Sporting Kansas City is expected to sell out its 100th consecutive MLS match on Saturday when FC Dallas visits Children’s Mercy Park. On the precipice of this special occasion, SportingKC.com is revisiting the club’s greatest goals, saves and comebacks since the sellout streak began on April 7, 2012.
Our second look at a century of sellouts consists of the greatest saves at Children’s Mercy Park since April 7, 2012 — when the first of 99 straight capacity crowds descended on the stadium. The list below consists of saves in MLS home games only, since U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League matches don’t count toward the sellout streak.
After reliving the 10 stops below, vote for your favorite in this poll.
100 Sellouts - Top Saves
Jimmy Nielsen – June 16, 2012
Kick save and a beauty! Jimmy Nielsen stuck out his left leg at full extension to direct the ball wide of frame, much to the dismay of Toronto FC forward Koevermans.
Jimmy Nielsen – Sept. 1, 2012
Toronto FC had grown accustomed to Nielsen stymying attackers by this date in 2012, when he threw himself at Luis Silva’s stinging volley — the Reds’ lone shot on goal all night — in the late stages of a 2-1 victory.
Jimmy Nielsen – Nov. 6, 2013
As the decisive leg of the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals dragged into extra time, Nielsen was forced to make a gargantuan save after Juan Agudelo cut past Matt Besler in the penalty area. Shortly thereafter, Claudio Bieler bagged the series-winning goal.
Jimmy Nielsen – Dec. 7, 2013
If Nielsen doesn’t save Sebastian Velasquez’s spot kick in the eighth round of penalties, the 2013 MLS Cup title goes to Real Salt Lake rather than Sporting Kansas City. For that reason, this crucial stop from the White Puma probably goes down as the most important save in club history.
On the same day Sporting Kansas City received their 2013 MLS Cup championship rings, Eric Kronberg produced a filthy save to deny Bernardo Anor in a 2-0 win over Columbus.
Sporting KC’s first Homegrown player recorded his first career MLS victory in style. With Toronto FC’s Gilberto racing toward goal, Jon Kempin raced off his line to thwart the striker in front of the Cauldron.
Andy Gruenebaum – Oct. 10, 2014
The Hebrew Hammer’s final MLS appearance was an excellent one, as Andy Gruenebaum made six saves in Sporting KC’s playoff-clinching 2-0 win over Chicago. This was the best of the bunch.
Toronto FC nearly got on the board first when Tsubasa Endoh dashed goalward and unleashed a side-footer that Melia touched onto the crossbar. The superb intervention set the stage for Brad Davis’ game-winner eight minutes later.
One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Fredrik Gulbrandsen must’ve thought he had his first MLS goal in the bag. But Melia’s heroic tip over the crossbar denied the Norwegian and ultimately helped Sporting KC to a 2-0 win over the Red Bulls.
Nemanja Nikolic entered last month’s match at Children’s Mercy Park in irresistible form, but the Chicago Fire striker was left in dismay when his snap header was batted clear by the cat-like Melia.
