I didn’t have the opportunity to watch this game via technology Wednesday, but that doesn’t change the outcome. I’ll do my best to analyze the game from statistics and what I’ve been able to read so far.

Just fewer than 2,400 attended the late afternoon match in College Station. That simply means a lot of soccer fans in the area missed out on a fantastic finish. That finish, which by now shouldn’t be a surprise to Sporting KC fans, was an overtime victory courtesy of rookie C.J. Sapong.

Defense

The final score of this U.S. Open Cup match against Houston Dynamo was 1-0 in KC’s favor. Teams in the professional ranks don’t get shut out over the course of 120 minutes without solid defensive play. Enter the new and improved Sporting KC defense. It was the first clean sheet (no goals allowed) that Sporting Kansas City has posted so far in this young season. It came in stark contrast to the three goals KC allowed in just 20 minutes of Saturday’s draw against Vancouver.

So what was the difference Wednesday? How about goalkeeper Eric Kronberg? The last line of defense, in his first start of the year, gave his team 120 flawless minutes between the posts. He recorded six saves, many of them acrobatic and completely necessary. On a day when Sporting KC’s offense couldn’t find the gaps, the team’s defense did what it had to to win the game.

Physical play

Sporting KC played with intensity and purpose Wednesday.The team effectively rebounded after its disappointing draw this past weekend. The team had 18 called fouls during the game, four more than it’s counterpart. Kansas City made the smarter fouls, too. Of the five yellow cards given during the run of play, only one was credited to Sporting.

Young talent

Sapong, who has tallied two goals early in his rookie campaign, credited his timely contributions to training.

“I just make a habit of myself to word hard. Every time I get on the field, I know I have to be ready.”

According to what I’ve read to this point, Sapong placed his game-winning shot perfectly, curling it around the opposing goalie into the far corner. If I can find video of the goal, I’ll post it here.

Tactical substitutions

Coach Peter Vermes was wise with the sub situation throughout the second half and overtime periods. The first change came in the 46th minute with Sapong. The young player’s fresher legs and speed were critical in his ability to separate and effectively place his shot around the Houston keeper.

Vermes also took advantage of experience on the bench by subbing usual starter and captain Davy Arnaud at the beginning of overtime. The stability near the back was likely a welcome change in the late-game situation.

Though the result doesn’t count toward league standings, it goes a long way in boosting the team’s confidence and showing the team what it can be capable of. The defense will have a base off of which to build for the remainder of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if it cuts the goal differential (goals scored – goals allowed) in half from here on out.

The team has another thing to look forward to in that it won’t play again until April 16. That will give the road warriors plenty of time to rest and recuperate before meeting up with the Columbus Crew. Sapong said the tournament game was important, even outside the regular season schedule.

“You want to be the best at everything you do. It’s our first opportunity to prove that. So we’re giving it our all obviously and we got one step closer tonight.”

What better way to start a break than with a hard fought victory? This game could well be a turning point for Sporting KC in the young MLS season.