A freezing night at Kansas City’s Sporting Park prevented the kind of 90-minute, dominating individual performances we usually associate with a Man of the Match award. Sporting KC defender Aurélien Collin may have come close, but on night defined by moments, it was the man who produced the biggest one who gets our award. Boniek Garcia was the first to make waves, and Benny Feilhaber’s pass on the game winning goal provided the night’s greatest point of flair, but it’s Sporting striker Dom Dwyer who takes our honor, his 63rd minute goal lifting Kansas City to the 2013 MLS Cup Final.
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Feilhaber’s scoop past Houston’s central defenders drew the awes on the play, but it was Dwyer’s run helped set it up the conference-clinching goal. The second year pro recognized Bobby Boswell and Eric Brunner’s attention to his teammate, and rather than continuing to drift into the left channel, Dwyer cut behind Boswell and to the middle, giving Feilhaber the option of playing through the pair. The midfielder lifted the ball just inside the Dynamo penalty area, leaving Dwyer to reap the rewards of his movement.
There was still work to do, though, which the 23-year-old Briton started by cutting back onto this left foot, sending Kofie Sarkodie sliding by in the process. As Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall came off his line to try and cut down the angles, Dwyer slotted the game-winner into the left of goal, putting Sporting Kansas City up 2-1.
It was a lead the home team would hold through full time, but it wasn’t Dwyer’s only contribution. After a couple of near misses on goal early, the former South Florida Bull did some creating of his own, badly beating Boswell down Houston’s right in the 29th minute, creating a chance for C.J. Sapong. In the 69th minute, Dwyer was doing his work on the other side, winning possession deep on Houston’s left, creating another moment of uncertainty as he danced toward goal.
While those flashes will eventually be forgotten, his 63rd minute, show-stopping moment won’t. Thanks to Dwyer’s second half goal, Kansas City has finally broken through. They will host the 2013 MLS Cup final.