Getting a leg up on Sporting K.C.
The Dynamo’s Philippe Senderos takes a pass in the first half of the Orange’s 1-0 MLS playoff win over Sporting Kansas City.
The Dynamo had to go the distance, but it was their sprinter who made sure they won the race.
Speedy Honduran winger Alberth Elis scored in the sixth minute of the first overtime period Thursday night to give the Dynamo a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the knockout round of the MLS playoffs at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The No. 4-seeded Dynamo advance to the Western Conference semifinals, where they will face topseeded Portland in a two-leg series beginning Monday at BBVA Compass Stadium. The second leg will be played Nov. 5 at Portland.
Thursday’s postseason game was the Dynamo’s first since 2013 when they faced Sporting K.C. in the conference finals.
Elis’ winner came in the 96th minute after he settled Vicente Sanchez’s low crossing pass. Elis balanced himself and barely had enough room to kick it in from eight yards away.
The play began with Sanchez gaining possession on the right flank and dribbling into space before facing up with left back Jimmy Medranda. Sanchez flicked it toward the end line and then beat Medranda again when Medranda slid at the ball.
Sanchez saved the ball from going over the line and then centered it to Elis on the door step.
Thursday’s game was like all the other games in the rivalry. Gritty. Physical. Foul-filled. Tense.
Neither team created anything especially dangerous in regulation. The Dynamo forced Sporting K.C. goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra to make two saves in regulation. Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric made three.
The game was so physi- cal it led to injuries to Dynamo center back Leonardo and midfielder Alex Lima. Those injuries forced the Dynamo to use two non-attacking subs, which meant they played all 120 minutes without 10-goal scorer Mauro Manotas.
The Dynamo were sloppy in the first half but turned it around after halftime. Though they were not impressive, they were good enough to keep Sporting K.C. from pressuring them constantly. They had a few chances going forward that led to free kicks around the box, but they got only one shot on target through the 75th minute.
Sporting K.C. thought for a moment it had scored when Ike Opara headed in Graham Zusi’s free kick, but he was correctly whistled for being offside.
Much like the second regular-season meeting in Kansas City, the Dynamo often had to scramble back to defend because they kept losing the ball.
Goalkeeper Tyler Deric saved the day on one big chance in which Gerso Fernandes got behind the defense. Deric came off his line to close down the angle and deflected the shot. Philippe Senderos got back in time to head the ball over the bar.
The physicality of the first half led to yellow cards for Senderos and Ricardo Clark. The Dynamo also lost defender Leonardo to a lower leg injury. Jalil Anibaba replaced him in the 41st minute.
Zusi got booked after the first half whistle when he kicked the ball hard and hit Senderos in the head.