FC Dallas only had one shot on target, but they looked likely to steal a point from Sporting Kansas City until the dying minutes of their game. A combination of a very good performance by Kevin Hartman and some poor finishing by Kansas City had the game tied until the 88th minute, when Kei Kamara applied the finish to a cross by Chance Myers to give his team a 2-1 win.
Sporting Kansas City Vs. FC Dallas, 2012 MLS: Kei Kamara Scores Late Winner
The right flank combination of Myers and Kamara was dominant all game long, but it took until the final minutes of the game for their dominance to generate a goal for their team. Sporting controlled play early but they were stunned in the 25th minute by Ricardo Villar's opener for Dallas. A foul by Myers just outside of the box gave Villar a shot at a direct free kick just outside the box, and he placed a beautiful shot into the back of the net at the near post.
Kansas City equalized with the last kick of the ball before the end of the first half, in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time. Graham Zusi provided the assist on Aurelien Collin's headed goal, swinging in a nearly perfect free kick that Collin simply had to touch into the goal.
Just five minutes into the first half, the Myers-Kamara combination created a penalty for Kansas City. Kamara provided a low ball into the box for Myers on the overlapping run, and he was fouled by Ugo Ihemelu. Kamara stepped up to take the penalty and placed it well, but didn't hit his shot with enough power and Hartman got across to make a terrific save. On the ensuing corner kick, Kamara missed another great chance with a header that went wide.
Sporting KC continued to control possession and create chances, but they failed to get shots on target between the penalty and the eventual winner. Kamara and Zusi both had golden opportunities in similar fashion in the second half, with clear one-on-one chances after an attack down the right and a near post cross, but their misses on those clear chances made it feel like Kansas City would never find a goal from open play.
It eventually came in the 88th minute in the manner that almost all of their chances were created. Myers put a low cross into the box, aimed at the near post from the right flank. Kamara got on the end of it, and on this occasion, applied a great finish to give his team the three points they should have earned in a much simpler fashion, much earlier in the game.
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