KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Kei Kamara and Omar Bravo scored two goals each as Sporting Kansas City beat Toronto FC 4-2 Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to 12 matches.
Kansas City (6-6-8), which broke a string of three straight ties and improved to 5-0-7 during its streak, scored three goals during a nine-minute stretch in the first half.
Kamara scored his first goal on a half-volley in the 28th minute and made it 2-0 in the 34th on a header off a cross from Roger Espinoza. Three minutes after that, Bravo took a pass from Brazilian midfielder Jeferson, dribbled past keeper Stefan Frei and scored into the open net.
It was the quickest three-goal scoring burst in Major League Soccer this season, besting D.C. United's three goals in 10 minutes over a two-game span in April against Los Angeles and Toronto. Before Kamara's first goal, Sporting had gone 297 minutes in MLS play without a lead.
"The one thing I've been proud of this group of guys, as we have moved through this season, we have learned some lessons along the way. Haven't made the same mistake twice," Kansas City manager Peter Vermes said,. "They've been very resilient in that regard. I knew that we had it in us. I just had to remind everyone that we needed to make sure that there's a chance a team can come back and we couldn't let them."
Bravo's second goal, in the 64th minute, made it 4-1.
Two new additions to the team, Danny Koevermans and Ryan Johnson, scored second-half goals for Toronto (3-11-8), which has lost four straight and six of seven.
Koevermans scored for on a header in the 50th minute and Johnson made it 4-2 in the 72nd minute.
"I thought we came out in the second half and fought harder," Johnson said. "We came back and scored two goals ... but we can't go down 3-0 and expect to win."
Players slogged through temperatures well into the 30s, but Koevermans said the tough conditions had nothing to do with the loss.
"Yeah, it's hot and again I played 90 and again I lost five to six kilos. It's hot, but it's not an excuse," Koevermans said. "There's 22 players on the pitch and everyone has to deal with the same heat. Next time we have to do our job to get three points."
