EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTING KANSAS CITY v HOUSTON DYNAMO Sun., Nov. 6, Livestrong Sporting Park (4:30 p.m. CT; FOX Soccer) 1
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: KC 3 wins, 15 GF … HOU 5 wins, 18 GF … Ties 4
Nielsen
7
5
78
Besler
Collin
16
Myers
Sinovic
22
15
Arnaud
Espinoza
2011 HEAD-TO-HEAD: KC 1 win, 4 GF … HOU 0 wins, 1 GF … 1 tie AT LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK: 9/10: KC 3, HOU 0 (Bunbury 9, 73; Sapong 79)
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: KC 0 wins, 0 GF … HOU 1 win, 2 GF … 0 ties Sporting Kansas City come into the fourth conference championship in 8 club history as one of the hottest teams in MLS. "I told the guys Zusi 99 23 before the game started that we haven’t achieved anything yet," said Bravo Kamara manager Peter Vermes. "You think that it’s going to be easy but the other team 9 brings everything they’ve got. ...Tactically it’s amazing as games go on we get Bunbury better and better. I think it’s because they are playing with a level of confidence." ... Since a five-game losing streak amidst their 10-game road trip to 25 3 start the season, they have lost just four times in 30 games in all competiChing Carr tions. “It’s been that hot team in the playoffs that usually makes a good run of it,” Graham Zusi said. “That’s what we are right now. We’re a hot team, and we’re tough to beat right now.” ... With back-to-back shutouts in the confer11 5 ence semifinals, SKC have now kept four consecutive clean sheets and not 17 16 Davis Cruz allowed a goal in 365 minutes. "We got to know each other more so we are Moffat Camargo more confident and trusting of one another. We play as a unit in the defense. We go up together and we go back together, we go to the right, and to the 26 31 left," said center back Aurelien Collin. "We are a unit, before somebody was 20 32 Ashe Hainault doing this, the other was doing that, but right now we are a unit, we feel it on Cameron Boswell the field." ... Over the course of the regular season, Sporting created three goals from free kicks. Both goals in the second leg vs. Colorado came from 1 free kicks. "Every team dreams of having a player who can serve set pieces Hall like Zusi can. He’s in the same class as David Beckham and Brad Davis. Those type of players can serve the ball however you want it and that’s good REFEREE: Mark Geiger. to have on your team. That’s huge," said goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. ... Omar SAR (bench): C.J. Morgante; JAR (opposite): Steven Taylor; Bravo also missed the second leg after again experiencing tightness in his 4th: Chris Penso groin. "Even though he can run, the problem is when he strikes the ball he can feel it a little bit. ... Whenever there is a muscle situation, I like to be conservaINJURY REPORT: tive. Take a few days here instead of the four or six weeks later," said Vermes. SPORTING KANSAS CITY -- OUT: DF Daneil Cyrus (L foot frac"I think he’ll be ready for Sunday. I can’t guarantee it, but he has a couple ture); MF Luke Sassano (R knee sprain); MF Peterson Joseph (R more days now to keep getting treatment and get back." knee surgery); MF Konrad Warzycha (R knee surgery); PROBABLE: The last time the Dynamo faced Sporting Kansas City, it was a 3-0 FW Omar Bravo (R abductor strain); MF Milos Stojcev (R ankle defeat. That was Houston's last loss -- they have won six of eight sprain) ... games since, with two draws. “I think we’re going to play our game,” HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: FW Cam Weaver (R hip) Houston defender Geoff Cameron said. “I don’t think we’re going to adapt to SUSPENDED: none their style. We’re going to adjust going in there and play our game. We lost a lot of that when we went there, but we have a lot of confidence going, we feel good in the back, the midfield is excellent and Brian Ching is Brian Ching.” ... In the Dynamo's first game in Houston, Ching inaugurated the club in style with a fourgoal game in a 5-2 win vs. Colorado. Six full seasons later, Ching brought down SPORTING KANSAS CITY HOUSTON DYNAMO the curtain on the club's Robertson Stadium era with his first goal since Aug. 20. “I was thinking about that all day, what a way it would be to close it out,” SUBSTITUTES FROM SUBSTITUTES FROM Ching said. “The stars just aligned for me and our team. The goal meant a lot to 2 Harrington DF 2 Robinson DF make it easier to close out the series.” ... Brad Davis set up a goal in each play3 Aiyegbusi DF 4 Taylor DF off game, both on free kick services. “I think we’ve been successful all year on 4 Rocastle MF 7 Clark MF them and in the past we’ve been the same way,” said Bobby Boswell. “It’s our 6 Thomas DF 8 Sarkodie DF bread and butter. It’s hard to mark everyone. It’s been working for us. Why 10 Jeferson MF 9 Garey FW change it if it’s working?” ... The Dynamo's lone goal vs. SKC this year came 11 Saad FW 10 Watson MF when Davis scored on his own from a free kick. “[The media] have talked about 13 Olum DF 12 Bruin FW it and other teams keep saying it, but I keep saying we’re going to get our 14 Ellis DF 13 Navas Cobo MF chances every game and we look to capitalize on them,” said Davis, who has 17 Sapong FW 18 Soto MF nine of his 18 assists in league and MLS Cup play on set pieces. ... The 18 Kronberg GK 19 Dixon MF Dynamo went winless in their first 15 trips away from Houston. But after wins 20 Diop FW 21 Freeman DF 21 Kempin GK 24 Deric GK against Dallas and Portland to close out the road portion of the regular season, 24 Lorenz DF 28 Newton GK the Orange then won at Philadelphia to open the playoffs. “They are an extreme55 Julio Cesar MF 29 Costly FW ly dangerous team and a team with a lot of confidence that has a great record at 88 Stojcev MF home,” said Ching. “They put their first-round opponent away decisively. They’re a team with a lot of confidence just like us. We have to stay organized. They play with five in midfield and we definitely have to be prepared for that.”