Kansas City, KS (Sports Network) - Sporting Kansas City returned to form on
Sunday at Livestrong Sporting Park as the club snapped a four-game winless
streak with a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Sporting striker Kei Kamara was instrumental in the win as he set up the first
goal and scored the second in a dominant first half for the home side.
San Jose did much better after the break and pulled a goal back through Simon
Dawkins with just under 20 minutes to play. However, Kansas City was
determined to return to the win column for the first time since opening the
season on a seven-game winning streak and held out for the win.
Manager Peter Vermes was hoping for a good start from the hosts, and his team
delivered inside of five minutes as Kamara's right-wing cross found C.J.
Sapong in stride and he put the ball beyond goalkeeper Jon Busch with a nicely
taken volley.
Teal Bunbury should have made it 2-0 midway through the half, but he missed
the net from seven yards after being played into the area by Kamara.
Sporting continued to pile up the chances and Kamara put his name on the
scoresheet in the 39th minute to double the advantage, getting on the other
end of a left-wing cross from Michael Harrington with a well-timed run that
ended with a thumping header from seven yards into the back of the net.
Graham Zusi wasted a chance in the 52nd for Sporting to extend its lead when
he missed the net with a volley from eight yards.
And San Jose pulled to within a goal when Dawkins controlled a header from
Ramiro Corrales and placed it neatly inside the right post with a curling shot
from the edge of the penalty area.
San Jose pressed for the equalizer but Sporting came closest to finding the
net in the last 10 minutes when Kamara set up another good chance for Zusi,
only for the midfielder to be turned away at close range by Busch.
GAME NOTES:
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