The Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City will be squaring off for the first time in 2015 this coming Saturday. The two have squared off a total of nine times since the Sounders joined MLS in 2009. The Sounders have the upper hand in the series, winning seven, losing once and tying once.
2009
The one victory for Sporting KC, or the Kansas City Wizards as they were known at the time, came in the Sounders fourth ever MLS game. At the time, the Sounders had yet to give up a goal in their first three matches in MLS. The tables turned in the Wizards direction in the 29th minute after Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller was given a straight red. He was judged to have handled the ball outside of the 18 yard box. It still took the Wizards another 51 minutes before they would score, but they finally broke through in the 80th minute on a goal from Davy Arnaud. That goal ended the Sounders three game winning streak as well as their 350 minute shutout streak.
The Sounders would get a bit of revenge later in 2009 when the Sounders and Wizards squared off for the second time in October. The Sounders eventually won the game 3-2 behind goals from Tyrone Marshall (27’), Roger Levesque (69’) and Nate Jaqua (76’). The Wizards got their goals from Zoltán Hercegfalvi (51’) and Josh Wolff (53’).
2010
The Sounders and Wizards would meet each other again in April of 2010. The Sounders entered the match with a record of 1-1-1 while the Wizards sat at 2-0-0. It looked as if the match would end with the final score line being 0-0. Mike Fucito saw that it would not end that way. All 5’9” of Fucito scored the game winning goal for the Sounders in the 92nd minute of the match to send the Rave Green supporters home happy.
The Wizards would play host to the Sounders late in October of 2010. This time around had more goals, but did not have an exciting ending like the last time these two faced off. The Sounders got on the board first on a goal by Sanna Nyassi in the 66th minute. The Sounders would double their lead in the 78th minute on goal by Alvaro Fernandez. The Wizards would not go away though. Arnaud scored in the 84th minute after they were awarded a penalty. That would be the last of the scoring as the Sounders left Kansas City with a 2-1 victory.
2011
Once again the Sounders and the newly rebranded Sporting Kansas City would meet in Seattle early in the season. What look to be a final score line of 0-0 between the two clubs, was thwarted at the last possible moment when Jeff Parke scored the game winning goal in the 93rd minute. That makes the second time in five meeting that the Sounders have beaten Kansas City with a stoppage time goal.
In August, the two teams would face off once again. This time there would not be a stoppage time goal to defeat Sporting KC, there would be two. Sporting went up 1-0 in the 20th minute on a Kei Kamara goal. It looked like Sporting KC had done enough to secure the win, but the Sounders never gave up. The Sounders secured a tie in the 90th minute on Mauro Rosales goal. Then just two minutes later, Lamar Neagle stole the game for the Sounders with his goal, stunning Sporting KC and their fans. In six meetings, that makes for four stoppage time goals resulting in three wins for the Sounders.
2012
There would only be one meeting between the two teams in 2012 with the unbalanced schedule. It would take place in Seattle in early June. There would be no stoppage time goals this time around. Actually both goals were scored by the 15th minute of this match, including goal of the year from the Sounders Patrick Ianni in the 15th minute. Sporting got their goal in the 8th minute from Jacob Peterson.
2013
The one and only meeting between the two clubs took place in early May. It looked to be another low scoring affair until (0-0) Djimi Traore decided to score in the 94th minute. Yup, you read that correctly. Once again the Sounders found a way to beat Sporting with a stoppage time goal. The photo below shows the shock and disbelief by Jimmy Nielson and other Sporting players.
2014
This time around the two clubs didn’t have to wait long to face off against each other. It was the first game of the year and Sporting KC game in as the defending MLS Cup Champions. It was a wet, miserable day. Trust this writer, he knows. He was there. A lot of back and forth was going on between the two teams. Both sides had a few chances but nothing really materialized until, wait for it, stoppage time. Newly acquired Chad Barrett was the hero this time around for the Sounders. He scored the game winner in the 94th minute and the Sounders once again defeated Sporting in stoppage time.
One can only hope that 2015 brings many more exciting matches between the two clubs. With Sporting KC in the Western Conference now, the two will face off three times. The meeting this Saturday will be the one and only meeting in Seattle for the two teams. Can’t wait to see what happens this time around.