In a game with loads of cards, a penalty kick, humid weather and plenty of injuries, it was fitting that several of the aforementioned factors came together on the game’s decisive play.
Benny Feilhaber separated his shoulder setting up the game-winning goal in Sporting KC’s 10-man, 2-0 win over the home Houston Dynamo on Friday night on a play that earned Eric Brunner a yellow (and could’ve gotten a straight red on another day).
It wasn’t a game for the officiating highlight reel. To be fair, it wasn’t a game for any highlight reel. Toni Dovale was given a red card in the 21st minute for this casual and wayward elbow to Alexander Lopez, one of a handful of worthwhile reds (but the only one given). See below:
Soony Saad scored KC’s first goal off a Feilhaber feed, and then Dom Dwyer converted a penalty kick to give the game its final score line. Dwyer’s 10th goal of the season fittingly came on a penalty that probably shouldn’t have been given, as a shoulder block was given as a handball.
Houston picked up four yellows, while KC was handed two yellows to go with Toni’s red. Kansas City is within a point for first place New England with the win, while Houston remains in fourth place.
Both goalkeepers were strong, Eric Kronberg with the clean sheet and Houston’s Tyler Deric with a strong first performance of 2014.
The brutal heat played a role, but there’s no excuse for a match like the one we watched in Houston. Not so good, Al.
