LDN - Sports

One goal sends Dynamo past SKC in knockout round

[October 28, 2017] By Steve Habel, The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON -- When Houston's strike-fast and counterattack strategy failed to produce over the first 90 minutes of a Western Conference knockout-round playoff match against Sporting Kansas City on Thursday, the Dynamo went to plan B, a more tactical approach in which the team's substitutes would provide a late push.

The Dynamo couldn't have drawn things up any better.

Alberth Elis scored in the 94th minute off a perfect centering pass from the ageless Vicente Sanchez to propel Houston to a 1-0 extra-time victory over Sporting Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dynamo, the fourth seed in the West, advance to play the top-seeded Portland Timbers in the Western Conference semifinals in a two-match, aggregate-goal series beginning Monday in Houston.

The victory was the 13th at home this season for Houston, which has lost just once on its home pitch in 2017 and is making its first postseason appearance since 2013.

Sporting Kansas City, which held the top spot in the Western Conference for most of the summer months, ended its campaign in the postseason knockout round for the fourth straight year.

"We played a very tactical game, a tough game, and a smart game against a very tough team," Houston coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "It was very physical game with a lot of fouls and tension. Tonight, one goal was enough."

The match was rough and tumble throughout, with seven yellow cards assessed (four for SKC) and 31 overall fouls called through regulation, which ended without a goal by either side and just four shots on goal, two by each team.

All that changed in the 94th minute. The 37-year-old Sanchez, who entered as a substitute for Houston in the 87th minute, beat SKC's Jimmy Medranda along the end line to the right of the goal and centered a pass into the box to the waiting Elis, who steadied the ball once before sending it into the goal.

"We have been having trouble scoring in the first half in recent games, and that was the case again tonight even though we had a lot of early chances," Dynamo defender DaMarcus Beasley said. "We had to stay patient and wait for our opportunity, and Vicente gave us that chance with his effort on our goal.

"We will have to play much better if we are going to have a chance against Portland."

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Sporting Kansas City owned the statistics, outshooting Houston 22-20 while earning the advantage in total passes (563-337), passing accuracy (81 percent-68 percent), ball possession (62.2 percent), corner kicks (9-6), duals won (83-68) and tackles won (28-25).

"The last four or five games we fell out of form a bit and it hurt us," Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said. "The guys left everything on the field tonight. We had a lot of intensity and played hard. We had chances, and good ones, but we just didn't have enough at the end.

"When you get to the playoffs, all of them are like this, physical and with so much intensity. This was exactly what I expected, but I didn't expect to lose."

Houston's Tyler Deric saved six shots to earn his seventh shutout of the season in his first ever playoff game. SKC goalie Andrew Dykstra made four saves.

After Elis' goal, Houston had three excellent chances to add to its advantage over the ensuing four minutes but could not convert an insurance goal.

"Everyone worked very hard, and it usually comes down to a one-goal game," SKC midfielder Roger Espinoza said. "The last five games put us in a bad situation, but we have a young team, especially with the guys on top, so the future is bright for this group."

Sporting Kansas City was without standout goalkeeper and team MVP Tim Melia, sidelined due to a hamstring strain. Houston, meanwhile, endured a blow earlier this week when defender A.J. DeLaGarza was ruled out for the remainder of the postseason with a torn ACL.

NOTES: The Dynamo employed their 33rd different starting lineup in 35 matches this year. ... Sporting Kansas City and Houston dueled twice earlier this month, settling for a scoreless draw on Oct. 15 at Children's Mercy Park four days after the Dynamo earned a 2-1 comeback victory at BBVA Compass Stadium. The first meeting of 2017 also unfolded in Houston, as SKC won 2-0 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup round of 16 before eventually earning the tournament title on Sept. 20. ... Sporting Kansas City's last seven playoff matches have been decided by a goal or none, including two penalty-kick shootouts. ... SKC won the 2013 Eastern Conference Championship over Houston on the way to winning the MLS Cup, while Houston got the best of Sporting Kansas City in 2011 and 2012 on its way to consecutive appearances in MLS Cup.

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