Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Quarterfinal Round Preview

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup returns to action tonight with the quarterfinal round. Of the four matches, only one is an all-MLS matchup.Let's look at all four matches and see who plays who and where for the semifinal round. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)Site: Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA.Time: 10:30 p.m. ETThe Seattle Sounders have won the last three U.S. Open Cups, so you know they will be taking this match seriously, something MLS clubs are not known for, with a few exceptions. They are trying to become the seventh team to win four or more cups, but the first to win them all consecutively.The Sounders will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to their bitter rival Portland Timbers on Sunday in Portland. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference of MLS, winless in their last seven league matches.Seattle's last cup match was a 5-0 win over Cal FC, but they were the last amateur side left in the tournament, assembled about a month-and-a-half before the match by former US international Eric Wynalda, and they had already beaten Portland. Cal FC held Seattle scoreless in the first half.The San Jose ...

Sporting Kansas City Returns to League Play, Defeats Toronto FC 2-0

Sporting Kansas City used two first-half goals—including a world-class strike from Julio Cesar—and a stingy defense to defeat Toronto FC in front of a season-high crowd of 20,488 fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.The match was the first in 11 days and is also the first of five in 14 days.Sporting KC started attacking from the starting whistle. In the third minute, Seth Sinovic broke loose on the counterattack and fed the ball ahead for Teal Bunbury. Bunbury put a good move on defender Doneil Henry and fed the ball back to Sinovic in the box, but Sinovic's first touch was lacking and he turned the ball over.Sporting KC opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Defender Chance Myers fed the ball up the right wing to Jacob Peterson. Peterson crossed the ball in, and Henry went for the clearance and missed. The ball reached C.J. Sapong, who one-timed the ball into the back of the net.The goal was Sapong's fifth of the season, tying him with Kei Kamara for the team lead. Sporting KC is now 11-0-0 when Sapong scores.Toronto missed a golden opportunity in the 30th minute. Torsten Frings played the ball over the top and found Eric Avila ...

Sporting Kansas City Defeat Colorado 2-0, Advance to U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals

Sporting Kansas City used a lock-down defense and a goal from Rapids-killer Teal Bunbury to defeat Colorado 2-0 in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup in front of 14,868 fans at Livestrong Sporting Park.Just over two weeks ago, Colorado fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to earn a draw with Kansas City at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.In the locker room after the game, I asked defender Matt Besler what changed between the two matches. He said:"Our attitude. We were at home, we wanted to make sure we drove the game. In Colorado, we sat back too much and let them have the ball and let them dictate the play. We wanted to make sure we pressured higher up the field this game."Sporting KC enjoyed the majority of the possession in the first half, but too many chances were left unfinished.As an example, in the 11th minute, Besler put one of his Rory Delap-like long throw-ins into the penalty area. Defender Chance Myers tried to use his heel to direct it into the net, but it bounced up and over the crossbar.The match was also incredibly physical. Sporting KC and Colorado combined for 32 total fouls and five ...

Soony Saad Brace and Jon Kempin Saves Lead Sporting Kansas City to 3-2 Win

On a night when MLS teams were falling left and right, Sporting Kansas City managed to avoid the upset and put away 10-man Orlando City 3-2 in front of 12,217 fans at Livestrong Sporting Park in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.Sporting KC were led by a pair of teenagers. 19-year-old goalkeeper Jon Kempin, making the first competitive start of his young career, made six saves, including at least one that would be a candidate for MLS Save of the Week in league play.During the postgame press conference I attended, manager Peter Vermes said:He’s grown a lot and I thought he was very good tonight. He made some really good saves that kept us in the game and also didn’t lose his cool. There are a lot of things we’ve been talking about—managing the game, building out of the back and being confident—and I thought he was pretty good. For his debut, that was a big-time game.In the locker room after the game, I asked Kempin if he'd thought he'd be in a position to make his first start in tonight's game in only his second full year as a pro. He ...

Kei Kamara, CJ Sapong Lead Sporting Kansas City to 2-1 Victory over Earthquakes

Sporting Kansas City rode first-half goals by C.J. Sapong and Kei Kamara to a 2-1 victory of the San Jose Earthquakes in front of 19,974 fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. The win snaps Sporting KC's four-match winless streak.The win was also the first in the month of May since May 16th, 2009 in a road win against Real Salt Lake, a span of 13 matches without a win.Sporting KC opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Earthquakes defender Brad Ring poked the ball away from Teal Bunbury, but Graham Zusi got the ball right back. Zusi made a pass out wide to Kei Kamara on the right. Kamara crossed the ball into the penalty area where Sapong put the ball in the back of the net with a sliding one-timer from about seven yards out.In the locker room after the game, Sapong told us he was wearing a pair of cleats borrowed from Kamara. "I must have packed my shoes in the wrong bag or something," Sapong said. "I came early, didn't even look until 10 minutes to go out and realized I didn't have my cleats. I tried to keep quiet about it. I mean, he (Kamara) is the ...

Sporting Kansas City Drops 2nd Straight, Loses to Montreal 2-0

Despite dominating the stat sheet in almost every category, Sporting Kansas City fell to the Montreal Impact 2-0 in front of 20,404 fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park (LSP). After starting the season with seven straight wins, Sporting KC has now lost two straight.The loss was the first shutout loss at LSP and the first for the team since a 2-0 loss to Chivas USA on July 10, 2010 at Community America Ballpark.Sporting KC outshot Montreal 22-6, had 11 corners to Montreal's one and 66 percent of the possession, but were just not able to get the final pass or finish their chances.During the postgame press conference that Bleacher Report attended, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said, "We didn't come to compete today, and that was a big part of why we lost today. I take responsibility for that. That's not happening."The Impact's chances seemed to come close on the heels of missed opportunities by Sporting KC.In the 27th minute, midfielder Graham Zusi took a shot from distance, but goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made the save, tipping the ball out for a corner.Three minutes later, Sporting KC had a throw-in deep in its own end of the field. After a couple of ...

Landon Donovan: The Best American Player in the History of Soccer

Landon Donovan is, arguably, the best American player in the history of soccer, not only domestically, but internationally.By way of a disclaimer, I only root for Donovan when he's wearing the red, white and blue. When he's playing for the L.A. Galaxy (and before that with the San Jose Earthquakes), Donovan always finds a way to be a thorn in my team's side.That said, there's no denying the statistics Donovan has managed to pile up. These accomplishments are made all the more impressive by the fact that Donovan is not quite two months past his 30th birthday (March 4, 1982).  Domestic/League Play Since Donovan entered the MLS in 2001, only Brian Mullan has been on more MLS Cup-winning teams (three of Jeff Agoos' titles came prior to 2001). Donovan has won the MLS Cup twice with the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy, winning a title in his first year with both clubs.Donovan is one of only two players to win two MLS Cup MVP awards. The other is current D.C. United midfielder Dwayne DeRosario.On the MLS all-time scoring list, Donovan ranks third, but is first among active players with 117 goals. Donovan also ranks first among active players (sixth overall) ...

Sporting Kansas City Falls to Portland Timbers, Unbeaten Run Ends at 7

A Chance Myers own goal was all the offense the Portland Timbers needed to knock off Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in Portland on Saturday night. It was Sporting KC's first loss of 2012 and Portland's first home win of the season.Portland also snapped a four-match losing streak to move to 2-4-1 on the season.Portland made the most of its domination of possession early. The Timbers earned a corner in the fourth minute. Former Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury took the corner, but the whistle was blown for a foul. Referee Hilario Grajeda called Eric Brunner for a high boot on Kei Kamara.Sporting KC's first opportunity came five minutes later. Forward C.J. Sapong took the ball down to the endline in the Portland penalty area. Sapong found Kamara near the penalty spot, but Kamara's shot was stopped by Troy Perkins.The next dangerous chance for Sporting KC came in the 22nd minute. Following a yellow card to Timbers defender Steve Purdy for a foul on Roger Espinoza, Graham Zusi's free kick forced a save from Perkins, tipping it over the bar.On the ensuing corner kick, Bobby Convey's attempt was gathered by Perkins and when Perkins went to throw the ball out, the ...

Rafa Marquez Suspension Too Short, Not a Deterrent

I would like to begin by saying that, as will become obvious, I have never been a fan of Rafa Marquez. Quite frankly, I couldn't possibly care less about him. Being able to care less would imply that I cared at all.The thing is, I care about MLS. I want it to continue to grow in size (by one team) and in stature around the world. Any and all threats to that continued growth need to be eliminated.In my not so humble opinion, Marquez is just such a threat. The three-game suspension (and undisclosed fine) issued by MLS on Thursday is Marquez's second in less than a year. The incident in question stemmed from last Saturday's (4/14) match against the San Jose Earthquakes. On a corner kick in the 42nd minute,Marquez tackled San Jose's Shea Salinas from behind. Marquez also kicked Salinas, breaking his collarbone.He was also suspended three games for throwing a ball at LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan during last year's MLS Cup playoffs.To me, this suspension constitutes a slap on the wrist for Marquez and a step backward for the league. For evidence of why I think that, I want to take you back to September 30, ...

Sporting Kansas City Hits the Road to Take on Vancouver and Portland

Compared to last season's 10-game road trip to begin the year, this will be a piece of cake. After Saturday's victory over Real Salt Lake, Sporting Kansas City is hitting the road for two games this week.On Wednesday, they will take on the Whitecaps at BC Place in Vancouver. The Whitecaps are playing well, having only allowed three goals in their first five games. All three of those goals came in their first loss of the season against San Jose on April 7th.On the other side of the ball, Vancouver has only scored four goals in 2012. Former Philadelphia Union forward Sebastian LeToux leads the team with two goals. Camilo and Jay DeMerit have the others.The home field advantage will not be the only edge Vancouver has in this match. Their last game was that loss to San Jose, so they will have had 11 days off when they kick off against Sporting KC.Sporting KC, on the other hand, will be playing their second game in five days and will have flown halfway across the continent.The key for this matchup will be Sporting KC's offense versus Vancouver's defense. Kei Kamara and C.J. Sapong each have three goals on the season, ...