KANSAS CITY, Kan. – As much as anyone, Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia appreciated how well Andrew Tarbell had played to put the San Jose Earthquakes on the brink of their first trip to the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Even as he prepared to rob his colleague of deserved accolades.
“I told him right before the penalties,” Melia said, “that I thought he had an excellent game and he kept his team in it and he got his team to that point – and it was my job to take it away from him.