MLS Regular Season
Score: Sounders FC 1 at Sporting Kansas City 1
Goal-scorers: Obafemi Martins (32’), Dom Dwyer (79’)
Site: Sporting Park
Man of the Match:Nelson Valdez. The Paraguayan striker continues to thrive at outside midfield, this time playing on the right wing while Andreas Ivanschitz slotted in on the left. Valdez nearly picked up an assist on multiple occasions in the second half, finding Clint Dempsey and Marco Pappa inside the box for open looks.
Telling Stat:Obafemi Martins tied the club record by scoring in his fifth consecutive game on Sunday. Martins has now netted at least one goal in seven of his last eight appearances. Despite missing 13 games this year, the Nigerian striker is tied for sixth in MLS with 14 goals.
What You Missed: With an appearance in the U.S. Open Cup final looming this Wednesday, Sporting KC chose to field a lineup of mainly reserves against the Sounders. Star players Benny Feilhaber and Matt Besler were already suspended due to yellow-card accumulation, so SKC elected to save many of its other starters for the USOC Final in Philadelphia.
So What: With the draw at Sporting Park, the Sounders remain in fourth place in the Western Conference standings and one point ahead of Sporting KC with three games to go. After losing seven straight road matches during the summer, Seattle is unbeaten in its last three games away from home. The Sounders return to CenturyLink Field on Oct. 4 to face the LA Galaxy in a nationally televised game on FOX Sports 1.
