Late goal gives Sporting KC 3-2 victory over Colorado
Sporting Kansas City is earning an early-season reputation for providing late-game drama. This time, it was on the better end of it.
Dom Dwyer blasted a tight-angle, stoppage-time goal in the 92nd minute Saturday, stamping the exclamation point on Sporting Kansas City's 3-2 comeback victory at Colorado.
The league's best road team in 2013 earned its first road victory of the 2014 season. Even if it wasn't accompanied by a noteworthy showing.
"I don't think we were firing on all cylinders today," manager Peter Vermes said. "but what I do think is we tried to keep playing, and we kept trying to push to stay in it. In the end, we scored a great third goal."
A rare goal, too.
Dwyer scored the game-winning goal for the second straight game — his penalty kick lifted the club to a 1-0 victory against San Jose last week — but it was the first tally from a Sporting KC forward in the run of play this season.
Dwyer supplied the final scene in a theatrical second half that included five goals, two lead changes, two penalty kicks and a red card shown to Colorado defender Marvell Wynne in the 85th minute.
Colorado forward Vicente Sanchez buried a pair of second-half penalty kicks — all five of the Rapids goals this season have come on penalty kicks — to give the Rapids a 2-1 advantage, but Benny Feilhaber pulled Sporting KC even only one minute later.
Feilhaber took two swipes to send home a pass from Sal Zizzo, who used his head to redirect a crossing pass from Graham Zusi. Zizzo and Zusi each had two assists for Sporting KC, which improved to 2-1-1.
"That was excellent. I don't know how long it took, but it had to be within 15 seconds (after) their PKs," Zusi said. "Great response."
Instead of settling for the point on the road, Sporting KC pushed forward after Wynne was sent off with a red card. It was rewarded with Dwyer's rocket over the head of Colorado keeper John Berner.
"It's not in our DNA to be satisfied with just one point," Zusi said.
The goal marked the third time in four matches this season that Sporting KC has seen its result change in the 89th minute or later.
Zusi started the scoring in the 50th minute, and the club improved to 14-0-1 when he scores in MLS play.
Colorado, 1-1-1, tied the game when Sporting KC defender Ike Opara was whistled for a handball in the box, setting up Sanchez's first penalty kick. Opara suffered an apparent leg injury on the play and did not return. Vermes was unable to provide an update on his condition after the match.
Sanchez returned to the penalty dot after Feilhaber was whistled for a hard foul in the box.
It didn't take Feilhaber long to atone for his defensive miscue.
"It just showed how strong his determination is," Vermes said. "He worked hard, even though I think it was hard at times to find people, because I don't think we moved very well off the ball. His play again showed a (strong) work ethic on the field.
This story was originally published March 29, 2014 at 7:21 PM with the headline "Late goal gives Sporting KC 3-2 victory over Colorado."