FC Dallas (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Tuesday, July 11 – 8:30 p.m. EST
Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS
BROADCAST:
ONLINE VIDEO (Will be added to this page when it becomes available)
RADIO (1510AM & 99.3FM)
Winner will play the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) in the Semifinals (Site / Date TBD)
Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 24-13-5 (3-2 PK) | Home: 17-7-1 (1-0 PK) | Away: 7-6-4 (2-2 PK) | vs. MLS: 10-8-2 (2-0 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 3-1 at Houston Dynamo of MLS in Round of 16)
Best finish: 2004, 2012, 2015 champions
Leading goalscorer: Gerso Fernandes, Ike Opara tied with 2
FC Dallas Open Cup records
Overall: 33-16-6 (5-1 PK) | Home: 20-6-3 (2-1 PK) | Away: 13-10-2 (2-0 PK) | vs. MLS: 13-11-3 (2-1 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Won 4-2 vs. New England Revolution of MLS in the Final)
Best finish: 1997, 2016 US Open Cup champions
Leading goalscorer: Four players tied with 1
When Sporting KC and FC Dallas meet in the Quarterfinal round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night, it will be a matchup of the top two teams in the MLS Western Conference. Sporting leads the visitors by one point in the standings, but Dallas has two games in hand.
It is also a battle between the last two winners of the tournament. FC Dallas won the 2016 title in a 4-2 win over the New England Revolution at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. Sporting KC took the hardware in 2015 in a 7-6 penalty shootout against the Philadelphia Union after a game that finished 1-1 in regulation at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa.
Entering Tuesday’s match, Sporting Kansas City is on a six-match unbeaten streak (2-0-4) in league play. Their last loss coming May 27 in a 1-0 loss against the Colorado Rapids. FC Dallas is on a four-match unbeaten streak (2-0-2) with wins in their last two matches. Their last loss was a 2-0 road loss at the Portland Timbers on June 10.
As has been the case in past seasons under Peter Vermes, Sporting’s defense has been a key to their success. With a goals against average of 0.70, much of the credit has to go to goalkeeper Tim Melia. Not only does Melia have nine clean sheets this season, he’s only allowed more than one goal in a game three times in league play. As if that’s not enough, Melia has also stopped three of the five penalty kicks awarded to opponents this season.
If you had to pick a Dallas player to focus on, it would be wise to choose Maximiliano Urruti. Not only does the Argentinian forward lead the club with 11 goals on the season (including three game-winners), he’s currently in excellent form, having scored in four straight matches. As Dallas is on a four-match unbeaten streak, it would be fair to say that as goes Urruti, so goes Dallas.
This is the third all-time meeting between these two clubs with Sporting Kansas City winning a pair of one-sided matches en route to winning the tournament.
In the 2004 Quarterfinals, Kansas City (then known as the Wizards) was led by a goal and an assist by Texas native Davy Arnaud in a 4-0 win. Chris Klein, Justin Detter and Alex Zotinca also scored that day in Overland Park, Kansas.
In the 2015 Round of 16, Sporting KC dismantled FC Dallas 6-2. Dom Dwyer’s four goals, three of them in the first half, added to Krisztian Nemeth’s brace, led the hosts into the Quarterfinals. Dwyer was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his efforts.
Sporting KC has won the US Open Cup three times (2004, 2012, 2015), also reaching the Semifinals in 2002.
Sporting Kansas City, a three-time US Open Cup champion (2004, 2012, 2015), has yet to allow a goal in their first two tournament games, both of them against MLS opposition. KC dropped Minnesota United 4-0 at home in the Fourth Round before shutting out the Houston Dynamo 2-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium in the Round of 16.
The defending champions FC Dallas has been a model of consistency over the years, but have only managed to win two US Open Cup titles (1997, 2016). Only one team (Kutis SC of St. Louis) in the history of the tournament has more Quarterfinal appearances than Dallas’ 16. They started this year’s cup run with a narrow 2-1 home win over the USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks. The game was tied 1-1 heading into second half stoppage time where the Roughnecks put the ball into their own net to help Dallas advance. In the Round of 16, last year’s TheCup.us Player of the Tournament Mauro Diaz scored a PK and Ryan Hollingshead and Javier Morales added a goal each in a 3-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids.
This will be the first Sporting KC match following the death of co-owner Neal Patterson from cancer at the age of 67. It is no exaggeration to say that if it weren’t for Patterson and his partners buying the Wizards from Lamar Hunt in 2006, this club may not exist in its current form or location.
Due to the Gold Cup, both clubs are missing key players. Sporting KC’s all-time US Open Cup goalscorer Dom Dwyer and defenders Matt Besler and Graham Zusi are away with the US Men’s National Team. Dallas are missing midfielder Kellyn Acosta and defender Matt Hedges. Dallas are also missing defender Maynor Figueroa, who is representing Honduras at the tournament.
US OPEN CUP CONNECTIONS: Both clubs are charter members of MLS, operated by tournament namesake Lamar Hunt. Current FC Dallas Technical Director Fernando Clavijo was an assistant coach for the 1998 MetroStars team, one of whose players was current Sporting KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin. Current Dallas USL affiliate Oklahoma City Energy FC is managed by former Sporting KC goalkeeper and captain Jimmy Nielsen.