The game in 100 words (or less): The story of Sporting Kansas City’s season remains their inability to score goals, thus win games, on the road. With just two wins (12 points total, and seven goals scored in 14 games) to show for their travels this season, the difference between their current place as a middle-of-the-pack Western Conference side, and running away with the West’s top spot, is plain to see. On Sunday, things were looking up for a brief period of time — say, the opening 20 minutes or so — during which Peter Vermes’ side jumped out to an early lead courtesy of Cristian Lobato’s first MLS goal, before quickly reverting back to form and conceding an equalizer (Ola Kamara) moments before halftime. Staying true to form himself, Tim Melia, the undisputed Goalkeeper of the Year (but not an All-Star, of course), bailed Sporting out a handful of times to secure a valuable, but disappointing, road point. Sporting remain fourth in the Western Conference, there points back of the Portland Timbers, with three games in hand. Crew SC remain fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points back of the Chicago Fire for third.
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Three moments that mattered
19' — Lobato pounces on Mensah’s error to make it 1-0 — Jonathan Mensah’s first MLS season began in very rough fashion, and hasn’t really gotten any better in the six months since March.
Lobato pounces to slot home his first MLS goal and @SportingKC have an early lead in Columbus. #CLBvSKC https://t.co/HNOPtosswV
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 10, 2017
45+1' — Kamara heads home the equalizer for a corner — Pedro Santos served it up, no one thought to stick with Kamara, and there was nothing Tim Melia could do from there.
HT: @OlaKamara puts away a powerful header off the corner to tie the game up right before the half. #CLBvSKC https://t.co/Re2Q4nhgZT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 10, 2017
55' — Melia makes a big stop in a six-yard scramble — The Best Of… Tim Melia mixtape at the end of the season is going to be highly, highly enjoyable.
Running out of words to describe @TimMelia28 💪 https://t.co/1U6Fg0ZpkX
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) September 10, 2017
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Man of the match: Tim Melia
Goalscorers: Lobato (19'), Kamara (45+1')
