TORONTO - A brace by C.J. Sapong was enough to see Sporting Kansas City dispatch a struggling Toronto FC side by a 2-1 margin on a soggy Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
INTERVIEWS: Nelsen | Russell | Dike | Wiedeman | Caldwell | Henry
HIGHLIGHTS: No Call For Braun | Corner Chance | Russell's Goal | Convey's Set Piece
Kansas City broke through and opened the scoring in the 18th minute when a defensive breakdown by Toronto FC allowed a completely unmarked Sapong to head the ball into the back of the net after fellow forward Dominic Dwyer had nodded it back across the box following a well-placed long ball from Graham Zusi.
The game looked like it was going to turn in TFC’s favor just before the half-hour mark when Sporting defender Aurelien Collin, already on a yellow card, appeared to deliver an elbow to the head of Toronto winger Alvaro Rey on the edge of the Kansas City penalty area. Although referee Allen Chapman called a foul on the play, the French defender surprisingly escaped a second yellow and a sending off.
Some clumsy defending by Collin, in partnership with goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, nonetheless allowed Toronto to equalize in the 38th minute when Rey picked up a loose ball and set up midfielder Darel Russell for his second goal of the season on a low shot just inside the left post.
Toronto came close to taking the lead just before halftime when striker Bright Dike saw his header off a corner kick cleared off the line by former TFC winger Jacob Peterson.
Kansas City engineered a winner in the 53rd minute when Sapong once again got the better of the TFC backline and headed in his second of the game via a cross into the Toronto box from right back Chance Myers.
Toronto went down to 10 men in the 86th minute when TFC captain Steven Caldwell was handed a straight red for a foul on Sporting KC defender Josh Gardner. A miserable afternoon for the home side was later punctuated when Chapman ejected TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen and assistant coach Fran O’Leary during injury time for dissent after a penalty shout was ignored.
With the loss, Toronto saw their current winless streak stretch to eight games. Kansas City, meanwhile, won their third league match in a row as they continue to battle for playoff positioning at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Toronto will play their second straight match at home on Saturday, Sept. 28th at 1pm ET against D.C. United.
Scoring Summary
SKC – C.J. Sapong 18’ (Dominic Dwyer, Graham Zusi)
TFC – Darel Russell 38’ (Alvaro Rey)
SKC – C.J. Sapong 53’ (Chance Myers)
Misconduct Summary
TFC – Darel Russell 9’ (caution)
TFC – Jeremy Hall 11’ (caution)
SKC – Aurelien Collin 17’ (caution)
TFC – Steven Caldwell 86’ (ejection)
SKC – Peterson Joseph 90’+1 (caution)
TORONTO FC RECORD: 4-15-11 23 POINTS
SPORTING KANSAS CITY RECORD: 14-9-6 48 POINTS
Lineups
Toronto FC – Joe Bendik; Mark Bloom, Steven Caldwell ©, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; Alvaro Rey (Kyle Bekker 83’), Darel Russell, Jeremy Hall (Justin Braun 74’), Bobby Convey; Bright Dike, Andrew Wiedeman (Reggie Lambe 65’)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Gale Agbossoumonde, Richard Eckersley, Emery Welshman
Sporting KC – Jimmy Nielsen; Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Ike Opara, Seth Sinovic; Benny Feilhabe (Peterson Joseph 64’), Graham Zusi, Lawrence Olum; C.J. Sapong, Dominic Dwye (Teal Bunbury 85’), Jacob Peterson (Josh Gardner 81’)
Subsitutes Not Used: Eric Kronberg, Matt Besler, Christian Duke, Soony Saad
