As soon as the first whistle sounded out, the Loons were off and running towards the Sporting Kansas City goal. The boys would give the Wonderwall and all Loons fans at Allianz Field something to scream about just as the clock passed the 1-minute mark. It would be Joseph Rosales taking the very early corner kick, which Robin Lod would get a head on and redirect to Boxy, who was lying in wait by the back post to hammer it home. 1-0, Birds.
The immediate turn of events stunned SKC, and the fast score would serve as a message to the visiting side that there would be plenty of pace on the pitch tonight. Before SKC could get their bearings, the Loons were off and running again, as the starting XI would function similarly in their attacking style to last week’s win over Charlotte, with wingbacks DJ Taylor and Joseph Rosales pushing up to the midfield. The attacking pressure would once again pay dividends in the 25th minute of the first half when…you know what…I could describe it, but then we couldn’t call it poetry in motion…
Dang…that was beautiful, Tani. 2-0, bird’s the word.
But, Peter Vermes and SKC wouldn’t be content lying down for the evening, either. Near the end of the first half, the visitors would show signs of life, ramping up the pressure on the Loons’ backline. After a couple of close calls for Dayne and the defenders, SKC would eventually break through in the 38' when winger Dániel Sallói was able to connect with an unmarked Alan Pulido in the dead center of the box, who promptly put SKC on the board. 2-1, still birds.
An action-packed first half would give way to a second half that, while lacking the scoring seen earlier, would certainly be a battle of wills the rest of the way. Fortunately, Dayne St. Clair and the Loons’ defense were ready for whatever attack Sporting could muster in what would turn out to be a physical back-and-forth. St. Clair would shake off Pulido’s first-half goal, making several clutch saves to keep the visitors scoreless in the second half. The other key to the Loons holding the advantage the rest of the way came from standout individual performances from Michael Boxall and Kervin Arriaga. For Arriaga, his second straight match playing in a more of a center back role once again proved to be a successful strategy. The Honduran international has really brought an intensity and a relentlessness that has wreaked havoc on the opposition’s attack.
In the end, the Loons would get the 3 points in the standings, and put in another strong effort to hold their advantage until the end. It’s a welcome sight to see.
