Sporting KC, DC United play to scoreless draw

A day before Sporting Kansas City walked into RFK Memorial Stadium in the nation’s capital, the team discussed using the last four regular-season matches to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.

In actuality, it wanted to do a little more than that. The club still held out hope it could make a late-season surge to win the Eastern Conference.

That hope is dwindling.

Sporting KC played to a scoreless draw with Eastern Conference-leading D.C. United on Friday. Sporting KC used a strong effort to move into second place in the East, but it remains six points behind the United with only three matches remaining.

Coach Peter Vermes credited his defense — most notably central defenders Kevin Ellis and Matt Besler — with earning the point on the road.

“I mean they were excellent. The two of those guys played very, very well,” Vermes said. “They didn’t give anything away.”

On a night when the rain soaked the field, Sporting KC forced the pace of play, but neither team was able to supply many high-quality chances.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum earned a second consecutive shutout after his first eight starts produced none.

Gruenebaum started in goal Friday in place of a Eric Kronberg, who made his return from a hand injury to start against New England on Sept. 26, a match Sporting KC lost 3-2.

“The biggest thing with (Kronberg) is he’s coming off the injury. Unfortunately, it’s one of those situations where his timing is still not there, and there’s not a lot of games to get him going,” Vermes said. “I just think right now I have to go with Andy from the perspective of his timing. And Eric is so closely removed from this injury that I’m not sure he’s got 100 percent confidence in his hand.”

Gruenebaum was tested in the 28th minute with a bullet off the right foot of Fabian Espindola, but he responded with quick-reaction save — his toughest of the night.

Dom Dwyer set up C.J. Sapong for Sporting Kansas City’s best scoring chance in the 76th minute when he headed a pass into the middle of the box. Sapong used his head to re-direct the pass on target, but goalkeeper Bill Hamid was perfectly positioned to make the save.

“I thought that was a great combination between Dom and C.J. with the header, but Hamid came up with a great save,” Vermes said. “All in all, I think it was a very good performance by our guys.”

Sporting KC played without central defender Aurelien Collin, who missed his second straight match with an ankle strain. There will be a greater need for his presence next Friday, when the club returns home to play host to the Chicago Fire. Defender Seth Sinovic was issued a first-half yellow card that will cost him a one-match suspension for card accumulation.

Sporting KC is already thin on its back-line options. Defender Erik Palmer-Brown suffered a stress fracture during practice Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the season.

“I don’t that he’s going to be back yet,” Vermes said of Collin’s chances to play next week. “It all depends on where he is physically. We’ll make that decision as we go through the week.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2014 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Sporting KC, DC United play to scoreless draw."