Sporting Kansas City returned to the Western Conference summit with a 1-0 victory over D.C. United on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park. Felipe Gutierrez bagged his league-leading fifth goal of the season just three minutes into the game as Sporting KC (3-1-1, 10 points) secured their first shutout of 2018 and extended their unbeaten run to four consecutive matches.
The comprehensive performance snapped Sporting KC’s six-game winless skid against a D.C. United side (0-3-2, 2 points) that had triumphed in its previous two visits to Children’s Mercy Park. In scoring the game-winner, Gutierrez became the second player in club history to score five goals in the first five games of an MLS regular season.
Manager Peter Vermes made two changes to his starting lineup from last weekend’s 2-2 draw at the Colorado Rapids. Seth Sinovic made way for left back Jimmy Medranda, while forward Daniel Salloi returned from international duty with the Hungary U-21s to replace Yohan Croizet on the wing.
The hosts wasted no time in landing the first punch, breaking through with less than three minutes on the clock. Gutierrez collected a pass from Khiry Shelton on the left side of the box, weaved past a pair of defenders and uncorked a low shot that deflected off D.C. defender Frederic Brillant and into the net. The play made Gutierrez the fourth Kansas City player all-time to score in four consecutive regular season games and ultimately gave him his league-best third game-winning strike of 2018.
Reigning 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Tim Melia made his first of three saves in the fifth minute, advancing out of the six-yard area to smother Paul Arriola’s shot near the endline. He would make another impressive stop near the half-hour mark, diving low to his right to push away a blistering attempt from Yamil Asad.
The first half was otherwise dominated by a Sporting KC side that created multiple chances throughout the opening stanza. Salloi’s clever cutback pass to Johnny Russell at the top of the box forced D.C. goalkeeper David Ousted into action in the 21st minute, not long before Shelton saw a low drive deflect narrowly wide of the target. Vermes’ men nearly doubled their lead in spectacular fashion on the stroke of halftime when an audacious 20-yard volley from Medranda dipped inches over the woodwork.
D.C. had scored in each of its first four matches this season but found no such fortune on Saturday. The visitors would threaten in the 51st minute, however, as Ulises Segura and Chris Durkin both had their shot attempts blocked before Luciano Acosta’s rebound effort sailed well over the crossbar.
Shelton came close to opening his Sporting KC scoring account twice in quick succession in the 58th minute. The forward raced into the attacking third and pulled the trigger from the edge of the box, prompting a reflex save from Ousted, then nodded a yard wide after Graham Zusi’s venomous strike had deflected high into the air.
Russell was next to cause danger in the 63rd minute, only for his right-footed curler to carom off a defender and marginally high. Less than a quarter-hour later, Ilie’s teasing cross to the far post was headed wide by the leaping Ike Opara.
Gerso Fernandes subbed on for Salloi in the 77th minute and almost found the back of the net twice in the dying embers of the match. He fired just beyond Ousted’s left-hand post with two minutes left in regulation, then rounded the goalkeeper on a breakaway and finding the side netting from an acute spot near the left endline.
Sporting KC will now prepare for a high-profile showdown with the LA Galaxy (2-1-1, 7 points) next Sunday at StubHub Center in Carson, California. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on FS1, pitting a pair of MLS charter members whose Western Conference rivalry harkens back to the inaugural 1996 MLS campaign.
2018 MLS Regular Season
Game 5 of 34
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 18,624
Weather: 45 degrees and cloudy
<strong>Score</strong> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<strong>F</strong> |
Sporting Kansas City (3-1-1, 10 points) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
D.C. United (0-3-2, 2 points) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler (C), Jimmy Medranda; Roger Espinoza, Ilie, Felipe Gutierrez (Yohan Croizet 53); Johnny Russell, Khiry Shelton, Daniel Salloi (Gerso Fernandes 77)
Subs Not Used: Adrian Zendejas, Amer Didic, Jaylin Lindsey, Seth Sinovic, Diego Rubio
D.C. United: David Ousted; Nick DeLeon, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum (C), Joseph Mora (Dane Kelly 87); Chris Durkin, Ulises Segura (Zoltan Stieber 77), Paul Arriola (Patrick Mullins 81), Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad; Darren Mattocks
Subs Not Used: Steve Clark, Kofi Opare, Chris Odoi-Atsem, Ian Harkes
Scoring Summary:
SKC -- Felipe Gutierrez 5 (unassisted) 3
Misconduct Summary:
None
<strong>Stat</strong> |
<strong>SKC</strong> |
<strong>DC</strong> |
Shots |
22 |
13 |
Shots on Goal |
5 |
3 |
Saves |
3 |
4 |
Fouls |
9 |
6 |
Offsides |
3 |
2 |
Corner Kicks |
10 |
5 |
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referee: Apolinar Mariscal
Assistant Referee: Peter Manikowski
Fourth Official: Ted Unkel
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
