Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards

2018 US Open Cup Round 5: Croizet’s “best goal”, Salloi’s brace keep Sporting KC perfect vs. FC Dallas

June 17, 2018 by Alan Hainkel

Yohan Croizet celebrates his game-winning goal for Sporting Kansas City in the club's Fifth Round match against FC Dallas in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting KC — Yohan Croizet celebrates his game-winning goal for Sporting Kansas City in the club’s Fifth Round match against FC Dallas in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting KC

For the fourth time in their respective club histories, Sporting Kansas City hosted FC Dallas in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. On Saturday night, Sporting KC defeated FC Dallas for the fourth time in the Open Cup, winning 3-2 in front of 15,238 fans at Children’s Mercy Park.

After Daniel Salloi’s brace gave Sporting a 2-1 lead, Roland Lamah of FC Dallas tied the game in the 77th minute. It appeared as though the match was headed to extra time, but Yohan Croizet, who entered the game to replace Salloi, sent an unstoppable volley into the upper 90 of the goal to send the defending US Open Cup champions into the Quarterfinals for the second year in a row and the third time in the last four years.

The game took a while to get on track as both teams felt each other out. Manager Peter Vermes told the post-game press conference the club wasn’t sure whether Dallas would play a five-man midfield or a 4-4-2. He said they adjusted well to the 4-4-1-1 Dallas ended up in.

Dallas struck first in the 18th minute. Off a throw-in, Maxi Urruti put a ball into the penalty area that Michael Barrios got on the end of. Goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas made the initial save, but the ball rebounded back to Barrios, who put a looping shot back on frame. It initially looked as if the ball was across the line before Carlos Gruezo got a touch on it, but the goal was eventually given to Gruezo, staking Dallas to a 1-0 lead.

After the goal, Sporting KC seemed to get much more of the possession and it paid off. Shortly after having hit the woodwork twice in quick succession, Graham Zusi put a cross into the penalty area from about 30 yards away, finding Ike Opara at the back post. Opara’s header across the goal mouth was tapped in by Salloi from close range to tie the match in the 43rd minute.

After halftime, Sporting continued to take the lion’s share of the possession, taking six of the first seven shots of the second half. That domination led to Salloi’s second goal of the contest. Jaylin Lindsey found Wan Kuzain near the top of the penalty area, who squeezed a ball through two Dallas defenders to Salloi. The Hungarian settled the ball quickly with his left foot and shot with his right, putting the ball past goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez to tie the game.

Combined with his three goals in last year’s tournament, the brace gave Salloi his fifth US Open Cup goal, the most by an active Sporting KC player and second only to Dom Dwyer’s six goals in club history.

In the 77th minute, it was Dallas’s turn to equalize, and the goal came against the run of play. After a poor punch by Zendejas, the ball fell to Roland Lamah. Lamah took one touch, taking the ball to his left. Lamah’s shot then somehow found its way through four Sporting KC players before settling in the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

The match seemed destined to follow last year’s route into extra time, but Yohan Croizet had a different idea. After subbing into the match for Salloi in the 85th minute, Croizet had not yet been on the pitch for four minutes when he hit a candidate for goal of the tournament. While trying to clear a ball intercepted from Khiry Shelton, Maynor Figueroa popped the ball up in the air. Croizet waited for the spinning ball to come down and hit it on the half-volley, giving Gonzalez no chance and putting Sporting KC into the Quarterfinals.

89′ ⚽️… Pin this goal tweet to the moon. @SportsCenter, keep it in your top-10 until 2039. @TimesSquareNYC, don’t show the ball drop on NYE, just loop this greatness.

GAME WINNER. @Yohancroizet #SKCvDAL #CUPSTAYSHERE pic.twitter.com/5FPaUwkoUs

— Sporting KC (@SportingKC) June 17, 2018

After the match, Croizet said, “Seriously, it’s my best goal in my career. In the last minute. I’m really, really happy tonight.” It was the second-latest regulation game-winner in Sporting Kansas City history. The latest game-winner by the club came in the 2006 Third Round when Scott Sealy scored in the 90th minute against the PDL’s Des Moines Menace. “I had the perfect angle,” Opara said. “I saw him winding up. He hit it great with contact. Well, maybe sliced it a little bit, but it was good contact to begin with. The keeper had no chance. That’s a goal that wins a game right there.” Sporting KC will travel to face the winner of Monday’s Minnesota United-Houston Dynamo match in the next round. If Houston wins, the game will take place on July 18. If Minnesota wins, the game will take place at a date still to be determined.

Too many moonlight stunners seem to cool in the warmth of the sun… But last night’s 89th minute winner? Nope! 500 loops later, it’s still absolute . ICYMI: every angle from all 3 goals here ⬇️ #CupStaysHere #ForGloryForCity pic.twitter.com/4wwPTHfWrr — Sporting KC (@SportingKC) June 17, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: Sporting KC begins defense of USOC title with 2-0 win at Real Salt Lake

June 7, 2018 by Shawn Blymiller

Not many teams come to Utah and grab results. Real Salt Lake holds a home record of 113-27-44 overall at their world-class facility, Rio Tinto Stadium, since opening the facility in October 2008.

Sporting Kansas City last eliminated Real Salt Lake in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup play in the semifinals in 2015. Sporting Kansas City again eliminated Real Salt Lake in 2018 with a 2-0 victory Wednesday, with goals coming from Johnny Russell in the 48th minute and Kharlton Belmar in the 74th minute.

Belmar assisted Russell for the first goal, and Russell assisted Belmar for the second goal.

Sporting Kansas City is arguably the hottest team in MLS. It has the third most goals at 28, first place for shots on goal with 89, and currently sits atop the Western Conference of MLS with 28 points out of 14 games. SKC is also the reigning and defending champions of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after beating New York Red Bulls last year 2-1.

Both team coaches’ Peter Vermes and Mike Petke had interviews this week with their local media talking about how this game was set during a very busy time for them. Their normal starters have all played a lot of minutes and that some other guys were going to get an opportunity to step in and show everyone what they could do.

“We came in trying to win the game. At the same time this is a very congested part of the schedule, just like it was for Salt Lake,” said SKC’s Matt Besler. “So we knew that we were going to have to make some changes with the game that we had on Sunday and another big game that we have in Portland on Saturday. So we knew that right away. Fortunately we had a few days to prepare for this game and we gave a number of guys their first opportunities tonight and I think all and all it was a good team performance by us.”

Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City both are really known for their academy programs and producing top talent. With both teams needing to rest some guys there was an opportunity for some young guys to get some minutes. Real Salt Lake started Andrew Brody, Jose Hernandez, and Aaron Herrera, all products of their academy program. While Sporting Kansas City started Gianluca Busio and Jaylin Lindsey. I really enjoyed watching Gianluca play. He just turned 16 years old on May 28th. He is barely 16 years old.

Here is what Matt Besler had to say about Busio’s performance: “I thought he grew into the game very well. It says a lot about him, he just turned 16 years old, the way that he played, the way that he was able to battle and play for 90 minutes. I think that he got stronger as the game went on. He was able to find those pockets of space for us, and we were able to break the lines and play into him, and he had the poise to find those pockets and find the ball and make the right decisions. It was a very good game for him.”

Here is what Gianluca Busio had to say about his play and his preparation for this game:

“I first found out maybe a couple of days before in training. I was a little nervous at first but after a couple days of practice I felt a little bit more confident going into the game. I was surrounded by other guys that were getting their first starts so that made it easier that they had some of the same nerves as me, but that just helped me. They were all encouraging, and we also got some veterans in there also. So that helped me a lot, making me get into the game. I thought I prepared pretty well with the team and got into it.” When asked if coach Vermes had given any special instructions prior to the game Busio said: “He just told me to go out there and be confident. He brought me aside and said you deserve it, go out there and be confident and play your game. He knows I can play.”

Both teams exchanged opportunities in the first half, but for the most part both teams were being pretty conservative in the opening half. Jose Hernandez got through on a breakaway in the 18th minute for Real Salt Lake from a pass from Ricardo Lopez-Espin, but Hernandez pulled his shot wide. Gianluca started to really grow into the game around the 34th minute where he started to thread some through balls down the right side. Sporting KC’s best opportunity in the first half was on a counter attack down the right side that found Russell running to the top of the 18 yard box. Russell was able to skip by his first defender with a great little lifted touch past the sliding defender, but RSL goalkeeper Sparrow came up big with the save.

The second half seemed to have a whole different pace to it. Sporting Kansas City was pressing higher up the field and really going at RSL right after kick off. Kharlton Belmar made a diagonal run down the right hand side behind the defense and got the ball near the endline. He was able to cut it back to the onrushing Johnny Russell for the go ahead goal in the 48th minute.

Here is what Russell had to say about his goal and assist: “It was a good team move. Belmar made a good run to get in behind and I knew that was the only ball he had really, was the cut back. It was a great ball from him. I managed to get in front of the defender and tuck one away which is nice, especially after the opportunity in the first half that I should have scored. The second one just opened up. The coaches were telling me to get the ball and turn. It was a great ball from Amor. I could see that it opened up. I saw Belmar’s run and I tried to play it across and he got a touch on it.”

Belmar scored his goal in the 74th minute and Real Salt Lake subbed in another academy product Brooks Lennon and also Alfredo Ortuno Martinez but was never really able to produce anything. Sporting Kansas City went on to win and advances to the 5th round in chase of defending last year’s Open Cup Title.

2017 US Open Cup: Tim Melia of Sporting KC voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

October 12, 2017 by Alan Hainkel

Tim Melia of Sporting KC became just the fourth goalkeeper in the Modern Era to play in and win multiple US Open Cup Finals. Photo: Bob Larson

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia has been named the TheCup.us Player of the Tournament for his performance in the club’s march to their third Open Cup title in the last six years and fourth overall.

Melia posted a 0.35 goals against average, including three shutouts, while going 4-0-1 (1-0 in PKs) in the tournament. He allowed two goals in five matches, a total of 510 minutes. Melia also extended his personal unbeaten streak in the tournament to 13 matches (11-0-2, 2-0 in PKs) dating back to 2010.

Melia was also named Player of the Round for the final, the second time he’s won the award. His previous award was for the final of the 2015 tournament.

Lower Division Player of the Tournament winner Mitch Hildebrandt and his FC Cincinnati teammate Djiby Fall finished second and third in the voting, respectively. Defender Ike Opara, Melia’s teammate with Sporting KC, finished fourth.

The award is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

In the locker room after the final, captain Matt Besler talked about Melia’s importance to the club.

“He’s been a rock all year long,” Besler said. “We have had to lean on him for so many games. Tonight was another game we had to lean on him. He is a confident presence back there for us. I’m just very happy for him because he deserves all the credit he is going to get and I just hope he can continue winning championships for us. I hope I can continue playing with him behind me.”

Sporting’s run to the Final began where it would eventually ended. They hosted Minnesota United at Children’s Mercy Park and had no trouble with the MLS expansion side, winning 4-0. The Kansas City backline was so strong that Melia didn’t have to make a single save to earn the shutout.

After a 2-0 road shutout of the Houston Dynamo (2 saves), Kansas City hosted the defending Open Cup champions FC Dallas in the Quarterfinals.

Melia told TheCup.us the biggest moment of the tournament, besides lifting the trophy, was that victory in the quarterfinal.

“For us, the biggest moment was the Dallas game,” Melia said. “We lost Seth (Sinovic) pretty early on … and it was a game that we really had to rally and come together as a team and we were up against it. Dallas is a very good team, a very good attacking team and we shut them down for 120 minutes and ended up opening up the game at the end. I think that was a turning point for us.”

Sinovic was sent off in the 15th minute of the match, receiving a straight red card (the first of his professional career) after tripping Dallas forward Michael Barrios and being ruled to have denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The match remained scoreless until stoppage time for the first extra time period. Latif Blessing scored twice and Daniel Salloi added a third to power Sporting KC to a 3-0 victory and a berth in the semifinals.

According to Melia, the death of team co-owner Neal Patterson two days before the game provided an extra push.

“Something that we played with a lot of pride after one of our ownership passing away in the middle of that too was important to us,” said Melia, who finished the tournament with six career Open Cup clean sheets.

After giving up a 4th minute goal to Danny Hoesen in the Semifinals, Melia kept the San Jose Earthquakes off the scoresheet for the remaining 116 minutes as the match had to be decided by penalty kicks. Melia only had to make two saves to send Kansas City to the Final and improve his career PK shootout record to 4-0. No goalkeeper in the Modern Era has won more than two Open Cup shootouts in a career.

In the championship game against the New York Red Bulls, Melia made six saves to help Sporting Kansas City lift the trophy, 2-1. Melia would have ended the tournament with a shutout, but after making a late save, Bradley Wright-Phillips pounced on the rebound at close range and cut the lead in half. With the win, Melia won his second Open Cup title (2015) and became just the fourth goalkeeper in the Modern Era to win multiple finals.

Melia’s 13-game unbeaten streak in the Open Cup dates back to the quarterfinal round in 2010, when he was with the Charleston Battery. When asked if he treated cup games differently, he said no.

“It’s the same for every game,” Melia said. “Cup games, I guess there’s a little bit more on the line, there’s that desperation aspect of it that there isn’t, at times, in the regular season. Sometimes, you’re on the road, I mean, you’re taking a 0-0 draw, you’re trying to get some points accumulated, where the cup games are just gotta advance by any means. The score’s irrelevant. Plays are irrelevant. Whatever happens, you’ve just gotta come out on the right side.”

Melia also said his approach is a reflection of the club’s philosophy of taking every tournament seriously.

“We put out our strongest teams at the time that are healthy and in form,” Melia said, “And things like that get really important in the later parts of this tournament.”

With this trophy, Melia became the third goalkeeper in club history (joining Tony Meola and Jimmy Nielsen) to win two major trophies. After the final, manager Peter Vermes was asked about Melia’s legacy with the club.

“Let’s talk about it when he’s done,” Vermes said. “He’s playing really well, that’s what I would say. He’s playing really well. He’s taken such a big step, especially this year. It’s so obvious. And no disrespect to the rest of the goalkeepers in the league, but he has been lights out.”

2017 US Open Cup Final: Tim Melia of Sporting KC named TheCup.us Player of the Round

September 24, 2017 by Alan Hainkel

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia has been named the TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance in his club’s 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in Wednesday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final.

Melia’s six saves helped Sporting KC lift its third Open Cup trophy in the last six years and fourth overall. For Melia, this is the second time he has won the award, the first was for his performance in the 2015 Final in helping Kansas City win the club’s third title.

A close second in the voting was midfielder Roger Espinoza. Midfielder Benny Feilhaber (assisted Daniel Salloi’s game-winner), defender Graham Zusi (assisted on the first goal) and forward Latif Blessing (scored the first goal) also received solid support.

The award was voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

In the locker room after the game, captain Matt Besler talked about Melia’s importance to the club.

Tim Melia and Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City celebrate the club's 2017 US Open Cup championship. These two players were the top two vote-getters for TheCup.us Player of the Round. Photo: Sporting KC — Tim Melia and Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City celebrate the club’s 2017 US Open Cup championship. These two players were the top two vote-getters for TheCup.us Player of the Round. Photo: Sporting KC

The first time the club leaned on Melia in the final came in the 14th minute. After Melia went down to stop a Kemar Lawrence shot that ended up getting blocked by Ike Opara, he had to get right back up for a stop to his left on Sacha Kljestan.

Melia’s other big save came in the first minute of the second half. Fidel Escobar played a long ball across the pitch to Alex Muyl from left to right, and Muyl headed it toward Bradley Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips then chested it down to volley it with his right foot, but Melia went down to his left to punch it away.

In fact, the only mistake Melia made came just as the match went into second-half stoppage time. After Gonzalo Veron took a shot just outside the penalty area, Melia went down to his right to stop it. He made the save, but allowed a rebound, which Wright-Phillips pounced on for New York’s only tally of the contest.

While Melia is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, it took him a long time to get there. His first taste of the Open Cup USOC came in 2007, while playing for the Long Island Rough Riders of the PDL. His side, which included current Red Bulls midfielder Mike Grella and MLS veteran (and former Red Bulls defender) Steve Jolley, fell 1-0 to the Rochester Rhinos that day.

The following season, Melia joined the Rhinos and began his professional career. In the two years he played for Rochester, Melia appeared in three USOC matches (1-1-1) with 13 saves and a 1.10 goals against average en route to the 2009 semifinals.

After Rochester, Melia found his way to Real Salt Lake as a backup for Nick Rimando. RSL loaned Melia to the Charleston Battery, where he again played well in the USOC. He made eight saves to shut out the Chicago Fire and saw the Battery through to the quarterfinal round. That 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew is the last time Melia lost an Open Cup match.

After the 2011 season, Melia joined Chivas USA, where he served as a backup to Dan Kennedy. In two and a half seasons with Chivas, Melia made three starts in the Open Cup, helping the Rojiblancos to the 2012 semifinals.

In the second half of 2014, Melia served as an MLS pool goalkeeper. He earned emergency call-ups to playoff participants Sporting KC (August), FC Dallas (October), and D.C. United (November). He appeared on the bench for three MLS matches at then-Sporting Park and made a Champions League road trip to a match in Nicaragua.

Since signing with Sporting KC to begin 2015, Melia has lifted the US Open Cup trophy twice (2015, 2017) and extended his own unbeaten run in the competition. Since that quarterfinal loss to Columbus in 2010, Melia is 11-0-2 (2-0 in PKs). In his career, he is 13-3-4 (4-0 in PKs).

Melia also joined former club goalkeepers Tony Meola and Jimmy Nielsen as having won two major trophies with the club. After the match, he was asked why he doesn’t like talking about that yet.

“I still consider myself young enough in the goalkeeper world and I hope I’m here for a very long time,” Melia said. “I have a lot of years to play still and I’ll think about that when I’m starting to get ready to stop playing.”

2017 US Open Cup Final: Sporting KC holds off Red Bulls to win fourth Open Cup title (video)

September 21, 2017 by Alan Hainkel

Sporting Kansas City celebrates after defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the 2017 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Bob Larson

For the third time in six years, and the fourth time in club history, Sporting Kansas City won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup by defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in front of a crowd of 21,523 at Children’s Mercy Park. It was the third largest crowd in park history and the fourth largest crowd for the final in the history of the tournament.

Latif Blessing scored a first half goal and Daniel Salloi added another in the second half as Kansas City became just the eighth club in history to win four US Open Cup titles.

From the opening kickoff, the game was played at a very brisk pace. It was also very physical, with 32 fouls called and a few more that could have been.

Latif Blessing opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Defender Graham Zusi played an inch-perfect cross in from the right wing that found the head of Blessing, remarkable for a player listed at five feet, three inches tall. Blessing’s header rocketed past goalkeeper Ryan Meara to give Sporting KC a 1-0 lead. For Blessing, it was his third goal of the tournament.

Both clubs traded chances chances for most of the half. The best chance Sporting KC had came in the 42nd minute. Headers from Roger Espinoza, Matt Besler and Diego Rubio were off the crossbar, saved and over the crossbar, respectively in a matter of five seconds.

Moments after that flurry, Sporting KC was forced into their first substitution as Blessing came off in favor of striker Daniel Salloi.

Daniel Salloi of Sporting KC scores what would prove to be the game-winner in the 66th minute against the New York Red Bulls in the 2017 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Bob Larson

Salloi repaid manager Peter Vermes’ faith in him with a goal in the 66th minute. Midfielder Benny Feilhaber played a long ball forward from just inside the midfield stripe to Salloi just outside the arc on the penalty area. Meara had come out to challenge for the ball, but Salloi toe-poked it past him and it slowly rolled into the net to double Sporting’s advantage.

Salloi said that he’d been prepared to come in earlier than one might expect.

“Before we walked out, Roger (Espinoza) came up to me and told me, ‘Every final, we get someone hurt, so be ready and come in focused,’” Salloi said. “And I was like, ‘Okay, good.’ and at halftime he told me, ‘You see, I told you so.’ So I’m happy that I was prepared and could step up to the moment.”

Salloi’s goal became even more important after Bradley Wright-Phillips pulled one back in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Gonzalo Veron took a shot that Tim Melia got down to his right to save, but Wright-Phillips pounced on the rebound and put the hearts of most Sporting KC supporters into their throats as they narrowed the margin to 2-1.

For Wright-Phillips, it was his fourth goal of the 2017 US Open Cup, leaving him tied for the tournament lead in goals and puts him alone at the top of the competition’s scoring chart (4 goals, 1 assist, 9 points). Wright Phillips is just the second New York player to lead the tournament in scoring, the first was Amado Guevara (4 goals, 2 assists) in 2003.

Sporting KC’s defense absorbed quite a bit of pressure during the total of six minutes of stoppage time added on to the second half, but they managed to close out the game and claim the club’s third title in six years, but only the first Open Cup title that didn’t require extra time.

Vermes spoke in the post-game press conference about how a lot of people were talking about the young players New York had, but he wanted to make sure his young players got credit for how well they played.

“Yeah, I mean, you guys need to take note,” Vermes said. “Obviously not only did Jimmy Medranda come in, you had (Daniel) Salloi, Ilie, Kevin (Oliveira) who we just signed last week. So, when you look at those things, it’s a real credit to the structure that we put in place here and being able to bring those guys along. Our B Team, the Swope Park Rangers, the coaching staff has done a great job in preparing those guys for the first team. So, to see those guys come on to the field and help us secure a championship is an incredible confidence builder for those guys. Because the other piece is that our older players are doing the mentoring that they need to do to bring those guys along for them to understand that this club truly is about winning. It’s not just talk. So now that they’ve had this.

With the win, Sporting Kansas City wins $250,000 in prize money and a spot in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. New York wins $60,000 as the runner-up. FC Cincinnati was awarded $15,000 as the Division 2 club to advance the farthest (Semifinals) and Christos FC also won $15,000 as the Division 4 (amateur) club to reach the farthest (Round 4).

HIGHLIGHTS: 2017 US OPEN CUP FINAL

SPORTING KC: ROAD TO 2017 US OPEN CUP TITLE

POSTGAME: GRAHAM ZUSI

POSTGAME: ROGER ESPINOZA

POSTGAME: MATT BESLER

2017 US Open Cup Final preview: Sporting KC, NY Red Bulls battle to be crowned 104th USOC champion

September 20, 2017 by Alan Hainkel

On Wednesday, two former division rivals will clash for silverware as the New York Red Bulls visit Children’s Mercy Park to take on Sporting Kansas City in the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final. To say both clubs prepared very differently would be an understatement.

In Sporting KC’s last match on Saturday, manager Peter Vermes used a starter-heavy lineup to take down 10-man New England, 3-1. Diego Rubio scored twice with the man advantage for the club’s first win since their last home match, Aug. 19 against FC Dallas.

Vermes has told reporters on numerous occasions he puts out the best lineup he can to win as many matches as possible.

“The fact that we played here tonight on Saturday and are playing here on Wednesday, there is no doubt we can manage that from a physical perspective,” Vermes said during his post-game press conference Saturday. “I actually like the fact that we are in the rhythm to play the next game. Tonight wasn’t easy. No matter how you look at it, the final was in the back of their minds and so I thought the guys did a good job of managing this game, getting the points and no understanding that our focus and or preparation has to be on Wednesday.”

Contrast that with the Red Bulls’ last match. In Sunday’s scoreless draw with the Philadelphia Union, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Tyler Adams and Sacha Kljestan played 71 minutes between the three of them, with Kljestan playing the most at 32 minutes. It’s a risk for New York, considering they’re currently in the last playoff spot in the East.

Considering the travel and having less recovery time, Marsch defended the decision after the match. “I think it’s the right decision,” Marsch said. “Given everything, we want to win the trophy and you don’t have a lot of opportunities to play a final; clearly around this club, very few.”

It would be fair to say both clubs are shuffling a bit. New York has struggled to close out games recently, giving up three one-goal leads in two of their last three games. Sporting KC, on the other hand, has only two wins since the end of July, but both were at home.

The New York Red Bulls celebrate their 1-0 win over the New England Revolution in the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Bob Larson

If you wanted to identify three key players for New York, you’d be hard-pressed to argue with Bradley Wright-Phillips, Sacha Kljestan and Luis Robles. Wright-Phillips leads the club with 15 goals, including two game-winners. Kljestan is the team’s best helper with 14 assists, including two game-winners, and two goals of his own. Robles has 12 wins along with eight clean sheets this season in league play.

However, Jesse Marsch recently announced that it will be Ryan Meara who will start in goal in the championship game. As a backup to Robles, Meara hasn’t appeared in a league game since 2015, but the Open Cup has been an opportunity for him to shine. The Fordham University grad, who was a second round pick in 2012, has been the starting goalkeeper throughout the Red Bulls’ 2017 run to the Final. He has played in nine tournament games since making his tournament debut for the Red Bulls in 2012, and has a 5-3-1 (1-0 PKs) record, allowing 11 goals in those games.

The three players to watch for Sporting KC would have to be Gerso Fernandes, Graham Zusi and Tim Melia. In the absence of Dom Dwyer, Gerso has stepped up and now leads the team with eight goals on a club where goals seem to come from unexpected places. Zusi, enjoying one of his better seasons after moving to right back, leads the club with six assists. Melia, a former league pool goalkeeper, has 10 clean sheets in league play to go along with his three Open Cup shutouts. Melia also has three penalty kick saves in league play on the five spot kicks he’s faced.

Melia is on one of the best runs for any goalkeeper in the Modern Era of the tournament. He hasn’t lost an Open Cup match since the 2010 Quarterfinals, boasting a 10-0-2 (2-0 PKs) record during that span. He has taken part in four penalty kick shootouts in his career and has never lost.

Both goalkeepers have experienced, and won, a penalty kick shootout during this year’s Open Cup.

Home is a beautiful place to be if you’re Sporting KC. The club has 101 consecutive league sellouts at Children’s Mercy Park, where they’ve not lost since May 27, 2016, a 1-0 loss to DC United on an 86th minute goal by Alhaji Kamara (an 85th minute substitute). The unbeaten streak has now reached 23 regular season MLS matches (26, if you count three USOC wins this season), tied for third-longest streak in league history.

Latif Blessing (right) and Benny Failhaber of Sporting Kansas City celebrate during a 3-1 win over FC Dallas in the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports | Sporting KC

Not only do the hosts have their crowds on their side, but Sporting KC also a history in cup finals at home. In franchise history, the club has played three USOC finals (2004, 2012 and 2015), with 2004 and 2012 played in front of their home fans. All three have been tied at the end of regulation, and two have been decided by penalty kicks (2012, 2015). The closest New York has come to a title was a 1-0 loss in the 2003 Open Cup Final to the Chicago Fire.

To reach the Final, Sporting KC defeated Minnesota United (4-0), the Houston Dynamo (2-0), FC Dallas (3-0, AET) and the San Jose Earthquakes (1-1, 5-4 on PKs). New York’s road to the final included wins over NYCFC (1-0), the Philadelphia Union (1-1, 5-3 on PKs), the New England Revolution (1-0), and FC Cincinnati (3-2, AET).

There are several connections between the two clubs. Both Vermes and his assistant Kerry Zavagnin played for the then-MetroStars. In fact, the two were traded for each other, with Vermes going to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for Zavagnin. Current Red Bulls players Sal Zizzo and Aurelien Collin both played for Sporting Kansas City, with Collin winning the MLS Cup with Sporting KC in 2013. Collin was also named the MVP of the MLS Cup final.

While this is Marsch’s first USOC final as a manager, he and his assistant Chris Armas won three USOC titles with the Chicago Fire (1998, 2000, 2003), with Armas winning a fourth title (2006). They were also both on the field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Fire when Zavagnin won his only Open Cup title as a player in 2004.

If the Red Bulls win, they will become the first New Jersey-based club to lift the trophy since 1972 when U.S. international Walter Schmotolocha scored the lone goal in Elizabeth SC’s 1-0 win over Yugoslav SC.

The only Kansas-based club to win the US Open Cup is Sporting Kansas City (2012, 2015), which has represented the state of Kansas since the club built Children’s Mercy Park on the Kansas side of the border in 2011. The team was based in Arrowhead Stadium, located on the Missouri side, in 2004.

Will New York finally win its first US Open Cup (or first tournament of any kind)? Or will Sporting Kansas City become just the eighth club in history to win a fourth tournament title? We will find out on Wednesday night.

2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final
New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS
BROADCAST: ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes / Watch ESPN app
Kickoff: 9 p.m. EST

New York Red Bulls Open Cup records
Overall: 21-17-3 (2-1 PK) | Home: 9-5-2 (1-1 PK) | Away: 11-11-1 (1-0 PK) | vs. MLS: 7-9-3 (2-1 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-1 at Philadelphia Union of MLS in Round of 16)
Best finish: 2003 Runner-up (Lost 1-0 vs. Chicago Fire of MLS)
Leading goalscorer: Bradley Wright-Phillips – 3 goals

How they got here

Round 4: 1-0 home win vs. New York City FC (MLS)
Round 5: 1-1 home draw (5-3 PK win) vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)
Quarterfinals: 1-0 road win at New England Revolution (MLS)
Semifinals: 3-2 (AET) road win at FC Cincinnati (USL)

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 25-13-6 (4-2 PK) | Home: 18-7-2 (2-0 PK) | Away: 7-6-4 (2-2 PK) | vs. MLS: 11-8-3 (3-0 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 3-1 at Houston Dynamo of MLS in Round of 16)
Best finish: 2004, 2012, 2015 champions
Leading goalscorer: Four players tied with 2 (Blessing, Fernandes, Opara, Salloi)

How they got here
Round 4: 4-0 home win vs. Minnesota United (MLS)
Round 5: 2-0 road win at Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Quarterfinals: 3-0 (AET) home win vs. FC Dallas (MLS)
Semifinals: 1-1 home draw (5-4 PK win) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)

US Open Cup Final history:

* A list of every US Open Cup Final (1914-present)
* US Open Cup Final All-Time Goalscorers
* 1923 US Open Cup Final: Paterson FC claims New Jersey’s “tainted” first title
* 2004 US Open Cup: How Sporting Kansas City won their first Dewar Cup

#USOC2017 coverage:

* 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup schedule, results
* 2017 US Open Cup Round 1 review
* 2017 US Open Cup Round 2 review
* 2017 US Open Cup Round 3 review
* 2017 US Open Cup Round 4 review
* 2017 US Open Cup Round of 16 review
* 2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinal review

* 2017 TheCup.us Player of the Round winnners
* 2017 US Open Cup bracket (TheCup.us)
* 2017 US Open Cup statistical leaders
* A map of all 99 entries for the 2017 US Open Cup
* 2017 Meet the Underdogs series
* 2017 US Open Cup qualifying Round 2 review: 14 more teams advance as Round 3 moved to next year
* 2017 US Open Cup qualifying Round 1: Scores and recaps from every game

#USOC2018 qualifying coverage

* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying begins this weekend (Sept. 23-24)
* Which NPSL teams will qualify for 2018 US Open Cup?
* Which PDL teams will play in the 2018 US Open Cup?

MORE:

* Cincinnati’s forgotten US Open Cup history
* 2017 US Open Cup Final will be broadcast live on ESPN networks
* California Clasico isn’t new: North has battled South in US Open Cup since 1950s
* Who is the US Open Cup equivalent to Lincoln City FC and their magical FA Cup run?
* Eric Wynalda hired to lead LA Wolves for 2017 US Open Cup run
* Reading United qualifies for record 9th straight US Open Cup, seeking more than an opening round win
* Biggest USOC controversies of last 100 years, Part 1: The Soccer War, boycotts, the ultimate sister kiss and more
* Biggest USOC controversies, Part 2: NASL bails, World Cup tickets, buying home field and more

* Support TheCup.us: New Del Rey City jerseys available for purchase
* Appreciate what we do at TheCup.us? Donate here
* TheCup.us is looking for writers/editors, graphics, WordPress gurus & people who can handle digital ad sales (paid position). Email us here

Twitter (#USOC2016) | Facebook | Instagram | Flickr | Reddit

Why Sporting Kansas City, New York Red Bulls will win 2017 US Open Cup Final

September 20, 2017 by Matt Reed

The New York Red Bulls celebrate the game-winning goal against FC Cincinnati in the 101st minute in the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Ryan Meyer | New York Red Bulls

The 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final features two Major League Soccer originals, and despite the two club’s expansive histories, one of them is seeking its first major title in over 20 years of cup competitions.

Sporting Kansas City will host the New York Red Bulls tonight in front of a likely sold-out crowd at Children’s Mercy Park to decide this year’s Open Cup winner, as the latter looks to capture its first major tournament trophy in the competition’s 104th edition. Meanwhile, Peter Vermes’ Sporting KC will be attempting to become just the eighth team in history to win four Open Cup titles.

The two MLS sides have had similar paths to the final, each facing extra time on two occasions and penalty kicks once.

Below, we make the case for both teams coming out victorious as they prepare to square off in nationally-televised game (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes) championship game.

Why Sporting Kansas City will win

Let us start off with the obvious. Head coach Peter Vermes and his side have been here before. The former Sporting Kansas City (Kansas City Wizards) player may not have won an Open Cup title during his playing career, however, he’s been victorious on three separate occasions in this competition, in addition to winning an MLS Cup back in 2013.

Gerso Fernandes of Sporting KC put the game away with a goal in second half stoppage time in a 2-0 Round of 16 win over Houston Dynamo. Photo: Sporting KC

Sporting has a solid base of veterans players, such as Matt Besler, Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber, all of whom have played key roles for the club in their previous triumphs. Meanwhile, in recent seasons the team has added younger talents like Latif Blessing, Gerso Fernandes and Diego Rubio to help spark the squad’s attack.

While the Red Bulls will be used to playing in front of a hostile environment — particularly when they take on NYCFC in the Bronx — Children’s Mercy Park is among the loudest stadiums in MLS. In fact, WalletHub recently named Kansas City to be the best soccer town in the United States, after compiling a list of nearly 300 cities across the country.

Sporting is just one of two teams in MLS with an unbeaten home record this season (Toronto FC). Vermes’ men are 9-0-5 at CMP, making the Red Bulls’ task all the more difficult.

Additionally, the three-time Open Cup champions have lost just twice in all competitions since May 27, which is one of the most successful unbeaten runs in all of MLS during that span.

With veteran experience, great coaching and stadium full of fans cheering them on, Sporting Kansas City should lift their fourth US Open Cup trophy and the third in the last six years.

Why the Red Bulls will win

It all starts and finishes with Bradley Wright-Phillips, the Red Bulls’ all-time leading goalscorer. The former Manchester City academy player has 94 career goals for the Harrison-based club, including three this season in the Open Cup. While BWP’s track record in big matches hasn’t always been staggering, the 32-year-old is just about the best in the league when it comes to finishing chances in front of net.

Bradley Wright-Phillips scored two goals, including the game-winner in extra time as the New York Red Bulls rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat FC Cincinnati, 3-2. Photo: Ryan Meyer | New York Red Bulls

Speaking of the best, head coach Jesse Marsch has accumulated an impressive record in this competition during his playing days. The former MLS player was a four-time winner in the Open Cup with both the Chicago Fire (once) and D.C. United (three times). Although Marsch clearly won’t be playing in the final, his experiences from the past could surely aid his side.

In 2014, the Red Bulls hit a low point when they were embarrassed with a 3-0 loss to the New York Cosmos of the NASL. Prior to 2015, Marsch took over and since then, the team has only lost one Open Cup game (6-1-2, 1-1 PKs), including a 4-1 revenge win over the Cosmos in his first year. It has been, by far, the team’s best run of form in the tournament, signaling to fans that the club is making the Open Cup a priority.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Red Bulls who currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but one thing this team has proven in the Open Cup is that they are resilient. Despite scoring just five regulation goals in four matches in the 2017 tournament, the two-time MLS Supporters’ Shield winners have played solid defense and have dug deep when the squad needed to most.

The Red Bulls enter Wednesday evening having taken points in nine of their last 11 MLS matches, including four positive results on the road.

Last round, the Red Bulls trailed by two goals heading into the final 15 minutes against USL side FC Cincinnati, but BWP and his teammates pulled off one of the more dramatic comebacks in the competition’s modern history with three late goals (including one in extra time) to put the Red Bulls one step away from winning its first US Open Cup title. If they win, they would be the first New Jersey-based club to lift the trophy since 1972 (Elizabeth SC).

How they got here

US Open Cup Final history:

#USOC2017 coverage:

#USOC2018 qualifying coverage

* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying begins this weekend (Sept. 23-24)
* Which NPSL teams will qualify for 2018 US Open Cup?
* Which PDL teams will play in the 2018 US Open Cup?

Twitter (#USOC2016) | Facebook | Instagram | Flickr | Reddit

2004 US Open Cup: How Sporting Kansas City won their first Dewar Cup

September 15, 2017 by Josh Hakala

On Sept. 20, Sporting Kansas City will host the 104th US Open Cup Final at Children’s Mercy Park. They are expecting a sell-out crowd as the club is aiming to win the club’s fourth Open Cup title in as many attempts. If they win, they will be just the eighth team in history to lift the trophy four or more times.

They are shooting for a third title in six years, but the one that got it all started was the first one in 2004.

The 2004 team, then named the Kansas City Wizards, took the Chicago Fire to extra time and won with a historic golden goal at Arrowhead Stadium. Nearly 9,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium watched the Wizards win the 2004 US Open Cup title on an Igor Simutenkov free kick in the 95th minute. It was the last golden goal ever scored on the planet (in a FIFA-sanctioned event) and it gave the Wizards their first Open Cup title. It also made them the first Missouri-based club to win it all since Busch SC lifted the trophy in 1988.

The run to the Final started on the road at DeKalb Memorial Stadium in Clarkston, Ga. as the Wizards took on the A-League’s (Division 2) Atlanta Silverbacks. After former MLS MVP Alex Pineda Chacon answered an early Davy Arnaud goal to send the game into halftime tied at 1-1, the Wizards came out firing in the second half. Arnaud, who would scored his second in the 52nd minute and then assisted on Francisco Gomez’s tally two minutes later. Diego Gutierrez put the game away with a goal in the 81st minute as the Wizards advanced by a score of 4-1.

Despite the one-sided scoreline, the Wizards’ goalkeeper that day, Tony Meola said it was a tougher game than it looked like on paper.

“The game was played on a smaller field,” said Meola, who was replaced by Bo Oshoniyi in the 71st minute to give the backup some important playing time. “They dumped a lot of balls into the box and it was a physical battle the entire game.”

The win extended Kansas City’s unbeaten streak in all competitions to nine games (7-0-2).

Kansas City Wizards rookie Justin Detter holds the Dewar Trophy after the team won the 2004 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting Kansas City

The Wizards returned back to Kansas City to host their Quarterfinal match with the Dallas Burn. It was a battle between two teams owned by Lamar Hunt, whose name graces the official name of the tournament itself. The team was returning to play at the Blue Valley District Activities Complex in Overland Park, Kan. for the first time since 2001.

For the Wizards, their owner made the game a little more special.

“There was a little more on the line since it was a team that Lamar Hunt was associated with,” Meola said. “I don’t know if it was so much of an overall club initiative, but I know that Bob Gansler said ‘Hey, we’ve really got to take pride in this tournament,’ and everybody bought in because it was an opportunity to put a trophy in the case.”

After a scoreless first half, it was the hometown Wizards who exploded in the second half. Just like their last Open Cup match, they scored a pair of goals early in the second half, this time from Chris Klein and the other from Arnaud, his third of the tournament which was tied for second in the comepetition. Former Notre Dame star and Wizards rookie Justin Detter added a third in the 73rd minute before Alex Zotinca put the game away in the final minutes to give Kansas City a 4-0 win. It tied the club record for most lopsided win in the tournament. On that same field back in 2001, they thrashed the A-League’s Seattle Sounders in the Second Round by the same scoreline. Meola made seven saves to earn his fifth career Open Cup shutout.

With schedule congestion, the US Open Cup can create opportunities for young players looking to prove themselves in a competitive game. That year, youngster Jack Jewsbury was one of those players and he made his tournament debut against Dallas.

“For my first Open Cup game – a lot of the Open Cup games for young guys are opportunities, where maybe you’re not playing league games, and it gives you a chance to make your mark with the first team,” Jewsbury said. “For me, even though that was a long time ago, it’s a positive memory, because it’s the first time I got an opportunity in the Open Cup and it was pretty special in terms of us making a run.”

The win put the Wizards in the final four where they hosted the San Jose Earthquakes, who were also seeking their first Open Cup title.

More than 2,000 fans (near capacity for the small stadium) made the trip to Overland Park on a Tuesday night and many of them held their collective breath as Meola injured his achilles during warm-ups, which brought Oshoniyi off the bench to start the game. The veteran, who made his first Open Cup start in 1995 with the A-League’s New York Centaurs, performed well as he only had to make two saves to earn the clean sheet in a 1-0 win. Simutenkov was the hero for the Wizards, scoring a penalty kick in first half stoppage time after Josh Wolff was taken down in the box. It was the only goal of the contest as the Wizards defense was the story of the game. The backline of Jimmy Conrad, Taylor Graham, Nick Garcia and Jose Burciaga Jr., along with midfielders Kerry Zavagnin and Diego Gutierrez, held Landon Donovan and the Quakes offense to six shots. The situation was made worse for San Jose as Brian Ching had to exit the game in the seventh minute when he was injured on a challenge by Conrad.

After getting past the Earthquakes, the Wizards hosted the US Open Cup Final at Arrowhead Stadium against three-time Open Cup champion (1998, 2000, 2003), the Chicago Fire. The Fire and Wizards had some history between them as the two teams squared off in the 2000 MLS Cup Final where the Wizards’ top defense shut down the Fire’s top offense to win the club’s first championship, 1-0.

The question coming into the Open Cup title game was whether or not Meola, who was the MVP of that 2000 MLS Cup Final, would be able to play for Kansas City. He hardly trained at all leading up to the championship game, giving his injured achilles as much rest as possible so that he could be ready to go.

When the starting lineups were announced, Meola’s name was there, but he would admit that he was “really hurting” during the game. The Wizards would reach the MLS Cup Final later that year, and Meola’s achilles injury would be too much to play through and he was unable to suit up in the title game, which they lost to DC United.

Luckily for Meola, whose mobility was limited, the defense in front of him made his job a little easier. The US international only had to make one save against the Fire, but at the same time, Kansas City was unable to get on the scoresheet either as both teams played 90 minutes without a goal.

The Kansas City Wizards celebrate lift the Dewar Trophy after winning the 2004 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting Kansas City

“It was a tough game. The field wasn’t in the best condition,” said Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin. “I know it was well into the football season. Anytime you’re playing a final, no matter what you’ve done leading up to that, the game always carries out in a very different manner. We have since seen this in the 2013 championship and even looking back on our 2000 championship, that defense is the key to winning and certainly that game proved it as well; the defense held up strong and we got a good goal from Igor.”

Five minutes into extra time, Simutenkov finally broke the deadlock, and just like the Semifinals, the opportunity was created by Josh Wolff. Wolff was fouled just outside the penalty area, setting up a free kick from about 19 yards out. Simutenkov slipped the resulting free kick around the wall and Fire goalkeeper Henry Ring could only get a finger to the shot before the ball redirected just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.

“ was a very technical player and he had done that time and time again at training, so it wasn’t something uncharacteristic for him,” Zavagnin said. “We were happy for him and certainly happy for us that he came through at a very important time.”

The Russian’s goal in the 2004 Final, coupled with his penalty kick against the Earthquakes in the Semifinals, earned him the status of the Wizards’ all-time leader in Open Cup goals. His five goals in five games – one in 2002, and two each in 2003 and 2004 – stood as the highest goal total until Dom Dwyer scored his sixth career goal in 2017.

“It’s funny because, in retrospect, we thought that there were a lot of people at the game and it was loud, but it was probably less than 10,000 people (8,819 was the announced attendance),” Zavagnin said. “But for us, it meant everything. It was a good moment in the club’s history. Anytime you can win championships – those are the years that you remember. Both 2000 and 2004 are the two memories I have of playing really. It was a special night for the club and me personally.”

2017 US Open Cup Final will be broadcast live on ESPN networks

August 15, 2017 by Riley Maleitzke

For the third year in a row, the ESPN family of networks will broadcast the championship game of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The United States Soccer Federation announced that the 2017 US Open Cup Final, scheduled for Sept. 20 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

The game will feature Sporting Kansas City hosting the New York Red Bulls and kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST. The Red Bulls will be seeking the club’s first Open Cup title, while Kansas City are aiming to become just the eighth team in tournament history to lift the trophy for a fourth time.

This will be the fourth time that ESPN will air the championship game on its family of networks (1999, 2015-17). The first time, ESPN2 broadcasted the 1999 Final which featured the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League, Div. 2 pro) making history by upsetting the Colorado Rapids 2-0 to become the first and, to date, only lower division club to lift the trophy since MLS was founded in 1996. The championship game would not return to ESPN until 2015 when Sporting Kansas City edged the Philadelphia Union 7-6 in PKs to win the tournament for the third time. Last year, FC Dallas defeated the New England Revolution 4-2 to claim its first US Open Cup trophy since 1997.

This will be the second time ESPN2 will feature the 104th edition of the US Open Cup on its airwaves. Earlier this year, ESPN2 aired an Open Cup game prior to the Semifinals for the first time in the network’s history by broadcasting FC Cincinnati’s Round of 16 penalty kick upset of the Chicago Fire in front of a record crowd of 32,287. It was the earliest Open Cup game that a major network broadcasted since Fox Soccer Channel aired the 2012 Fourth Round match between amateur side Cal FC that was coached by US international Eric Wynalda and the Seattle Sounders FC (MLS).

US Open Cup Championship Match Broadcast Networks
(Modern Era, 1995-present)

2017 – ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes
2016 – ESPN2 / Univision Deportes
2015 – ESPN2 / Univision Deportes
2014 – GolTV
2013 – GolTV
2012 – GolTV
2011 – Fox Soccer Channel
2010 – Fox Soccer Channel
2009 – Fox Soccer Channel
2008 – Fox Soccer Channel
2007 – Fox Soccer Channel
2006 – Fox Soccer Channel
2005 – GolTV
2004 – GolTV
2003 – Fox Sports World
2002 – Fox Sports World
2001 – Fox Sports World
2000 – Fox Sports World
1999 – ESPN2
1998 – Fox Sports Net
1997 – Fox Sports Net
1996 – No broadcast
1995 – Prime network

2017 US Open Cup Semifinals: Sporting KC edge Earthquakes in PKs to reach third final in six years

August 10, 2017 by Alan Hainkel

Sporting KC players celebrate after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes in a PK shootout in the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sporting KC

For the third time in the last six years, Sporting Kansas City has advanced to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. A Modern Era record crowd of 16,193 at Children’s Mercy Park watched the home team not only earn a fourth all-time trip to the championship game, but Sporting will host the 104th U.S. Open Cup Final on Sept. 20.

After the match, manager Peter Vermes talked about why the club seems to have continued success in the competition.

Tim Melia of Sporting KC makes a save in the PK shootout against the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sporting KC

“I think every team in the league takes it serious, whichever competition we’re talking about, they all take it seriously,” Vermes said. “The difference is, do they win? I think there’s something to be said about – we use different players, we change things up and everybody contributes. That’s a really, really special aspect, and I’ll quote Benny (Feilhaber). After the game, he’s walking by me, and I can see that he’s a little frustrated that he didn’t score his penalty. I said, ‘hey, don’t worry about it, we won.’ He goes, ‘That’s what a team is, that’s why a team can win things and not just individual players.’ Our guys believe that. It’s one of our core values, team first.”

The Earthquakes struck first in the fourth minute on a strike from Danny Hoesen with an assist from Vako. It was Vako’s 40-yard through ball that put Hoesen in behind defender Ike Opara. Hoesen ran down to the top of the penalty area before cutting back to his right before putting a shot past goalkeeper Tim Melia and inside the far post.

COOL. CALM. COLLECTED. 1-0.#ForwardAsOne | #USOC2017 pic.twitter.com/8JocwFqv5F

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) August 10, 2017

Sporting KC controlled possession for most of the first half, finishing with 74% of the possession by halftime, and it paid off in the 32nd minute. In an 18-pass sequence, where every player on the pitch except Melia touched the ball, ended with defender Jimmy Medranda in the penalty area. Medranda crossed it to forward Diego Rubio who first-timed it past goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell at close range.

After an 18-pass sequence, @SportingKC find their equalizer. #USOC2017 #SKCvSJ pic.twitter.com/unD05hYKva — Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2017

Vermes was asked if the team had been a bit off after giving up the early goal.

“Actually, no,” Vermes said. “I thought we were playing really well. I thought they caught us on the counter. I’m not going to say that we were sleeping or whatever, sometimes you have to credit somebody for doing something that is really good. I thought that Hoesen made a really good play and had a great finish. But I go back to the key to me is how we responded and the maturity that we showed in the game to not lose ourselves and to basically chip away, chip away, chip away. The goal we scored was tremendous, we had 18 passes leading up to the goal. It was almost like a passing pattern that we do in training. It was just a fantastic finish, shoot we could have scored I don’t know how many more goals. Great character by the group.”

Sporting KC’s defense put in their usual blue-collar performance. They limited San Jose to 11 total shots, only three of which were on target. Melia, in 420 minutes of play in this year’s tournament has only allowed one goal from the run of play. The club also controlled the possession battle, keeping the ball 67.6% of the game.

All of this lead up to the penalty kick shootout after extra time. Benny Feilhaber, the team’s regular penalty taker went first and Tarbell saved the attempt. Chris Wondolowski, San Jose’s all-time leader in Open Cup goals, went first for the Earthquakes and Melia saved his effort.

Melia was asked after the match on what effect his save had on the rest of the team. “I just think it helped our confidence a little bit going into the next rounds of shooting,” Melia said. “Benny is the guy that I would bet the most on making a penalty, he’s allowed to miss one and fortunately we were able to win. So I think it was just the little confidence boost that we needed to get us through the rest of the shootout.”

After both teams missed in the first round, the clubs traded goals in each of the next four rounds to force sudden death. Defender Matt Besler went in the sixth round for Sporting KC and converted his attempt, forcing San Jose’s Victor Bernardez to convert to continue the shootout. It was not to be as Melia saved that shot as well to improve to 4-0 all-time in shootouts in his career.

Melia was asked about the goalkeeper duel after the match. Melia said, “I told him right before the penalties that I thought he had an excellent game and he kept his team in it and he got his team to that point and it was my job to take it away from him.”

Sporting KC, who have a seven-game tournament unbeaten streak at home, will host the winner of the other Semifinal between the New York Red Bulls and FC Cincinnati. That game will be played on Aug. 15 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Final will take place at Children’s Mercy Park on Sept. 20.