Late Graham Zusi winner earns Sporting Kansas City win

Sep 1, 2013 at 1.30am UK

FT(HT: 1-0)

Graham Zusi scores in the 88th minute to secure a win for Sporting Kansas City over Colorado Rapids in their MLS clash.

Published: September 1 2013 | 04:13

Last updated: September 1 2013 | 15:56

Sporting Kansas City maintained their playoff push with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids in their MLS clash.

The visitors could have taken the lead in the 21st minute when Deshorn Brown was played behind the Kansas defence and he tried to loop a header over Jimmy Nielsen only to see the keeper collect the ball with ease.

Sporting took the lead in the 33rd minute when midfielder Benny Feilhaber collected a loose ball 30 yards from goal and lifted a volley over Clinton Irwin into the net.

Just before half time, Brown had another good chance to find the net as Dillon Powers found him on the edge of the area. He struck his shot well but Nielsen made an excellent save to tip the ball over the bar.

From the resulting corner, Hendry Thomas rose highest in the penalty area and headed at goal but his effort crashed off the crossbar and City managed to scramble the ball away.

In the second half, Colorado finally got their equaliser as Edson Buddle drilled a shot from the edge of the area, which took a deflection of Matt Besler and rolled into the net.

The game looked to be heading for a draw but in the 88th minute Kansas found a winner through Graham Zusi volleyed into the net after being teed up by CJ Sapong's header across goal.

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Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21