Coming into the Saturday evening match at Sporting Park, the two sides couldn’t have been in more different situations.
Sporting KC was sitting on 30 points and near the top of the East, while Toronto FC had earned only 13 points with a mere two wins.
Both sides were a little tentative to start, feeling one another out, and not really taking many chances early.
Then in the 22nd minute Soony Saad took matters into his own hands, showing the fans (and CJ Sapong) one reason why he’s out there. He hit an low bomb from 24 and beat the keeper near post on the ground – something you don’t see all that often. With his first goal in MLS play, the Lebanese international displayed to the record-setting crowd the reason his teammates point to him when asked who has the most powerful strike on the squad.
“It was definitely amazing,” said Saad of scoring the eventual game-winner. “Especially hearing the crowd erupt. Hats off to them, they were fantastic.”
Once they took the lead, Sporting gained a ton of confidence and finally started knocking the ball around, probing patiently, and getting better chances, while Toronto failed to muster much at all.
Other than a decent look that forced two Jimmy Nielsen saves in the first half, Toronto never came close to scoring.
“We forced their defense to hit the long balls all the time, which is good for Besler and Collin,” commented the Puma. “I think we did a good job on the second balls as well, but overall, a great performance and I’m glad we got the shutout as well.”
One player constantly putting Toronto under pressure was Graham Zusi, who played one of his best games this season despite not getting on the scorecard. He was pressuring like a mother, dicing dudes, cutting back across defenders’ bodies, and skipping through the midfield with ease. He just keeps looking better and better.
Around the 50th minute, Zusi ripped a hard, low shot that the Toronto keeper couldn’t handle, and wouldn’t you know it, Soony Saad came barreling in to smash the rebound into the back of the net for his second goal of the game.
At that point it was pretty much over.
Even more so a few minutes later when Reggie Lambe was ejected for a late and high tackle on Saad. The ref didn’t hesitate on the call, solid as he was all match really. In fact, I think that this was the best officiated game I’ve seen at Sporting Park ever. Couldn’t really believe it, actually. This is still MLS right?
Then in the 62nd minute the 21,000 + were treated to the prettiest goal of the season. Seriously, just watch it, I can’t really describe it in any way to do it justice. But note that nine KC players were in on the combo play, and the most crucial part of it was made possible by Soony Saad being able to turn his man on what looked like a 50/50 ball on the left flank. How long have I been calling for a player who can beat a man to get numbers in behind the defense? Answer: a long time.
“The third goal was the one of the best combination goals we have scored since I’ve been here,” said KC boss Peter Vermes. “We’ve been working on it for, I don’t know, five years, but we finally got here.”
While I’m not going to make too big a deal about pounding one of the worst teams in the league at home, it seems that Sporting is coming together at just the right time.
“Each week, you think that it can’t get any better, but it’s just getting better,” added 
Nielsen. “When you come out of the tunnel, you’re like, ‘Wow, this is what’s keeping me alive.’ It is. It’s vitamins and it’s good medicine for me when I step on that field because it makes me feel alive and that’s what I’m waking up for every morning…”
I missed the red card call and the replay but the third goal was pure, unadulterated butter. Doesn’t get much smoother than that.
Keep it going boys.
Best run for this club since this time last season. Let’s hope Zusi and/or Besler don’t get called into the Gold Cup squad as is possible (but not likely, especially Zusi) for the knockout stage.
Sporting looked pretty darn good. A variety of attacking strategy, some more creativity in the midfield. Good stuff.
Kei must have heard an earful from his team and the fans alike. He was a changed man on Saturday. Worked his tail off. Give that man a burrito! No, two burritos!
Zusi, what can you say? He is playing like a man among boys. He just makes it look so easy, and no one has a better motor. The guy never stops moving, is deceptively quick, and the out-step cross and shot are becoming weapons. When he hits that out-step cross running in stride, the defenders don’t even see it coming. Hell, watching in the stands you don’t expect it. Then boom, 40 yards to an open winger on the fly.
Collin and Besler both dominated the middle. One breakdown that had Jimmie coming out to make a nice pair of saves, but other than that, solid performance from both. Would have liked to have seen the replay on that offside call on Collin’s put-back header. Not sure if they got that one right, however, as you noted above, very, very well officiated game. Constancy MLS! That is your refereeing problem. Call the game close or let them play, your choice, but decide and make the officiating constant. That is what the players need and the fans demand. You will put forth a better product for it.
Nice to see Soony get the brace. Not really sure why Vermes subbed him out with only 10 minutes left in the game. Let the kid try to get his hat trick coach! Maybe he figured Peterson need a few minutes, but I dunno. Not totally sold on Soony, after all, these were his first goals in two seasons, and I believe the last one he scored came off a ricochet off his face that was unintentional. I guess we’ll see. If he can be creative and beat a defender one-on-one, then he’ll secure a starting spot. The next game will surely show us. Real Salt Lake away. Doesn’t get any harder than that this year.
All in all, great little performance by SKC. Now lets see if they can put up a similar effort against the best in the west on their turf. It’s one thing to pound poor Toronto into the ground at home in front of a record-breaking sellout crowd and another to put together a solid game away against a great opponent. Next game first in the east v. first in the west. Looking forward to it.
Yeah, you have to temper the accolades because this was Toronto we were playing here, not New York.
I think Soony is something this team has needed for a while now, I think he will stick in this system. I was hoping Vermes would keep him in for the hat attempt, but not to be. yeah, Zuzi has come a long way since those early days of watching him, his confidence and ability has grown immensely in his tenure here.
Real away wil be a test, let’s hope the boys are up for it.
Agreed. We will know a LOT more about this team after the Real away match.