Trailing 1-3, Sporting Kansas City mount incredible 4-3 comeback

Sporting Kansas City completed an historic comeback on Saturday night to defeat Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps 4-3.

Trailing the Whitecaps 3-1 in the 80th minute, Sporting’s Dom Dwyer scored to give the Blues hope. Six minutes later, Paolo Nagamura equalized before getting the winner four minutes into stoppage time as Sporting Park erupted in ecstasy.

“When we went out to get him [Nagamura] a few years back, when I was the technical director, I remember watching him play with Chivas and I saw him prior to that when he was with LA,” Sporting coach Peter Vermes said about after the match.

“The best description I can give is he’s like a pit-bull. He’s got a winning mentality. The guy never stops, never gives up.

“He’s dealt with quite a few injuries this year. A lot of stuff is bad luck, but it’s amazing that he can come in and play 90 minutes, basically two games in a row here, like he has in such a short period of time.

“He’s a team-first guy and he’s got a winning mentality. He’s a really good player, all those things are givens. He’s just a winner.”

Saturday night’s win improves Sporting to 40 points, three behind Vancouver at the top of the west and four behind current Supporters’ Shield leaders DC United. Compared to both Vancouver and United, Sporting has four games in hand and can overtake its rivals. Vermes’ team will cash the first of those games in on Wednesday night as Sporting host the San Jose Earthquakes.

Despite Nagamura’s heroics to get the win, Vermes praised the contributions of his players.

“This team has definitely taken goal scoring by committee,” Vermes explained. “A lot of guys have stepped up at the right moments and found good opportunities.

“Naga’s second goal is a great goal, but his first goal was tremendous. What you really have to look at is the ball Chance (Myers) plays him.

“That’s the experience that Chance brings and that’s the reason we brought him in at the end of the game.

“We needed more in the attack and he’s very good in the final third. A lot of different guys helped us win the game, no doubt.”

Sporting currently has the fewest losses in MLS this season with four and the club is tied with Colorado and New York Red Bulls for the fewest goals allowed (25). The club also lead MLS in points per game with 1.76.

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Follow Drew Farmer on Twitter @Calciofarmer. Drew Farmer is a Manchester, England-based journalist/blogger that writes for World Soccer Talk. Drew has contributed to Radio Yorkshire MLS Monday, Forza Italian Football, Bleacher Report, MLSGB and Soccerly. Originally from southwest Missouri, Drew covers Italy’s Serie A, English Premier League and the USA’s Major League Soccer.

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