Sporting Kansas City Are MLS Champions
Wow, what a match! While competing with a strong college football lineup, Major League Soccer’s MLS Cup Final between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake was easily the best game of the day and I’m sure created a multitude of new soccer fans around the country. The hosts, Sporting Kansas City, won the cup after 10 rounds of penalty kicks in a shootout to decide the league champion in front of a sellout crowd of 21,650 at Sporting Park.
Dec 7, 2013; Kansas City, KS, USA; Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen (pink jersey) celebrates with his team after defeating Real Salt Lake during the penalty kick shootout of the 2013 MLS Cup at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Sporting Kansas City won Kansas City’s first professional sports championship since 2000 when the Kansas City Wizards last won the MLS Cup. The victory also further legitimizes the city’s self-proclaimed moniker, “Soccer Capital of America”. It is the second trophy in as many years following 2012’s U.S. Open Cup win for the club.
The match began with a bit of a bump for Sporting Kansas City when they were forced to use an early sub because of an injury to Spanish midfielder Oriol Rosell, with Lawrence Olum coming on for the rest of the match.
The first scoring chance came in the 25th minute for Sporting KC, when star midfielder Graham Zusi curled a ball in toward C.J. Sapong who headed the ball near post. Real Salt Lake’s impressive goalkeeper, Nick Rimando, made a diving save to keep the match level. Just minutes later, Real Salt Lake nearly took the lead after a punch by Sporting KC goalkeeper, Jimmy Nielsen, fell to Robbie Findley, whose first-time shot hit off the post.
In first half stoppage time, Sporting KC’s Dom Dwyer got in behind the Real Salt Lake defense for a one-on-one with Rimando but the U.S. National Team goalkeeper did well to come out and block the shot.
The 52nd minute saw the home crowd go silent when Real Salt Lake’s Alvaro Saborio received a perfect chipped no-look pass from Kyle Beckerman and hit a strike into the near post and past Nielsen to gain a 1-0 lead. Real Salt Lake had two more shots hit off the post in the 62nd and 73rd minutes. Jimmy Nielsen looked to be a step slow for much of the match while playing through broken ribs.
Sporting Kansas City got their equalizer in the 76th minute. Aurelien Collin, the team’s leading postseason goal-scorer, climbed up to head home a corner; Collin’s third goal of the 2013 playoffs. The goal ended up being the goal that would send the match into extra time.
After two exciting but scoreless extra periods, the MLS was set to be decided by penalty kicks, echoing the U.S. Open Cup Sporting KC won the year before in their home stadium. 10 rounds of kicks later, Sporting KC won 7-6 after Real Salt Lake’s Lovel Palmer‘s shot hit off the crossbar and out. Jimmy Nielsen made two stops for Sporting KC despite being injured.
Aurelien Collin was named Volkswagen MLS Cup 2013 MVP.
Sporting Kansas City will host a celebration of their championship Monday at Union Station in Kansas City from 6:30-8:30 pm, with live DJ, complimentary Boulevard beverages, and chances to meet the players and take pictures with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, as well as MLS Cup merchandise.