Sporting Kansas City Ends Seattle Sounders Reign in Thriller, Wins US Open Cup

Sporting Kansas City was very clear about one of their goals before the season started:They wanted to win the U.S. Open Cup and qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. At every opportunity, players and coaches said they were "in it to win it."

Mission accomplished.

Sporting KC ended the Seattle Sounders run of three straight U.S. Open Cup titles in dramatic fashion Wednesday night at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, KS.

After 120 minutes of soccer ended with the teams level, Sporting KC won the game on penalties, earning the club's first piece of silverware in eight years, the last being the 2004 Open Cup title.

The start of the match was delayed almost 45 minutes because of severe weather. Hail and lightning during pregame warmups pushed the kickoff back. The Cauldron, Sporting KC's most vocal supporters section, kept singing and chanting as the public address announcer was advising fans to seek shelter.

Little did any of the 18,863 fans in attendance have any idea, a classic was brewing.

Sporting KC seemed to be putting the pressure on early. In the sixth minute, Kei Kamara got his head on the end of a long Matt Besler throw-in, but it went straight into the arms of goalkeeper Michael Gspurning.

Seattle seemed to be content to wait for counterattack opportunities.

In the 17th minute, Fredy Montero managed to regain possession after Kamara disrupted his run on goal and curled in a shot from the right wing, but Jimmy Nielsen made the save.

In the 24th minute, Sporting KC's Paulo Nagamura intercepted a pass and got it to Kamara, who unleashed a shot from 35 yards out. It was a dipping shot that soared over Gspurning, but it bounced off the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Nielsen was called on again. Seattle's Mauro Rosales put in a good corner kick that former Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson put a good header on, but Nielsen dove and made a better save, drawing thunderous applause from the capacity crowd.

In the 37th minute, Sporting KC's Seth Sinovic missed putting a shot in the upper 90 by about a foot. It was close enough to a goal that the confetti cannons on that end of the field went off.

Sporting KC's Roger Espinoza, just back from appearing in the Olympics with Honduras, put in a rocket shot in the third minute of stoppage time, but it was right at Gspurning, who punched it clear.

In the 61st minute, defender Matt Besler came up big for Sporting KC. Johnson was powering his way down the left wing and had lined up a shot on goal, but Besler's well-timed sliding tackle snuffed out the opportunity.

The controversy factor reared it's ugly head in the 82nd minute. Teal Bunbury was making a run on the left wing and tried to cross the ball through the penalty area.

The ball appeared to hit the forearm of Seattle's Zach Scott and referee Ricardo Salazar pointed to the spot. No good replays were available because of GolTV's poor camera angles.

Kamara stepped up and calmly put the ball in the back of the net, setting off an eruption from the home crowd.

Two minutes later, Seattle responded. Rosales curled a free kick into the penalty area and Scott headed it home from about 13 yards away, almost instant redemption.

Just before the end of regulation, Kamara tried to volley a header from second-half substitute C.J. Sapong, but it sailed over the crossbar.

The first 90 minutes ended with the two teams level, sending the match to extra time. It was the first time an Open Cup final had moved to extra time since Sporting KC won the title in 2004.

In the first minute of extra time, a Sporting KC corner kick bounced around the penalty area like a pinball. The ball finally came to Besler, but his shot was well saved by Gspurning.

Two minutes later, Scott was given a yellow card for a foul on Sapong from just outside the penalty area. On the ensuing free kick, Graham Zusi tapped the ball to Kamara, whose shot was punched clear by Gspurning.

Sporting KC was forced into a substitution in the 100th minute when defender Seth Sinovic went down with an injury to his right ankle.

Seattle made a curious substitution to begin the second overtime period, swapping out Montero for Marc Burch.

Seattle's Patrick Ianni received his second yellow card in the 119th minute and sent off, but the second overtime period was fairly uneventful outside of that.

As the first 120 minutes hadn't settled things, the match moved on to penalties, the first time a U.S. Open Cup final had gone to penalty kicks since 1997.

Kamara and Seattle's Brad Evans, a second-half substitute, both converted their attempts and the teams remained level.

Espinoza's rather tame effort was easily saved, while Burch put his strong effort in the net to give Seattle a lead.

Besler stepped up and caromed his shot off the underside of the crossbar to level the shootout at two. Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso put his attempt well over the crossbar.

Zusi stepped up next for Sporting KC and attempted to imitate Andrea Pirlo, but his chip went over the net. Second-half sub Christian Tiffert's shot was saved by Nielsen.

Controversy made another appearance when Nagamura stepped up to take Sporting KC's fifth penalty. His initial shot was saved by Gspurning, but Gspurning was judged to have come off his line early, and Nagamura was allowed to try again. Nagamura put the second attempt in the net setting up the climax of the night.

Johnson, making his first appearance in Kansas City since playing for the then-Wizards from 2006-07, stepped up for Seattle. Nielsen started dancing back and forth on his line, attempting to get into Johnson's head.

It must have worked. Johnson's effort sailed well over the crossbar, igniting a celebration that went well into the night.

It was a night to remember for many reasons, the least of which is the team's third trophy in 12 years and the first since the current ownership group bought the club six years ago this month.

As a credentialed member of the media, I was allowed to go down onto the field for the trophy presentation. While waiting to get onto the field, I felt someone put their hand on my back and heard them say, "Excuse me." I turned my head to look and it was Drew Carey, part of the ownership group for Seattle.

I was also allowed into the locker room afterwards and got to the point where I was praying I didn't get pulled over on the way home, wearing some of the beer and champagne being sprayed around the room.

Here's hoping the club can do it again on December 1, with MLS Cup on the line.