Sporting KC settles for frustrating draw, while Houston avoids red card for late shove

It was the Gadi Kinda and Alan Pulido show in Houston on Saturday night. Kinda directly set up Pulido’s two goals, which put Sporting KC in position to get a second road win this season.

But a last-gasp equalizer from Houston left Sporting with a frustrating 2-2 draw. Specifically, manager Peter Vermes was frustrated by the manner in which his club gave up both goals.

He said Sporting “gave away” two points.

“We were very good in the game,” said Vermes. “But our smelling of the situation to close the game was not good enough.”

Outside of the defensive issues in closing out both halves, Kinda and Pulido were excellent again on Saturday night.

“They had the same connection when we started in 2020 — the first two games of the season in Vancouver and against Houston,” Vermes said. “Now they’re just getting more fit, and they’re starting to connect again.”

Kinda set up Pulido’s first goal when his first-touch back-heel pass nutmegged the Houston defender and put Pulido clear in on goal. He chipped the ball past Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark to make it 1-0.

Houston leveled the score just before halftime thanks to a skillful passing sequence that gave Ibrahim Aliyu his first MLS goal.

In the second half, Kinda took on Dynamo midfielder Artur one on one in the box and got him to bite; Artur took Kinda down for a penalty

Alan Pulido calmly converted the ensuing penalty kick to give Sporting KC a 2-1 lead.

Pulido’s two goals gave him 10 on the season. He is third in the league in goals scored.

Sporting, meanwhile, held a lead late into the 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time. But a slip from Robert Castellanos and a lapse in judgment to clear a loose ball led to a Dynamo goal from Iván Franco in the 98th minute — and the 2-2 draw.

Vermes’ frustration after the match showed even while giving a seemingly positive answer about Pulido and Kinda’s connection. After speaking on the duo, Vermes returned to the goals Sporting conceded.

Vermes said the coaches were yelling at the players to get their attention as to what was coming.

“In the second half we put ourselves in a position to deal with those kind of balls coming into the box,” Vermes said. “And for us not to be able to get on the end of that ball and be as timid as we were just disappoints me.”

One final key moment in Saturday’s match came after Sporting conceded the second goal.

On the ensuing restart, Kinda faked like he was about to kick the ball, then held off. Several Houston Dynamo players entered the center circle, and Sebastian Ferreira ran up and shoved Kinda to the ground with two hands.

He only earned a yellow card. Head referee Nima Sagahfi told Vermes there wasn’t enough “brutality and force” for a red card.

“The guy comes from 10 yards away and shoves our guy to the ground, and I don’t know how that’s not rough force,” Vermes said. “For him to come from there and not get a red card is unfortunate because this has happened to us a few times. And what happens is that player now plays in the next game, and that’s not the way it should be.”

As for Sporting KC, a quick turnaround is up next. The club will play a home match Wednesday night against Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m. Central.

This story was originally published July 8, 2023 at 10:14 PM.