THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7.2012
QUOTE OF THE DAY
PAGE 7
"We don't want to be down 2-0, but there's not one person on our team that doesn't think we can come back and win this next game 9-0, 4-0, 5-0. We're going to come back, play this next leg and see what happens."
- Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zust to kansascity.com
THE MORNING BREW
FACT OF THE DAY
Sporting Kansas City's average attendance for 2012 was 19,404 per match setting a new team record.
sportingkc.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: When was the last time Kansas City overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to advance in the playoffs?
A: 2004, Kansas City won the second leg 3-0 to beat San Jose 3-2 on aggregate
— kansascity.com
Sporting KC looks to keep postseason hopes alive against Houston
Sporting Kansas City was picked by many to win the Major League Soccer Cup as it entered the playoffs as the best team in the Eastern Conference. After losing 2-0 at Houston on Sunday, Sporting KC must overturn that deficit in tonight's game if the team wants to continue its post-season run.
Sporting KC went into the playoffs with the best defense in the league but has struggled to score all season, averaging just 1.2 goals per game. This is a strange statistic considering the team takes pride in its attacking 4-3-3 formation.
Houston will likely sit back and defend tonight, which is nothing new to Kansas City. Most teams this year have come to Livestrong Sporting Park with the defensive mentality to shut down the dangerous Sporting attack. This is one of the biggest reasons this season's team has had a difficult time scoring.
Kei Kamara is the team's leading scorer with 11 goals and eight assists this season, but the key to the Sporting KC attack is
statistical categories, and goalie Jimmie Nielson led the MLS with 15 shutouts this season. The team's defensive record may be Sporting KCs biggest advantage in the effort to turn over this 2-0 deficit.
ion
mutteter Graham Zusi. Zusi has made an amazing 15 assists from his attacking midfield role in addition to five goals this season. He has been the team's best player all season and will need to create scoring opportunities if Sporting KC is to avoid being knocked out of the playoffs by Houston for the second straight season.
A huge reason Sporting KC is able to control games and keep opponents off the scoreboard lies with the domination of the midfield. Zusi may get most of the credit for this, but Roger Espinoza and Julio Cesar make it all possible. The two midfielders can run all day and often are the ones who stop any attack by the opposition. Espinoza and Cesar help players move up the field because these two are always behind to break up any opponent's attack. Both players will be expected to control the opposition counterattacks while the rest of the Sporting KC team looks for the two goals it needs.
Despite being considered one of the more attractive teams to watch in the league, Kansas City doesn't ignore the dirty work. Sporting KC is near the top in all defensive
Despite struggling in the first match of the playoffs, a return home to Livestrong Sporting Park (LSP) will surely lift the team. Widely considered one of the best soccer-specific stadiums in the country, LSP also boasts one of the best atmospheres in Major
League Soccer. This is a huge advantage for the team, which will use the noise to apply pressure on the Houston defense.
In throughout the history of the MLS playoffs, teams have overturned first-leg deficits to move on. Tonight, Sporting KC faces a good team, but the KC players know they have the talent and pedigree to overturn the deficit. An early goal will really make the team believe a win is possible; this makes the first 20 minutes the most important part of the game.
If Sporting KC is able to grab the early goal, then the team will be confident about overturning the deficit. Houston, on the other hand, has experienced players who know how to win big games and will make things very difficult for Sporting KC. This match is going to be a challenge for Kansas City, but if the team plays its best game, then it should be able to overcome the woeful first leg that got it in this 2-0 hole.
- Edited by Joanna Hlavacek
This week in athletics
Wednesday
Women's Volleyball
Kansas State
7 p.m.
Manhattan
Thursday
No events scheduled.
Friday
Cross Country
NCAA
Midwest Regional
Noon
Springfield, Mo.
Men's Basketball
Southeast Missouri State 7 p.m.
Lawrence
Women's Tennis
San Diego Invittational All Day San Diego
Women's Soccer
First Round
TBA
Campus Sites
Saturday
Football
Texas Tech
11 a.m.
Lubbock, Texas
Women's Volleyball
Texas
6.30 p.m.
Lawrence
San Diego Invitational
All Day
San Diego
Women's Tennis
Sunday
Women's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Idaho State
2 p.m.
Lawrence
Women's Tennis
No events scheduled.
San Diego Invitational All Day San Diego
Monday
Tuesday
Men's Basketball
Michigan State 6 p.m. Atlanta, Ga.
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