By FRANCO PANIZO
Chivas USA was ready to win a second straight game and hand Sporting Kansas City its first ever loss at Livestrong Sporting Park.
That was until Zarek Valentin made a rookie mistake in stoppage time that Omar Bravo capitalized on.
After a long ball was sent into the penalty area, Valentin mis-hit a clearance and Bravo headed it home in the 92nd minute to help Sporting Kansas City earn a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA. The result extended Sporting Kansas City's streak of games without a loss to ten. The goal was Bravo's fourth of the year.
Chivas USA looked poised to end that streak after Nick LaBrocca scored his sixth goal of the season, and the 10,000th in MLS history, in the first half. Dan Kennedy also came up with a pair of big saves prior to Bravo's headed finish in stoppage time.
The match began with a high tempo but never team created much of an opportunity until the 12th minute when LaBrocca got on the ball with his back to goal and turned and hit a lobbed effort. The ball floated over Jimmy Nielsen and smacked off the crossbar, giving the hosts an early scare.
LaBrocca wouldn't miss at the half-hour mark after a nice passing sequence. Center back Heath Pearce began the series of passes that ended with Justin Braun finding LaBrocca in space. LaBrocca dribbled towards goal and then slotted home a shot from the top of the penalty area with his left foot.
It took Sporting Kansas City until the waning moments of the match to create clear chances on goal. In the 85th minute substitute Kei Kamara had a shot just inside of the 18 swatted away by Kennedy. Two minutes later, Kennedy came up big again when he saved a header from C.J. Sapong.
The late-game heroics from Kennedy went to waste, though, as Bravo saved the day for Sporting Kansas City by heading home from close range after Valentin's flubbed clearance.
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What do you think of Sporting Kansas City's 1-1 draw with Chivas USA? Who impressed you? Were you surprised that Chivas USA allowed a late equalizer?
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