Sporting Kansas City

I was wrong.

Back in August, I wrote a piece about Lance Armstrong and Sporting KC and said, at the time, Armstrong's troubles didn't affect the club. Boy, was I wrong.

On Tuesday, both the Livestrong Foundation and Sporting Kansas City moved to terminate the naming rights deal announced on March 8, 2011, but their stated reasons were different.

According to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com, the foundation claims Sporting KC still owes them $750,000 of the $1 million it was set to donate in 2012 under the terms of the agreement.

Livestrong CFO Greg Lee says the team wasn't living up to its end of the deal:

While we don't talk about the specifics related to any of our partners, part of my role as the chief financial officer is to ensure compliance by our corporate partners. We strive to be great partners ourselves and expect the same from those we do business with. If a partner is struggling to meet the terms of our agreement, we do everything possible to reach a fair and reasonable compromise. If no compromise can be reached, as good stewards or our brand and mission, we have no choice but to bring that agreement to an end.

In a statement released online, Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman said the team had been persevering the persistent questions from the fans and the media:

Throughout this entire period, we have staunchly defended the Livestrong mission and never wavered in our continuing support of the cause. Our plan was that through collaborative support from Livestrong, we would not just meet our stated donation goal, but exceed it by a wide margin. We were excited about the potential to engage with other foundation partners and bring new special events to Kansas City.

Heineman went on to say that over the past year, it had become clear to the team that Livestrong just wasn't that into it, despite everything that the team had done to defend the partnership.

Not being unrealistic, Heineman said they realized that this could be a rough time for the foundation. "Despite the distractions, leadership from Livestrong and Sporting Club were actively engaged in discussions to redefine expectations for both parties," Heineman said. "Based on assurances from key Livestrong leadership, we believed this ongoing dialogue was very positive."

Heineman said that things came to a head this morning when Livestrong started "using aggressive tactics" to force the club to agree to an arrangement that was a lot more lopsided than the club would like.

Its "faith and trust" with the Livestrong Foundation damaged beyond repair, Heineman said that the team was terminating the deal, effective immediately. The stadium will now be referred to as Sporting Park.

One of the reasons the team had partnered with Livestrong in the first place, several people with the team had friends or relatives who had fought their own battles with cancer. Heineman ended the statement by saying, "While we are ending this relationship, our support of the fight against cancer will endure. We look forward to introducing new initiatives to assist these efforts in Kansas City."

My Take

I wanted to believe Armstrong was telling the truth, that he was clean. As Robin Williams said in his 2002 live show on Broadway, when referring to the French accusing his friend of being on drugs, "It's chemotherapy, you (expletive)."

I also have two friends who've died from breast cancer. Even shaved my head for one of them. Liked it so much that I kept it like that for four years.

Now, though, I've opened my eyes and seen what Armstrong really is. He's an arrogant liar, someone so obsessed with protecting his "brand" that he would do and say anything to keep a hold of it.

The ripples just keep spreading. I saw on the crawl on the bottom of the screen on ESPN that if the International Cycling Union, who always insisted that Armstrong hadn't ever failed a drug test, is found to have covered up suspicious samples from Armstrong, cycling could get kicked out of the Olympics.

The number of people who've been adversely affected by Armstrong's actions continues to grow. I feel sorry for them.

As for the dispute between Livestrong and Sporting KC, I will side with the team. It has nothing to do with the fact that I've been a fan of the club since its inception in 1996.

It has everything to do with the fact that, like a lot of fans, I'm acquainted with Heineman. He's a stand-up guy. I'll believe anything he says before I'll believe what Livestrong has to say.

How angry am I with Livestrong? I'm considering cutting the yellow bracelet off of my wrist. My mom said I should wait and hear what Armstrong has to say in his interview with Oprah Winfrey.

I don't know there's anything he can say to change my mind. As far as I'm concerned, he needs to be relegated to the dustbin of history and forgotten. I can think of no better punishment for that egomaniac than to have people say, "Lance who?"

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Sporting Kansas City absolutely dominated the possession in the second leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal against Houston on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough. Seth Sinovic's first MLS goal in the 64th minute was all the offense Sporting KC could muster and they won the match 1-0, but lost the series 2-1 on aggregate.

How dominant was Sporting KC? They held the ball for 71 percent of the match. Houston had only one corner kick and one shot on goal for 90 minutes. In open-play crosses, Sporting KC held a 31-1 advantage for the match.

Yet, Sporting KC just couldn't finish. They had plenty of chances, but they just couldn't find the back of the net.

This is a team that wasn't ready for the offseason. Team captain Jimmy Nielsen dictated a message to fellow goalkeeper Jon Kempin to put on the team message board before training on Tuesday. It said, "I'M NOT READY FOR A VACATION, SO LET'S SHOW SOME [expletive] BALLS, ATTITUDE AND HUNGER TOMORROW!"

They definitely did that. The guys left everything they had out on the field. They increased the pressure on Houston, if that was possible, after they scored. This team wanted to win badly.

During the postgame press conference I attended, Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear was asked how long the last 26 minutes of the game were (after the goal). Kinnear said:

As soon as they scored, I whispered to [assistant coach] Tim Hanley, “I think that we’re in trouble.” And we were. But lucky for us, we had a couple bounces go our way and bodies thrown in our way. It was definitely a long 26 minutes. At one point, I said something about getting a substitute ready for the 82nd minute and looked up and realized it was only the 72nd minute. It was tough, and they kept on coming and we could never get the ball under control. I don’t think Nielsen even touched the ball much in the second half, so it was a long 26 minutes. I give Kansas City a lot of credit. They never let up and even the last play of the game was a cross into the box.

Sinovic, acquired early in the 2011 season, had never scored an MLS goal. He came close a few times, but never put one in. In his 75th appearance, including the playoffs, he caused a minor eruption at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.

After an incredible individual effort by Kei Kamara to get the ball, Graham Zusi took Kamara's pass and put an inch-perfect cross to the back post, where Sinovic was waiting for it. His diving header sent the 20,894 fans in attendance into a frenzy, giving them hope the team could advance after all.

But it wasn't to be.

During the postgame press conference, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes told us that he was especially pleased with the team's performance. Vermes said:

What can I say, I think it was, in the three years that I’ve been coaching the team,the best performance we had in 90 minutes. We absolutely dominated the game. Guys played with incredible, incredible concentration and organization. I thought Uri [Rosell] and [Peterson] Joseph were outstanding. The way they moved the ball from side to side, I though they were just tremendous, I thought it was just a complete game, other than getting a second goal, we created some very good chances.

In the locker room after the game, the prevailing sentiment from players was one of pride in the performance in the second leg, but also one of disappointment that the journey had been cut short. The players that I talked to all thanked the fans for their support, but wished they could have done more. A couple even apologized for falling short in the series.

As far as I'm concerned, these guys have nothing to be ashamed of. It's never easy playing against the other team and the refs too, especially when that team is Houston and the thuggish way their players play the game.

Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now. The Royals fan part of me will simply say, "Wait 'til next year."

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The rigor of playoff soccer in the MLS is best suited for the two teams facing off this afternoon. 

The Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City will play the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal, and it will be closer than most people think.

Just four days after they outclassed the Chicago Fire for 90 minutes, the Dynamo is looking to continue its Cinderella run to the MLS Cup. 

With the first leg at BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston has a grand opportunity to take an early lead in the aggregate. 

The Dynamo is unbeaten at home this season (11-0-6). In fact, including the playoffs, the team is unbeaten in its last 25 home games and is yet to lose a match in the newly constructed fortress.

Led by Brad Davis (12 assists) and Will Bruin (12 goals), the Dynamo boasts an impressive attack that has given Sporting fits over the last few years.

In the previous six meetings between the two, Sporting has only managed to defeat Houston once (a 3-0 victory at home last season). The most crushing defeat came in the Conference Finals of last year’s playoffs—a 2-0 loss at Livestrong Park. 

Dynamo head coach Dom Kinnear is arguably the greatest postseason coach in the history of the MLS. 

His 11 playoff wins are the fourth most in league history, and he has led his team to three road victories in the last two playoffs. They won five in the previous two regular seasons combined.

All signs point to another Houston victory, but not this year. This is not the Sporting Kansas City of years past, and they are looking to avenge the loss that has been seared into their brain since they were eliminated 364 days ago.

The greatest disparity that exists between these two teams is the defensive units. Sporting’s suffocating defense has allowed the fewest shots on goal (102) and the fewest goals (27) in the MLS this season.  

Look for Chance Myers and Co. to limit Houston’s width, but more importantly, succeed in shutting down the heart and soul of Houston’s offensive attack, Brad Davis.

With set pieces instrumental to a victory for either side, and 46 of Brad Davis’ 96 assists coming off corners, Sporting’s defensive execution inside the box is vital.

Unlike the Fire, they are far better equipped to handle the Dynamo's pristine competence on set pieces—don’t expect an Anibaba-like slip in this series.

Perhaps the greatest turn of events for this matchup came on Friday, when Sporting Coach Peter Vermes announced the return of midfielder Roger Espinoza. The Honduran national is ready to start today’s match after missing the last month with a right ankle injury.

It looks like the cavalry is on the way for Sporting.

His return will anchor the midfield and allow Graham Zusi (league-leading 15 assists) to push forward, while looking to feed Kei Kamara (11 goals) and C.J. Sapong (nine goals).

Sporting is well rested after their 11 days off and they are unbeaten in their last 12 MLS matches (7-0-5)—their last defeat was at the hands of the Columbus Crew on July 28.

There is no doubt goals will come at a premium in this series, and anything less than a two goal lead for Houston heading into the second leg will be fatal.

Sporting will have their revenge, but it will not be easy. The two will need extra time in order to determine a winner. 

Sapong leads Sporting with five game-winning goals this season—his sixth will come in extra time and be the single-most important goal of his career, allowing Sporting to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

First Leg Prediction: Houston Dynamo 1 - 1 Sporting Kansas City

Second Leg Prediction: Sporting Kansas City 1 - 0 (ET) Houston Dynamo

Sporting Kansas City advances 2-1 on aggregate

Sporting Kansas City, on the strength of goals from Jacob Peterson and C.J. Sapong, defeated the Philadelphia Union 2-1 Wednesday in front of a sellout crowd of 19,428 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.

With the win, Sporting KC captured the Eastern Conference regular season title for the second consecutive year. It is the fifth division/conference crown overall, but it's the first time in franchise history the team has won consecutive titles.

In the locker room after the game, Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen told us it wasn't a typical game. Nielsen said:

It was a weird game to play, with all the respect for Philadelphia, but they were all over the place. I don’t want to say they were unorganized, but you could feel they didn’t have anything to play for they risked it a little bit more and were maybe a little more lousy on their defending. It was a very, very weird game to play.

Philadelphia's Amobi Okugo seemed to be the main villain for the evening, getting booked in the third minute for a foul on defender Seth Sinovic.

I may be biased, but that may have been one of the few calls the ref got right. That and a good no-call on a possible handball in the box in the 20th minute, but that was about it.

Sporting midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who previously had seemed to be impervious to injury, came off in the 33rd minute for Jacob Peterson. It proved to be a fortuitous substitution.

Peterson had an almost immediate impact. Seven minutes after entering the match, Peterson opened the scoring for the home team.

Kei Kamara started the break on the left wing near the midfield stripe. Kamara passed it inside to Sapong near the top of the penalty area. Sapong's return pass was one-timed by Kamara into the path of Peterson, who only had to make contact to put the ball in the back of the net past Zac MacMath.

The goal was Peterson's fourth of the season, with assists going to Kamara, his seventh, and Sapong, his second.

Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas had this reaction via Twitter:

Wow. That is some run and gun from @sportingkc. Fait accompli. #KCvPHI 1-0

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) October 25, 2012

Sporting KC almost doubled its lead just before halftime. Graham Zusi had a couple of shots at the end of stoppage time that were only kept out of the net by superb saves by MacMath.

Philadelphia came out with a greater sense of urgency in the second half and it didn't take very long before it paid dividends.

Eight minutes after the break, Union midfielder Danny Cruz was awarded a penalty kick after he was brought down in the box by Sporting defender Matt Besler.

Michael Farfan stepped up to take the penalty. Farfan's initial shot was saved by Nielsen, but Antoine Hoppenot beat everyone else to the rebound and slotted it home.

During the postgame press conference, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes was asked about the goal, which ended Nielsen's attempt to tie Tony Meola's club record for shutouts in a single season. Vermes said:

Unfortunately for [Nielsen], he made a great save. But it’s actually a great learning moment for us because we weren’t ready for the rebound. We were second to the ball. Hoppenot did a great job anticipating the play and got there and beat us to it so from that point of view it’s going to be a great learning lesson.

The game stayed level until eight minutes from full time. Kamara picked up the ball near the midfield stripe and took on several Philadelphia defenders, running through four of them. With Chance Myers out wide on the right, Kamara threaded an inch-perfect pass to Sapong, who buried it in the back of the net.

After Sporting KC took the lead, the game seemed to get more physical by the minute, all leading to the moment when I thought Philadelphia should have finished with 10 men.

In the 89th minute, Philadelphia's Keon Daniel took a free kick from about 40 yards out. As Nielsen went out to punch the ball away, Okugo jumped into him, leading with his left elbow and leveling the Danish goalkeeper. Several players then started shoving each other.

On the broadcast, when there was no card given, you could see the incredulous look on Nielsen's face. I'm sure, though, the director wishes he hadn't taken that view at that moment. You could read Nielsen's lips as he dropped an f-bomb when asking the ref if he was kidding.

With the win, Sporting Kansas City locks up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-field advantage through the conference finals. They now await their first playoff opponent: the winner of the one game playoff between the fourth and fifth seeds.

Considering how tightly packed the second through fifth place teams are right now, the potential opponents for Sporting KC could change dramatically between now and Saturday night.

The only thing set in stone is that Sporting KC will host the second leg of their conference semifinal on Wednesday, November 7, probably at 7 p.m. CST.

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The sad and stunning downfall of seven-time Tour de France-winning cyclist Lance Armstrong has little to do with the world of American soccer. A connection exists, though, and everyone who watched the United States men's national team defeat Guatemala on Tuesday night already knows it.

The U.S. won that match 3-1, and with the victory advanced to the final round of CONCACAF, qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. All was right with U.S. soccer that night, except for the location of the match.

Livestrong Sporting Park.

Now, I have no problem with Livestrong Sporting Park itself. Let me be clear on this point: Livestrong Sporting Park is a magnificent venue for soccer, and the noisy, intense atmosphere created in the stadium that night was perfect for a home qualifying match.

My problem has to do with that first word, Livestrong. That part of the stadium's name refers to the Livestrong Foundation, also known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer survivors and their families through the recovery process.

It's a cause that's close to Armstrong's heart. Amstrong himself is a cancer survivor, and the Livestrong Foundation has produced almost immeasurable good through his work as its chairman.

As we all know by now, however, Armstrong stepped down (via NY Times) as chairman Wednesday in the wake of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's release of massive and damning evidence against him.

It was the right thing to do, as was Nike's decision to end its endorsement deal with Armstrong this week. Now it's time for Sporting Kansas City to do the right thing and end its association with Livestrong.

Admittedly, that's unlikely to happen. Earlier this week club president Robb Heineman said the name would stay (per Reuters):

"It's really about helping those afflicted with cancer," said Heineman. …"We've got an agreement for another four years for it to be Livestrong Sporting Park. We don't stick our head in the sand ... but it doesn't change how we feel about the Foundation and the work they do."

Unfortunately, sticking their head in the sand is exactly what Heineman and Sporting are doing.

Yes, Armstrong did step down as Livestrong's chairman. And yes, Livestrong does great things for cancer survivors. But no, Sporting Kansas City should no longer be associated with Livestrong and Armstrong.

Sporting's decision to support the fight against cancer was and still is laudable. Partnering with Livestrong was worthwhile, and not only because the club pledged to give $7.5 million to the foundation over the next six years (via Yahoo! Sports).

Armstrong was an American sporting hero, and leaving aside the doping allegations, he remains a role model for his fightback from life-threatening testicular cancer. Fighting cancer is a worthwhile pursuit, and that's true even if the public face of Livestrong is an accused cheat.

But there are other ways to fight cancer. There are other organizations—the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure immediately come to mind—and they are all deserving of our time and money and the high profile generated by an association with a sports team.

If fighting cancer is the most important issue, why not switch to a new charity that's free of the stink of alleged cheating?

No man is bigger than the fight against cancer, and no matter how much good Armstrong has done, the alleged cheating taints it all.

It's true that the allegations are still only allegations, but the evidence is convincing and the damage done to cancer survivors is profound.

As long as the Livestrong name stays on the stadium, Sporting Kansas City will be associated with perhaps the worst cheating scandal in the history of American sports. And the worst part about all of this is that neither Sporting nor the cancer survivors affected by this story have done anything wrong.

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Despite again dominating the possession battle and setting a new all-time high in shots with 28, Sporting Kansas City needed a dramatic equalizer from C.J. Sapong to rescue a draw with the Houston Dynamo in front of 19,877 fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.

Sapong's header in the third minute of stoppage time canceled out a strike by Houston captain Brad Davis just short of the hour mark.

Houston coach Tim Hanley, who manned the sideline in the absence of Dominic Kinnear, said the late goal made the game feel like a loss. In the postgame press conference I attended, Hanley said:

"It feels like a loss when it isn’t, because it was at the very end. I think for Sporting KC it probably feels like a win. I think that they pushed so hard and they are such a good team at home. They are always knocking on the door, but our guys did well."

Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen didn't see it that way. In the locker room after the game, Nielsen said:

"If [Houston] had left here with all three points, they should have been arrested for robbery. We were lucky to score at the time we did—I will admit that. But this does not feel like a victory for us. I feel like it’s the same story every time we play at home. You have to respect the opponent’s playing style, and we’ve got to do a better job finding ways to create open chances."

Sporting KC had the first dangerous chance of the game in the fifth minute. Sapong chased a ball down on the right wing that Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall had come out of his box to play.

Sapong laid the ball back for Graham Zusi, who tried to chip the ball into the net, but it was cleared off the line by defender Bobby Boswell.

Houston's first chance came in the 13th minute on a free kick from Davis. From just outside the penalty area on the right wing, Davis got the ball over the wall, but hit the side netting just to the right of the near post.

Hall came up with a big save on Sapong in the 33rd minute. Matt Besler put a cross in from the right and Sapong got his head on it, but Hall got a hand to it to keep the game scoreless.

Nine minutes later, Houston had a chance of its own snuffed out. Corey Ashe put a through ball in to Will Bruin, but Nielsen made a sliding stop from point blank range. The chance was made more dangerous by the presence of Macoumba Kandji in the penalty area.

Four minutes after the break, Sporting KC's Julio Cesar whiffed on a clearance attempt and allowed Bruin in on goal. Bruin's shot was easily saved by Nielsen.

Nine minutes later, Houston drew first blood. Midfielder Oscar Boniek Garcia appeared to be trapped near the top of the penalty area, but managed to get a pass off to Davis. Davis used his first touch to put the ball on his left foot and put the ball out of Nielsen's reach going back the way he'd come.

The goal was Davis's seventh of the season, and Boniek Garcia was credited with his sixth assist of 2012.

After the game, Nielsen said the goal wouldn't keep him up at night. Nielsen said, "It was a good strike and it bounced on the wet grass, which gave it more speed. Of course I’d like to save it, but that one won’t keep me awake. Give him credit."

In the 62nd minute, Ashe appeared to get into a scrap with Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara. Ashe, who stands 5'7", was at a considerable disadvantage against the 6'3" Kamara, but both players were separated by teammates. No cards were issued to either player.

The first booking of the game came in the 86th minute, a bit of a surprise considering Baldomero Toledo was the match's referee. Houston's Luiz Camargo was given a yellow card for delaying a restart.

In the postgame press conference, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said that's something referees could do more of. Vermes said:

"I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining but every time a team comes in here they are just settled with dropping off and sitting in, trying to slow the game down. I understand that’s a tactic, I get it, but where the referees could come in, they cold help push the game along, there’s too many things that are getting overlooked and players are getting away with too much on the field."

Shortly before the start of second-half stoppage time, Sporting KC played the ball into the Houston penalty area where it appeared a Houston player handled the ball before it went out of play.

Several players appealed for a call, but Toledo appeared to call the handball on Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin. Some players, including Kamara, were lucky they didn't get booked for dissent, considering their reactions to the decision.

The stage was then set for more late-game drama that fans of Sporting KC have almost come to expect. Defender Matt Besler sent in a long ball from his own half of the field and found Sapong at the top of the penalty area.

Sapong's floating header came down for Zusi, who settled the ball and put a cross in to the back post. Sapong was waiting for the cross and headed it into the back of the net.

The goal was Sapong's career-high sixth of the season, but his first in league play since June 16, a span of 12 matches. Zusi was credited with his 13th assist, tied for most in MLS with Seattle's Mauro Rosales.

The goal also marked the first time Sporting KC has not won a match in which Sapong was on the score sheet. Including playoffs, Sporting KC is now 11-0-1 when Sapong finds the net.

Next up for Sporting KC is a road game against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday. The game will be televised on KSMO-TV with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

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When the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that they were charging cycling legend Lance Armstrong with taking performance-enhancing drugs, I honestly wondered if they had found something new.

After all, Armstrong has never failed a drug test. Considering how long the rumors have been floating around about him, you know that he was tested. A lot. During his run of seven consecutive wins in the Tour de France, I'm sure he couldn't even look at a bathroom without some guy in a lab coat trying to hand him a plastic cup.

That changed when I read the letter the USADA sent to Armstrong, his lawyer, the RadioShack cycling team and the governing body of cycling (reproduced here).

The letter starts out by talking about the agency wanting to talk to cyclists about doping in the sport. They indicated they had wanted to speak with them face-to-face and have them be truthful about their experience with doping in cycling.

The key, for me, was the fourth paragraph of the letter. It says:

With the exception of Mr. Armstrong, every other U.S. rider contacted by USADA regarding doping in cycling agreed to meet with USADA and to truthfully and fully describe their involvement in doping and all doping by others of which they were aware. Mr. Armstrong was likewise contacted through his legal counsel and given the opportunity to meet with USADA to fully and truthfully disclose all knowledge of anti-doping rule violations committed in the sport of cycling. However, Mr. Armstrong declined USADA's offer.

Basically, the USADA was going hunting. They were looking for people to rat out others in the sport and when Armstrong declined to participate, they decided he was guilty.

You may be wondering what this has to do with Sporting Kansas City. Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports tried to make a connection with this tweet:

Hate to say it because I otherwise like the club a lot...but shame on @sportingkc and its now-tainted stadium. kansascity.com/2012/08/24/377…

— Martin Rogers (@mrogersyahoo) August 24, 2012

The "now-tainted" stadium in question is Livestrong Sporting Park. The club has an agreement with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to donate $7.5 million in revenue to the fight against cancer over a six-year period. A portion of every dollar spent at the facility, regardless of whether or not it's during a Sporting KC game or some other event, goes to the foundation to end cancer once and for all.

Evidently, Rogers doesn't think the club should be associated with trying to cure cancer.

In a statement released to the media on Friday, club president Robb Heineman said:

The naming rights partnership between our stadium and Livestrong provides an opportunity to spread health and wellness messages that emphasizes the spirit of cancer survivorship. Livestrong’s focus is the fight against cancer and the support of 28 million people around the world affected by this disease, and we believe strongly in this mission. The statements made last night by the Lance Armstrong Foundation speak for themselves: moving forward and continuing the fight against this horrible disease.

Using Rogers' logic, Nike and Anheuser-Busch must also be tainted because they're not disassociating themselves from Armstrong.

When Armstrong announced Thursday that he would not be agreeing to arbitration of the USADA's accusations against him, he didn't admit guilt. He pointed out that he has never flunked a drug test.

Evidently, Rogers has never had a taxpayer-funded agency coming after him with a pre-determined outcome in its mind and the patience to wait as long as it takes to break him down.

Armstrong deciding not to fight against the USADA is not an admission of guilt. All it is, is Armstrong not wanting to put himself, his family or his foundation through a protracted battle. If Rogers could tell me with a straight face that he wouldn't do the same thing under the circumstances, he's a better liar than I am.

Even if they share a name, the foundation is much bigger than any one man, even a man of Armstrong's stature. The foundation has raised more than $400 million to try to find a cure for cancer, as well as helping people suffering from the disease. A witch hunt in which the target decides not to fight can't change that, nor should it.

I applaud Sporting KC, Nike and Anheuser-Busch for keeping their priorities straight on the issue. I would hope Rogers can get his straight soon.

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After playing late into the night on Wednesday for the U.S. Open Cup final, one could have understood if Sporting Kansas City had suffered a letdown in their match on Saturday night with D.C. United.

No such letdown occurred as Sporting KC downed their Eastern Conference rivals 2-1 in front of 20,439 fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.

Sporting KC opened the scoring in the 13th minute. On a corner kick from the right wing, Graham Zusi put a right-footed outswinger into the penalty area, where he found Teal Bunbury. Bunbury's header hit the lower 90 on the far post past goalkeeper Bill Hamid, his third goal of the season.

It was Zusi's 10th assist of 2012, putting him back into a tie for the MLS lead with Brad Davis and Dwayne De Rosario.

While Sporting KC continued to dominate the possession, DC United managed to capitalize on one of their few opportunities, albeit in somewhat controversial circumstances.

In the 23rd minute, Andy Najar fed a long ball into the penalty area, where Nick Deleon brought the ball down to his feet and put it in the back of the net.

Replays appeared to show Deleon contacted with the ball his forearm. It was reminiscent of the 2004 MLS Cup final when DC's Alecko Eskandarian brought the ball down to his feet with his forearm and scored.

Sporting KC maintained almost 70 percent possession for the first half, but the teams went into halftime tied at 1-1.

Eight minutes after the break, Sporting KC almost reclaimed their lead. Bunbury chased down a ball down by the endline and managed to cross it into the penalty area. Zusi put the ball on frame and bounced it off the underside of the crossbar, but it came back out.

In the 63rd minute, Zusi got another opportunity and made the most of it. Kei Kamara was making a run down the left wing and put the ball into the 18-yard box, passing just behind Bunbury. Zusi settled the ball and then buried it in the back of the net.

The goal was Zusi's third of the season, while it was Kamara's fifth assist.

With the victory, Sporting KC took over sole possession of first place with 43 points, two points clear of the New York Red Bulls. It also gave the club their 13th victory of the season—the most in a season since 2004.

Next up for Sporting KC is a road matchup with Toronto FC on Saturday, Aug. 18th. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. CDT and will be televised on the Sporting KC Television Network.

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.

When Sporting Kansas City started to schedule international friendlies with teams from the English Premier League, they probably expected they might lose one.

Three years in, they have yet to lose to one of their EPL opponents. In the latest installment, Sporting KC got a fluke equalizer from academy product Kyle Miller in the 92nd minute to pull out a 1-1 draw with Stoke City.

It was the second-latest goal scored in a match at Livestrong Sporting Park, behind Omar Bravo's 93rd-minute goal against Chivas USA on July 9, 2011.

Sporting KC's Teal Bunbury had the first scoring chance of the match when his shot from just outside the penalty area was deflected out for a corner in the fourth minute.

Five minutes later, Soony Saad's attempt from about the same distance was just wide of the left post.

Stoke City's first dangerous chance came in the 15th minute. Kenwyne Jones struck one from approximately 35 yards out that went just over the crossbar.

The Potters also came close in the 25th minute when Jonathan Walters put in a nice cross from the left wing, but Peter Crouch's header from close range went over the crossbar.

Saad answered for Sporting KC in the 27th minute when he rattled the woodwork from 20 yards out. Kevin Ellis recorded the match's first shot on goal six minutes later. Ellis put his head on a corner kick, but it landed safely in the arms of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Eric Kronberg was called into action in the 41st minute. Ryan Shotton whipped in a cross, but Kronberg came out and punched the ball clear. Both teams were fairly even in possession as the first half ended scoreless.

Seven minutes after the break, Kronberg came up with a big save. Walters got in behind the Sporting KC defense and into the 18-yard box, but Kronberg came off his line to cut off the angle and make the stop.

Stoke City opened the scoring in controversial fashion. Defender Konrad Warzycha was called for an incredibly soft foul in the penalty area on Michael Tonge. The 29-year-old Englishman calmly stepped to the spot and put the ball in the back of the net, placing the ball in the lower left corner after Kronberg went the opposite way.

Miller was then set up to play the hero in front of his hometown fans. In the second minute of stoppage time, Defender Mark Wilson had a soft backpass to Begovic, who then tried a rather lazy clearance from the top of the penalty area. The ball came directly to Miller approximately 40 yards from goal.

Miller made no move to the ball, but just let it hit him in the head. The ball then looped over Begovic and into the net.

It was Miller's first goal as a professional in his first start and second appearance. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School graduate signed with the club on May 30th, after being selected in the 2012 Supplemental Draft.

At the postgame press conference I attended, Miller said of the goal:

We were down and we had to press the game and Teal (Bunbury) did a great job pressing the goalkeeper. Fortunately, the clearance came right to me and I saw it at the last second and I got a head on it and it just went into the goal.

Miller also said he had 25-30 family members in the stands.

Both managers seemed to be pleased with what their teams got out of the friendly.

At the postgame press conference, Stoke City manager Tony Pulis said he hoped his team would be able to benefit from playing in the extreme heat. The official game-time temperature was 99 degrees.

Pulis also said, "The players have worked very hard. They’ve been away for three weeks from home and they had a day to prepare for this game.  They’ve done well and they’re all keen to get back to their families."

Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said:

I actually thought we were very good the first half. Our build-up and pressure between the midfield and the forwards was great. We were a little impatient in the attacking half, but we deserved to get a result, no doubt.  The guys played well enough to get the result. It was good experience for those guys. They all got 90 minutes. It was a good day—no injuries.

Sporting KC's next match is Saturday when they travel to Foxboro, MA, to take on the New England Revolution. Next Wednesday is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final when Sporting KC hosts the three-time defending champion Seattle Sounders.