After seven straight games in which they scored two goals or fewer, Sporting KC (6-6-8) broke out in a big way Saturday night, beating Toronto FC 4-2.
After not scoring before the 90th minute in their last two games, Sporting coach Peter Vermes said his team needed to start this game well.
“We talked about having the desire to get on the scoreboard first,” Vermes said. “Against this team we wanted to get a goal early and we wanted to then keep coming because we thought the game would really open up, and obviously it did.”
Sporting midfielder Kei Kamara wasn’t sure if he was going to play when he woke up Saturday with a sore ankle.
“The trainer kept telling me that I should rest it and I said no way, I just have a feeling about this game,” Kamara said.
In the 28th minute, Kamara his proved that his intuition was right. After Omar Bravo’s corner kick was deflected toward the top of the box, Kamara turned and scissor kicked the ball into the back of the net.
Kamara scored again five minutes later when he headed in a beautiful cross from Roger Espinoza.
With the win, KC extended it’s ubeaten streak to 12 games. The team is also undefeated at Livestrong Sporting Park in MLS play and that is good news since Saturday’s game was the first of a nine-game homestand for Sporting KC.
“The team is clicking really well and this is the best time of the year for a team to click, which is the second half of the season,” Kamara said.
One reason for KC’s sudden scoring outburst could be the addition into the lineup of newly acquired Brazilian midfielder Jéferson.
With KC up 2-0, Jéferson threaded a lead pass between two defenders to put the ball on Bravo’s foot with only the goalie to beat. The MLS All-Star juked the goalie to put KC up 3-0.
A few more goals in the net were welcome news to Sporting goalie Jimmy Nielsen and he said he is expecting big things from Jéferson.
“He’s extremely good offensively, we know he’s good to make that final pass,” Nielsen said. “I’m sure he’ll just get better and better when we get to know him and he gets to know us.”
Jéferson ended up having to play the entire game. Vermes said that was not his intention but when Aurélien Collin went down with an injury in the 62nd minute, Vermes was forced to put in Daneil Cyrus and didn’t have anymore subs for Jéferson.
“He probably played 20 -25 minutes too long, we were going to make a substitution with him but with the injury to Collin we had to leave him,” Vermes said.
It was Cyrus’ MLS debut, and though he was not expecting to play he said he always tries to stay sharp on the sidelines.
“Mentally I wasn’t sure that I was going to play, but I always keep in mind anything is possible,” Cyrus said. “Somebody could go down and I would have to go in, so I always have it in my mind to be ready to play.”
Cyrus misplayed a ball that led to a goal by Toronto FC’s Ryan Johnson, but Vermes said that overall, Cyrus had a decent performance.
“If he’s going to learn something, it’s better in a game like this where were up four goals than when it’s really tight,” Vermes said.
Toronto’s Danny Koevermans scored on a header in the 50th minute, but KC answered when Chance Myers sent a perfect cross to Bravo who scored for the second time. By the time Johnson capitalized on Cyrus’ gaffe, the game was already out of reach for Toronto who remain winless on the road this season.
Sporting KC can savor this one for a while, their next game is not until next week, at home against New England.
