SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs HOUSTON DYNAMO LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK, Kansas City, Kan. July 7, 2012 (WEEK 18, MLS Game #163) 7 p.m. CT (KSMO; FS-Hou/MultiMedios) A heated battle for Eastern Conference placing is in store on Saturday evening at Livestrong Sporting Park as Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo meet. Sporting put an end to their short losing run at midweek, coming back for a 3-1 win at the Montréal Impact. The Dynamo are still unbeaten at home this year, reaching a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire, also at midweek. REFEREE: Chris Penso. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland; JAR (opposite): Eric Proctor; 4th: John McCloskey MLS Career: 22 games; FC/gm: 21.9; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 5; pens: 10 INJURY REPORT: SPORTING KANSAS CITY – OUT: DF Cyprian Hedrick (L fibula fracture); GK Jon Kempin (R ankle fracture); DF Lawrence Olum (L groin strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Michael Thomas (R ankle sprain); PROBABLE: FW Bobby Convey (L calf strain) … HOUSTON DYNAMO -- DOUBTFUL: DF Alex Dixon (concussion); MF Calen Carr (L hamstring strain); MF Je-Vaughn Watson (L adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Geoff Cameron (L hamstring strain) INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none SUSPENDED: none WARNINGS: SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Jimmy Nielsen SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Aurelien Collin, Chance Myers, Julio Cesar … HOU: Calen Carr, Corey Ashe HEAD-TO-HEAD ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Sporting 3 wins, 15 goals … Dynamo 5 wins, 18 goals … Ties 4 AT KANSAS CITY (6 meetings): Sporting 2 wins, 9 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 1 RETURN MATCHES: 7/18: Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. CT; 9/14: Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m. CT (NBC SN) LAST YEAR (MLS) 7/16: HOU 1, KC 1 (Collin 90 – Davis 8) 9/10: KC 3, HOU 0 (Bunbury 9, 73; Sapong 79) The game is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Championship, won 2-0 by the Dynamo at Livestrong Sporting Park. It was the second time the teams had met with a trip to the MLS Cup Final on the line (also 2007, also won 2-0 by Houston). After winning the first meeting ever between the clubs, April 8, 2006 at Robertson Stadium, Kansas City has not won in Houston. The Dynamo have won three of the six MLS league and cup meetings since at home (with three draws). In league play, Sporting have a three-game unbeaten streak alive vs. Houston, winning their last two meetings in Kansas City. Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. HOU: P5 W2 L1 D2 … Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P18 W7 L5 D6 SPORTING KANSAS CITY Sporting Kansas City put an end to their two-game losing run, storming back for a 3-1 win against the Montréal Impact on Wednesday evening at Stade Saputo. Sporting are in second place in the Eastern Conference with 32 points from 17 matches. LAST MATCH The Impact took the lead four minutes into the second half. Felipe ran onto a Zarek Valentin through ball on the right side of the area and he cut back a low cross which evaded everyone in the box. It fell perfectly for Patrice Bernier, who came charging through the center and unleashed a first-time to the back of the net. But Sporting were level six minutes later when Bernier was whistled for a hand ball in the penalty area. Kei Kamara stepped up to convert the penalty. Yet another scramble in the Impact’s penalty area in the 75th minute saw Montreal captain Davy Arnaud foul KC substitute Soony Saad. Referee Sorin Stoica pointed to the spot once again, and this time it was Graham Zusi's turn to convert and put the visitors ahead 2-1. Sporting added a third eight minutes from full time. Roger Espinoza’s cross from the left found Jacob Peterson on the opposite side and his hard drive deflected off a defender and flew past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts for the capper.
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