Sporting Kansas City knew they would probably control possession. They had the most dynamic finishers too with their young, fast forwards and they also had the best central midfielder in the match in Graham Zusi. In the run of play, this one was going to go Sporting's way, but there was one great equalizer and that was set pieces. With all of the Houston Dynamo's big guys and Brad Davis whipping the ball in, set pieces were going to give Houston a chance.
Sporting Kansas City Vs. Houston Dynamo Live, MLS Cup Playoffs 2011: Sporting Survives First Dynamo Free Kick
The key for Sporting was not giving away free kicks and until the 27th minute, they didn’t. Luckily for them, they’ve survived Houston set piece and surprisingly, it was because Davis put in a terrible ball. The Dynamo midfielder has been seemingly perfect on dead balls this year, but that one never even got into a dangerous place. Sporting lucked out once, but they’d be wise to avoid giving Houston more chances on set pieces.
For more on the two teams, check out Sporting KC blog The Daily Wiz and Houston Dynamo blog Dynamo Theory. For more on this match-up, the rest of the MLS playoffs and the entire world of soccer, check out SB Nation Soccer.
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