Sporting KC doesn’t get crucial call in 3-1 loss to FC Dallas

Good fortune was not on Sporting Kansas City’s side Saturday night.

In fact, you might say it was offside.

Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes and his players had no hesitation in saying that about a second-half goal that broke a tie and sent Sporting to a frustrating 3-1 defeat against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium.

In the 52nd minute, Dallas forward Blas Perez found himself wide open in the left side of the box as he chested down a perfect cross from Michel following a corner kick and put the ball past Sporting KC goalkeeper Luis Marin for a 2-1 Dallas lead.

But there was a reason Perez was so open. Sporting KC’s defense had stepped forward after the initial corner was blocked, and the ball bounced to Michel on the right wing, leaving Perez and several other FC Dallas players apparently behind the last defender and offside. But the referee’s flag stayed down and the goal counted.

Vermes was blunt when asked if Perez was offside.

“He was and so were three other guys,” Vermes said. “It’s not a good call. It’s unfortunate because what it does is it changes everything about the game.

“All situations in the game have a cause and effect as the game goes on, and unfortunately this one did.”

The effect was that Sporting KC had to push its attack forward to try to make up the deficit, leaving its defense exposed to FC Dallas’ speedy attackers. That helped lead to Fabian Castillo’s 73rd-minute strike that put the game out of reach. Castillo beat the defense down the field, took a pass from Ryan Hollingshead that barely eluded Sporting KC’s sliding Ike Opara and juked past Marin before scoring in the empty net.

Sporting KC was without captain and ace defender Matt Besler, who was suspended for the game after receiving a red card in the season opener.

FC Dallas took advantage of Besler’s absence, keeping the ball in the attacking zone for much of the first half. Sporting KC’s defense cracked in the 17th minute. Off a throw-in in the defensive end, Perez lofted a long ball that deflected off Sporting KC’s Amadou Dia. Castillo controlled the ball and split the defense of Dia and Krisztian Nemeth. Castillo tapped the ball to Tesho Akindele at the top of the box, who quickly tapped it to the wide-open Perez for a hard shot that easily beat Marin.

Sporting KC tied it in the final minutes of the half with a stunner from long range. Midfielder Roger Espinoza headed toward the goal unmolested after a corner kick and fired a blast that caromed into the net off goalkeeper Chris Seitz’s hand.

This story was originally published March 14, 2015 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Sporting KC doesn’t get crucial call in 3-1 loss to FC Dallas."