Saturday, August 27, 2011

Well, that sucked...

Sporting KC took only their 2nd loss in their last 18 MLS matches with a 3-2 defeat to FC Dallas. Questionable officiating (I would have said the same if SKC had won) marked the entirety of the match, most notably in the yellow cards to Teal Bunbury. Unfortunately, that is plural, and Teal will miss the game against Houston on September 10th. He was going to miss the Galaxy game anyway with his call-up to the national team.

I was not the only person in the post-game press conference who was reminded of the team's loss to Seattle. The team had a late lead, went down a man due to a red card, and gave up two goals in the dying minutes to lose the match. Manager Peter Vermes, however, gave credit to a very tired but resilient Dallas squad and said the team just simply didn't play well to close out the match.

Teal's red card was the team's 3rd in their last 5 matches.I still don't understand how he got the first yellow card, much less the 2nd. Vermes pretty much refused to address it, saying the team had been down this road too many times this season. I have a feeling that that was his way of not getting fined or suspended. I'll say it for him. This team got screwed with its pants on. That is not to take away from FC Dallas at all. They had an opportunity to get points from the match and they took advantage of it. However, before the absolutely horrible red card in the 76th minute, the team was putting tremendous pressure on FC Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman and the Dallas defense. Teal even hit the crossbar in the 56th minute with what would have been a top shelf goal if it had been even 6 inches lower and 6 inches to the right. Sporting KC did continue to put pressure on Dallas after the red card, but as Vermes said after the game, they did not do well with balls out on the wing, not getting close enough to deny service into the penalty area.

It was really a combination of the red card, Dallas playing well late and Sporting KC not putting the game away when they had the chance. I'm rambling now, I know, but I can't really help it. The team lost, which never puts me in a good mood, and I'm having difficulty importing photos off of my camera. I'm not sure why, but I'll just simply try to get photos done later.

That's all for now... See you soon...

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Our House...

Sporting KC moved to 2nd in the Eastern Conference with their 1-0 win over Handball DC United at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Sunday night. Kei Kamara's goal in the 19th minute was all the offense the stout KC defense needed, with another strong performance by goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. Nielsen made a key save in the first half that may be another save of the week candidate.

Evidently, Portland manager John Spencer asking me if I had a big head has been passing around the building since Wednesday. One of the security supervisors came by and asked me if Spencer had really said that to me. I'm also now getting crap for it from some of my fellow media critters. It's okay... as long as they're talking about me, right?

Here's some photos from tonight's game...

A fan's banner parodying DC United's logo...


Jimmy Nielsen celebrating Kei Kamara's goal... or just trying to duck another bobblehead...


Referee Alex Prus shows a yellow to DC's Santino Quaranta after a foul on Roger Espinoza...


And one from Wednesday... Portland manager John Spencer shortly before he asks if I had a big head...


That's all for now... See you soon...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

They Say It's Your Birthday...

Sporting KC picks up a big win, defeating Portland by the final of 3-1. Interesting stat from tonight's game: All three goals were scored by a birthday boy (Soony Saad) or someone on the eve of their birthday (Graham Zusi x2). Sporting KC is also now in 3rd place, 1 point behind 2nd place Philadelphia and 4 points behind Columbus for the top spot. It is not out of the question that KC could finish in first, but they have to keep playing well, like they did tonight, and get some help.

It was during the celebration of Graham Zusi's first goal when a "fan" did something incredibly stupid and potentially dangerous. Two people had taken the heads off of their Omar Bravo bobbleheads and threw them on the field. One kind of lobbed it softly in the general direction of the field, but one of them threw it like he was skipping a rock on the river. This hard plastic projectile hit Jimmy Nielsen in the head, making contact with his eyebrow and cheek, but thankfully not his eye. The two fans were identified on video and were both removed from the stadium. The one whose throw hit Jimmy will be facing felony battery charges. Someone from the Cauldron responded to one of my tweets on the matter by saying they should bring them down to the members stand and they could all have a little "chat."

I've got pics to put up, including Soony Saad celebrating his birthday in style, with a goal in his MLS debut, but I need to get to bed (I've got to work in the morning). And I had a coach give me crap again (not that I'm complaining). When I asked the Stadium Question, Portland coach John Spencer asked me if I had a big hat or I just had a really big head. I had my Sporting KC hat on backwards. :D

I'll have photos up later, I promise.

That's all for now... See you soon...

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Thrill Is Gone...

I like to try to be objective when I write about the games that SKC plays, but tonight, that just isn't going to happen. I think the last chance of that happened when Seattle scored twice in the final minutes to scrape by with a 2-1 win at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, ending the unbeaten run at 14 and is the first loss at LSP in league play.

It all started with the 59th minute "red card" for Omar Bravo. I say it that way because that red card was completely unjustified. Granted, Omar did leave his feet when going for the ball, but Omar got the ball and then Pat Noonan ran into him. The ironic thing about the whole situation was that while I was looking at the video board, I saw referee Jair Marrufo telling one of our players that he should look at the replay while pointing toward the video board.

After the post-game pres conference, I was sure Peter Vermes felt the same way about the call that I did. He said that when players and coaches screw up, there are consequences, but referees don't seem to be held to the same standard. He was absolutely right, but that won't stop the league from fining him for what he said. This team has been on the bad end of a, pardon my French, bullshit red card or non-call on penalty kicks way too often this season. As a sports official myself, I understand that it's a hard job, but when I screw up, there are consequences. The same should be able to be said about MLS referees. MLS wants to be considered one of the best leagues in the world, but they won't be if the quality of the officiating doesn't improve, and quickly.

Before I give myself a stroke thinking about the officials too much, I'll just post some pics and call it a night...

The "revolutionary" color guard for tonight's game...


Former KC player (current technical director in Seattle) Chris Henderson and SKC VP of communications Rob Thomson...


Birthday boy Jimmy Nielsen celebrates Kei Kamara's goal in the first half...


I took this one because I loved the sign... And the kid's so serious-looking...


Evidently, Jimmy's not the only MLS keeper that sticks his tongue out... Kasey Keller does too...


MLS All-Star Matt Besler tries to make his way through the Seattle defense...


That's all for now... See you soon...

Thursday, August 4, 2011

And The Beat Goes On...

This is how good teams play at home. You score first to take the opposing team out of their rhythm and make sure you keep it tight at the back. It seemed to me that this team was fighting. Fighting for every ball and fighting for their teammates, especially after Roger Espinoza's red card in the 56th minute.

Before the game started, I said (and I have people who can verify this) that Teal would score tonight. In the 34th minute, he did. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando stoned Kei Kamara (who I also said would score) from close range. Rimando could not control the rebound and it found its way to Teal's feet. Teal put the ball in the back of the net by way of Rimando's head. Teal's goal was also the first this year that RSL has allowed in the 15 minutes on either side of halftime.

The one person who I wouldn't have called scoring a goal (besides Jimmy Nielsen) was Roger. It's not that I don't think he's capable of it. It's just that tonight's goal was his first in a league game since 2008.

Sporting KC's unbeaten streak has now reached 14. That streak (6-0-8) ranks 1st in franchise history and 3rd in MLS history. The record is 19, set last year by FC Dallas.

Here are tonight's photos...

Jimmy Nielsen bending over to talk to the young boy who walked out with him...


The Sporting KC bench's reaction to Roger Espinoza's goal...


Jimmy celebrating Teal's goal...


Referee Hilario Grajeda shows RSL's Nat Borchers a yellow card in the 46th minute...


Manager Peter Vermes during the post-match press conference...


That's all for now... See you soon...