Kansas City, Kan. (October 15, 2017)- Sporting KC and Houston Dynamo both clinched playoff spots after playing to a 0-0 draw. The lively match did not totally reflect the scoreline.
Sporting KC and Houston Dynamo play to entertaining draw
If you were told that a 0-0 draw was going to be entertaining, then you likely would’ve laughed that person off and walked away. But don’t walk away. This was exactly that. A total of 41 shots taken between both Houston and Sporting, yet no goals? It was as wild as it sounds.
Sporting KC were the dominant team, holding nearly 70% possession and completing twice as many passes. They also laid siege to the Houston net, taking 27 shots. Dynamo Goalkeeper, Tyler Deric, stood on his head for 90 minutes, making nine saves.
“Their goalkeeper played really well. He was the man of the match for them for sure,” said Sporting KC manager, Peter Vermes.
One of the biggest chances on the evening came at the very end of the match, way into the six minutes of stoppage time. A ball cycled out wide to Jimmy Medranda, fizzed a ball across the six yard box. It had beaten Tyler Deric, and a group of Sporting KC players were standing near the ball with a wide open net. None could get a strong touch on the ball, and somehow it stayed out. Vermes was quite frustrated they weren’t able to smash something home.
“I mean if you’re two yards away from goal, goalkeeper is to your left, and you’ve got ten feet of the goal in front of you, you gotta stick it in the net,” said Vermes. “Unfortunately I can’t get my foot on the field right now, because that’s a problem.”
For Houston Dynamo, the season of redemption has been complete. After finishing last in the west in 2016, they have now made the playoffs for 2017. They still have the ability to get a home game though, and if they win against Chicago, and results go their way, they’re looking at potentially hosting Kansas City.
For Sporting KC, they still have a very remote chance to get a first round bye of the playoffs, but that would involve a lot of other things out of their hands. For what they can control, Sporting KC needs to win to keep their home field advantage for a potential Knockout Round clash.
When asked about their current playoff status, Vermes said, “We have to wait until the last game like always. For the last couple years, unfortunately. It’s because of missed chances. That’s what it does to you. You don’t score? It’ll put you in that position.”
