With its place in the standings growing precarious, Sporting Kansas City defender Graham Zusi remarked a day ago that busting out of a slump would require an ugly win. That some sort of grind-it-out, unattractive victory could commence the turn of a midseason tide.
And indeed, this was neither pretty nor conventional.
But it was effective.
Sporting Kansas City pulled out a 1-0 victory in Houston late Saturday, halting a five-game winless streak and putting its slide on hiatus for at least a week.
Sporting KC (10-6-6) played a frustrating hour — with nothing to show from a man advantage — before a superb linkup from 16-year-old Gianluca Busio and Diego Rubio guided the game-winner in the 74th minute.