Sporting Kansas City fell 3-1 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in the MLS Reserve League at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Striker Soony Saad scored his second goal in Reserve League play and fourth in all competition this season.
Sporting Kansas City and the Rapids battled evenly for half an hour with several looks at goal each. Jamie Smith opened the scoring in the 31st minute when he received a pass just past the center circle and blasted a long-range shot into the upper left corner of the net and out of Sporting goalkeeper Jon Kempin’s reach.
In the second half, Smith tallied again in the 54th minute by finishing a give and go from Andre Akpan with a one-touch shot from the top of the six-yard box. A minute later, Ross LaBauex dribbled to the endline and slotted a pass back to Kamani Hill who scored to put the Rapids up 3-0 in the 55th.
Sporting KC would not back down, though, and Soony Saad collected a loose ball in the Rapids attacking third, faked to his left to offset a Rapids defender, and shot to the lower right corner out of Ian Joyce’s reach in the 63rd.
The win brings the Rapids to a 4-2-1 record and first place in the Central/Mountain Division with 13 points, and Sporting remains at fourth in the standings with a 2-3-2 record. The Colorado Rapids Reserves next face Real Salt Lake at home on August 5, and Sporting Kansas City faces Houston Dynamo on August 14 in Texas.
Colorado Rapids 3, Sporting Kansas City 1
MLS Reserve League
June 9, 2012 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Scoring Summary:
COL – Jamie Smith (unassisted) 31
COL – Jamie Smith (Andre Akpan) 54
COL – Kamani Hill (Ross LaBauex) 55
KC – Soony Saad (unassisted) 63
Disciplinary Summary:
COL – Harrison Henao (Unsporting behavior) 88’
Colorado Rapids Reserves – Ian Joyce, Davy Armstrong (Idrissa Camara 78’), Eddie Ababio, Joseph Nane, Luis Zapata; Brian Mullan (Ross LaBauex 46’), Shane O’Neill, Kamani Hill (Harrison Henao 63’), Jamie Smith (Dillon Serna 69’), Edu, Andre Akpan (Tony Cascio 73’).
Substitutes Not Used: Steward Ceus, Avery Ball
Sporting Kansas City – Jon Kempin; Michael Harrington, Konrad Warzycha, Michael Thomas, Kevin Ellis (Erik Palmer-Brown 70’); Kyle Miller, Sana Camara, David Leichty (Evans Prophe 76’); Dom Dwyer, Soony Saad, Jacob Peterson (Eduardo Moreno 32’).
Substitutes Not Used: Steve Spangler
= Denotes Colorado Rapids or Sporting Kansas City Academy players
= Denotes trial players
Weather: Sunny, 86 degrees.
