Sporting KC 2, Dynamo 1
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Sporting Kansas City exorcised some past playoff demons against the Houston Dynamo with a 2-1 win in front of a Sporting Park record of 21,650 Saturday in the second leg of the Eastern Conference final series.
Sporting Kansas City won the aggregate goal series after the teams were scoreless in the first leg and will host the MLS Cup on Dec. 7.
Houston had ended Sporting Kansas City's season in the playoffs three times previously, including each of the past two seasons.
Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer scored his first postseason playoff goal in the 63rd minute to break a 1-1 tie and give Sporting the victory over Houston.
Sporting outshot Houston 11-7 and controlled the action most of the game. It wasn't until about the 80th minute that Houston started pounding the offensive zone.
Even then, the Sporting KC defense limited the opportunities for Houston.
The action was much faster-paced than anyone expected. Two defensive-minded teams were in attack mode from the start.
Things started quickly for Houston. Following a take-away on a Sporting attack early in the third minute, Houston scored the first goal. Houston forward Boniek Garcia eluded defender Seth Sinovic just outside the 18-yard box, then ricocheted one off the shin of defender Aurelien Collin for a 1-0 lead. Midfielder Brad Davis earned the assist.
But Kasas City forward C.J. Sapong brought life back to the Sporting faithful with a goal in the 14th minute. He intercepted a clearing pass in front of Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall and blasted it in.
Once the score was tied, the pace slipped more into the expected mode. Sporting Kansas City controlled most of the action, outshooting Houston 7-4 in the half. But much like it has all season, the Dynamo mounted most of its attacks on counters. Each team had one shot on goal in the first half.
The second half started the way much of the first half ended, with Kansas City attacking and Houston countering. But Sporting Kansas City took the lead in the 63rd minute on a goal by Dwyer. Forward Graham Zusi passed midfield and served it to midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who weaved through three Houston defenders before getting it ahead to Dwyer, who scored his first goal of the post-season. Dwyer had a chance to get set as Hall fell.
Sporting Kansas City then went into more of a defensive mode, playing keep-away most of the time.
NOTES: Sporting Kansas City owned a 1-0-2 mark against Houston, including a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Houston two weeks ago. ... Houston knocked Sporting Kansas City out of the playoffs each of the last two seasons. The Dynamo reached the MLS Cup final both seasons, but failed to win the MLS Cup. ...The home team in the second leg of two-leg playoff series was 28-8-10 coming into Saturday's game.
