Felipe Gutierrez scored his first MLS goal since March on Saturday night, and not a moment too soon.
The Chilean's low, left-footed drive, his first since undergoing sports hernia surgery in May, was the difference in a fiercely-contested scrap between Sporting Kansas City and Orlando City SC at Children's Mercy Park, where the visiting Lions showed their teeth despite an ongoing slump marked by just one win since May 6.
While the match's statistics hinted at the difference in the teams' respective records and places in the standings, Orlando battled gamely and could easily have earned a positive result. Dom Dwyer experienced a luckless return to his former club in the form of two unconverted one-on-one breakaways against Tim Melia, SKC's goalkeeper denying his old teammate on both occasions.
Goals
- 53' – SKC – Felipe Gutierrez | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It's job done and on to the next for SKC, who failed to sustain their best levels and rode their luck, yet still collect the three points that keep them on pace with the best of the Western Conference. The Lions could consider this a moral victory, though they're likely tired of such consolations.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The game's sole goal, as Gutierrez drifted into Zone 14 and skipped a sneaky daisycutter through a forest of legs in the Lions penalty box:
- MAN OF THE MATCH: While Gutierrez's impact was notable, Tim Melia takes top plaudits for keeping his focus amid long stretches of inactivity to stymie Dwyer when it counted.
Next Up
- SKC: Saturday, Sept. 15 at San Jose Earthquakes (10:30 pm ET | TV & streaming info)
- ORL: Sunday, Sept. 16 at Chicago Fire (5 pm ET | FS1, TSN2 – Full TV & streaming info)
