Thanks in part to a sound performance from the club's backline, Sporting Kansas City emerged from CenturyLink Field on Sunday with three points and its first victory in Seattle since 2009.
The 2016 season opener saw center back Nuno Andre Coelho score on his MLS debut, while captain Matt Besler and goalkeeper Tim Melia also made valuable contributions in the 1-0 result. All three players earned MLS Team of the Week accolades from various publications on Monday.
Besler received a nod from Bleacher Report and NBC Pro Soccer Talk, making eight clearances, two interceptions and committing just one foul. He anchored a defense that conceded just one shot on goal from the run of play.
Goal hero Coelho was named among Goal.com's best performers. His 30-yard strike skipped under the mitts of Stefan Frei and into the corner of the net in the 73rd minute, providing the breakthrough against 10-man Seattle. The Portuguese also connected on 79 of his 88 passes on a rain-soaked turf pitch.
The visitors enjoyed the lion's share of possession after Seattle's Oniel Fisher was sent off in the 41st minute, but the result may have been different if not for Melia. The 2015 MLS Comeback Player of the Year joined Besler on Bleacher Report's team of the week after making two excellent saves on Sunday. The first came in the 15th minute when he dove to touch Clint Dempsey's free kick attempt over the bar. In the 53rd minute, he parried a long-range blast from Andreas Ivanschitz onto the woodwork.
Sporting KC will host Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday in the 2016 home opener at Children's Mercy Park. A limited number of tickets, including standing-room only tickets, are available via Ticketmaster.com.
