Sporting Kansas City reclaimed sole possession of first place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference on Thursday, settling for a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union at sold-out Children’s Mercy Park. A sublime strike from Diego Rubio put the hosts ahead in the 49th minute, but the Union would salvage a point thanks to Roland Alberg’s 69th-minute penalty kick.
Thursday’s result vaulted Sporting Kansas City (8-4-8, 32 points) to the top of the West, one point ahead of FC Dallas, and extended the club’s historic home unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive MLS matches. Philadelphia (6-7-5, 23 points) managed just two shots on target all evening and conceded 64 percent possession, but former Sporting KC striker C.