Sporting KC earns 2-0 win at Houston

Andre Luiz and Calvin Harris both scored, and Stefan Cleveland made five saves to lead Sporting Kansas City to a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo. The win improved SKC’s record to (6-17-3, 21 pts.) and was the first clean sheet of the season.

“It’s a great team performance and a great win in a difficult place against a team who is in really, really good form and is in the top three of the table. It’s not easy to come here and win, even against 10 men,” head coach Raphael Wicky told the media after the match.

It was an important bounce back after a tough loss the previous match. “I’m very happy about the reaction after the Philadelphia game, because the Philadelphia game was a hard one,” Wicky stated. “When you’re 3-0 up and you lose and you have a really, really good 61 minutes and then you have 10 minutes where you’re a disaster and concede four goals and you lose that game, that’s mentally very hard after the whole season we’ve had. I’m most pleased and happy and proud of the reaction.”

Sporting KC had to make one change from the previous lineup. Wicky gave center back Jansen Miller the start with Moises Mosquera out.

Houston had the majority of play early, but Sporting were getting looks that finally piad off in the 27^th minute.  Stephen Afrifa could have allowed the ball to roll across the endline and get ready for a corner kick. Instead he took control in the Houston box before cutting it back to the middle where towards Andre. The recently signed attacker slammed the ball into the net for his fourth goal since joining the club.

Sporting KC doubled their lead in the 45tht minute. Lasse Berg Johnsen stole the ball in the midfield. He slipped the ball to Andre running to the right side of the box. Andre drove to the endline but cut the dribble back causing the Dynamo defender to trip over himself. Andre was able to pick out a tightly defended Harris. The low pass was flcked over the Jonathan Bond and into the top of the net. The goal gives Harris four goals and six assists this season,

“I  saw Andre pick the ball up and I know when he gets the ball one-on-one, he’s going to beat him somehow. He puts him on the floor and gets on that left foot and I knew that there was a chance if I just get across the front post. The ball flashes across there and I get my left foot just in front of the defender to put it in,” Harris explained.

After SKC’s goal the turmoil started. Houston was trying to stir things up but ended up on the defensive themselves when they went down a man. Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera received a straight red card for violent conduct when he put his hands around the neck of Taylor Calheira .

Houston tried to create opportunities despite being a man down but SKC was able to close out the game and earn their first shutout win since the LA Galaxy match where they had no shots on goal.

Sporting Kansas City: Stefan Cleveland; Justin Reynolds (Jacob Bartlett 72’), Jansen Miller, Wyatt Meyer, Emir Karic; Andre Luiz (Ruben Ramos Jr. 60’), Lasse Berg Johnsen (C), Kwaku Agyabeng, Calvin Harris (Owen Wolff 72’); Taylor Calheira (Seymour Reid 79’), Stephen Afrifa (Zorhan Bassong 80’)

Subs Not Used: John Pulskamp, Ian James, Jayden Reid, Shapi Suleymanov

Houston Dynamo: Jonathan Bond; Lawrence Ennali (Marcelo Saracchi 72’), Antonio Carlos, Lucas Halter, Franco Negri (Felipe Andrade 55’); Ibrahim Aliyu (Lyle Foster 72’), Artur (C), Hector Herrera, Mateusz Bogusz (Duncan McGuire 82’); Agustin Bouzat (Matthew Arana 72’), Guilherme

Subs Not Used: Blake Gillingham, Duane Holmes, Diadie Samassekou, Nick Markanich

Scoring Summary:
SKC – Andre Luiz 4 (Stephen Afrifa 2) 27’
SKC – Calvin Harris 4 (Andre Luiz 1, Lasse Berg Johnsen 6) 45’

Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Justin Reynolds (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 1’
HOU – Hector Herrera (Red Card; Violent Conduct) 48+
SKC – Taylor Calheira (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 49+
SKC – Andre Luiz (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 51+
HOU – Antonio Carlos (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 54’
SKC – Stephen Afrifa (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 68’

Referee: Tim Ford
Assistant Referee: Jeremy Hanson
Assistant Referee: Felisha Mariscal
Fourth Official: Allen Chapman
VAR: Greg Dopka
AVAR: Joshua Patlak