Sporting KC pulls out 4-4 draw with Houston Dynamo on late goal

It’s up for debate as to what Sporting Kansas City lacks in 2015. One thing it doesn’t lack: a flair for the dramatic.

A goal in the waning moments of stoppage time decided Sporting KC’s match for the second consecutive week.

This time it was a thunderous strike from Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber, whose goal in the 94th minute was the final salvo in a rock ’em-sock ’em 4-4 draw against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.

It was the 37th time in franchise history the club scored four goals in MLS play, but the first time it failed to win a match while doing so. Sporting KC, 2-2-4, overcame a two-goal deficit in the second half, only to fall behind in the 83rd minute and rally again.

“We gave up way too many set pieces in first half,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “We give them a goal before half ends and give them a goal to start the second half. All those things are poor. In a lot of respects we didn’t deserve anything.

“When we went to 3-3 and they kicked off we should’ve really went after them, and we did not. That caused a fourth goal. It was a great way to get back into the game and get a point, but in the end, it’s not good enough.”

Houston’s Giles Barnes gave the Dynamo, 2-2-4, a 3-1 lead in the 46th minute when he scored his second goal of the match.

But it was Barnes’ careless giveaway in the 73rd minute that started Sporting Kansas City’s comeback. Dom Dwyer jumped on Barnes’ errant pass and scored, cutting the lead to 3-2.

The Dynamo’s Jermaine Taylor was shown a red card after being whistled for a handball in front of the Houston net. Feilhaber made the most of it. He converted the ensuing penalty kick, tying the game 3-3 in the 80th minute.

The Dynamo — down a man — answered three minutes later.

“We didn’t recognize the moment when we needed to step on them. That was the time to go and we didn’t do it,” Vermes said.

Houston captain Brad Davis drew a foul deep in Sporting KC territory. He curled the ensuing free kick in front of the Sporting KC net, where the Dynamo’s Raul Rodriguez headed home the go-ahead goal.

That’s where the match seemed destined to end until Feilhaber’s heroics. His rocket from the top of the 18-yard box crashed into the back of the net and gave Sporting an improbable draw on the road — especially considering the Dynamo had only allowed four goals all season prior to Saturday.

“Not giving up is a good thing to have, but every guy in that locker room knows we can be much better than we were tonight,” Vermes said.

Kristzian Nemeth got KC on the board in the third minute with his third goal of the season.

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KANSAS CITY: Luis Marin, Jalil Anibaba, Marcel De Jong (Amadou Dia, 63rd), Matt Besler, Kevin Ellis (Connor Hallisey, 90th+), Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber, Servando Carrasco (Soni Mustivar, 55th), Roger Espinoza, Dom Dwyer, Krisztian Nemeth.

HOUSTON: Tyler Deric, DaMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Taylor, Raul Rodriguez, Kofi Sarkodie, Alexander Lopez (David Horst, 80th), Brad Davis, Nathan Sturgis (Luis Garrido, 84th), Ricardo Clark, Will Bruin (Chandler Hoffman, 70th), Giles Barnes.

GOAL SCORING

Kansas City: 1, Nemeth 3 (De Jong), 2nd minute. 5, Dwyer 2, 74th. 6, Feilhaber 1 (penalty kick), 80th. 8, Feilhaber 2 (Zusi), 90th+. Houston: 2, Barnes 3, 11th. 3, Bruin 1 (Davis), 45th+. 4, Barnes 4 (Sturgis), 46th. 7, Rodriguez 1 (Davis), 83rd.

CAUTIONS

Kansas City: Espinoza, 31st; Anibaba, 43rd; Ellis, 53rd.

Houston: Bruin, 63rd.

RED CARDS

Kansas City: None.

Houston: Taylor, 79th.

OFFICIALS

Referee: Kevin Stott.

Assistant referee: Chris Strickland.

Assistant referee: Apolinar Mariscal.

4th official: Armando Villarreal.

Announced attendance: 21,046.

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 9:51 PM with the headline "Sporting KC pulls out 4-4 draw with Houston Dynamo on late goal."