapata

Misconduct Summary:
KC – Aurelien Collin (caution; reckless foul) 14
KC – Julio Cesar (caution; reckless foul) 33
COL – Jeff Larentowicz (caution; intentional handball) 58
COL – Hunter Freeman (caution; reckless tackle) 85
COL – Ross LaBauex (caution; reckless tackle) 88

Scoring Summary:
KC – Matt Pickens (own goal) 27
KC – Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong) 79

(June 5, 2012) – Sporting Kansas City advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Sporting Kansas City opened the scoring on a header from Aurelien Collin in the 27th minute and secured their victory with a volley from Teal Bunbury in the 79th minute.

Sporting Kansas City will next host USL PRO side Dayton Dutch Lions, who were 2-1 winners over the Michigan Bucks (PDL), at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 26 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets to the match are included for all Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members and will be available to purchase at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.

Sporting Kansas City opened the first half strong, keeping the game in Colorado’s end for most of the half. The chances came early, most notably in the 11th minute with a long throw-in from Matt Besler to Chance Myers in front of the Colorado goalmouth. Myers attempted to re-direct the ball with his heel but it bounced just over the bar.

Sporting Kansas City continued to pressure Colorado with a left-footed shot wide of the right post from Peterson Joseph in the 19th minute of play.

Zusi created another chance for Sporting KC in the 22nd minute when he served in a cross from the left side to Jacob Peterson, who got a head on the ball but hit the right side netting.

Sporting Kansas City claimed the first goal of the night in the 27th minute with an own goal from goalkeeper Matt Pickens. A free kick from Zusi onto the head of Collin was knocked by Pickens to the far post and ricocheted back to Pickens’ gloves and into the net.

Colorado, relatively quiet until then, responded two minutes later with a shot from striker Wells Thompson 40 yards out on the right, but goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made his first save of the night, punching the ball out wide and saving a potential equalizer from Colorado.

The Rapids threatened again in the 36th minute when midfielder Jaime Castrillon played the ball out wide left to forward Tony Cascio, who took a low, powerful shot but hit the side of the net.

Colorado began the second half with a purpose. In the 52nd minute, midfielder Martin Rivero dribbled down the right sideline and crossed to Castrillon, who took a one-touch shot that hit the post. The ball then bounced back to Edu’s feet, but Collin disrupted the play and cleared the ball.

The 69th minute saw end-to-end action in front of the crowd of nearly 15,000 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Zusi had a close-range shot deflected near Colorado’s goal that resulted in a dangerous counterattack from the Rapids. However, Collin was there to thwart the attack from Edu with a confident tackle at the top of the penalty area.

Sporting KC continued to threaten Colorado’s defense when Bunbury received the ball off a cross from Joseph in the 72nd minute. Bunbury retained the ball despite pressure from two defenders, turned and shot the ball low into Pickens’ gloves.

Bunbury’s persistence paid off in the 79th minute when he notched the second goal for Sporting Kansas City. Soony Saad, who entered the match in the 73rd minute along with Lawrence Olum, made a lofted cross to Sapong inside the penalty area. Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura won the initial aerial challenge but Sapong was there for the ensuing header and directed the ball to Bunbury, who curled the ball past Pickens with the top of his right foot. The goal marked Bunbury’s third in U.S. Open Cup play and his third of the season in all competitions.

The final ten minutes of the match saw a physical battle in the midfield but no striking chances for either side. Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen made two saves to earn the clean sheet, his first in U.S. Open Cup play and his sixth in all competitions this season.

Sporting Kansas City will return to MLS league action when they face Toronto FC at 7:30 p.m. CT at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.

FAST FACTS:

• Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens scored an own goal in the 27th minute of the match to give Sporting Kansas City the 1-0 lead.

• The own goal is the third for Sporting KC in U.S. Open Cup history and first since the 2002 semifinals against Columbus.

• Teal Bunbury scored the second goal in tonight’s competition. The goal is Bunbury’s third goal in U.S. Open Cup competition which ties him for fourth most in club history.

• C.J. Sapong notched the assist on Bunbury’s goal. The assist is Sapong’s second assist in Open Cup competition which ranks fourth all-time for the team.

• Sporting Kansas City is 15-12-4 all-time in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action.

• Sporting Kansas City improves to 6-5-1 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup forth round.

• Sporting Kansas City is now 6-8-1 against MLS opponents and 10-5-1 at home in U.S. Open Cup play.

• Sporting Kansas City has scored 61 goals in U.S. Open Cup contests and has conceded 41.

• Tonight’s match marked Jimmy Nielsen’s first appearance in U.S. Open Cup competition.

• Nielsen earned a shutout in tonight’s match marking Kansas City’s 11th all-time in Open Cup play.

• Julio Cesar also made his first appearance in U.S. Open Cup competition.

• Dayton Dutch Lions defeated Michigan Bucks 2-1 on Tuesday. Sporting Kansas City will host Dayton on June 26th in the quarterfinals.

• The match will mark Sporting Kansas City’s 8th appearance in the quarterfinals and second straight season amongst the tournament's final eight.

• The win is Sporting Kansas City’s first against an MLS opponent in the Open Cup since the 2004 final, in which Kansas City beat Chicago 1-0 in extra time.

• The win also marks the first time Sporting Kansas City won back-to-back games in the U.S. Open Cup since 2004.

• Tuesday’s win was Sporting Kansas City’s first against the Colorado Rapids in Open Cup competition. Sporting KC’s record in the Open Cup series now stands at 1-3-1.