Winston Reid's first Sporting Kansas City goal seals win against Chicago Fire

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:13 am

Defender Winston Reid scored his first goal in a Sporting Kansas City uniform as the hosts defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 on Wednesday night at Children's Mercy Park.

Deep in the box on a corner kick, the 6-foot-3 Reid eluded the Fire's 5-foot-8 Brandt Bronico and headed it in from short range. He redirected a pass from Johnny Russell.

It was the first home goal for SKC by anyone other than Russell in more than a month. The victory put Sporting in second place in the Western Conference, a point behind Seattle and two points ahead of Portland, pending those two clubs' matches later Wednesday night.

Sporting remains the only club in MLS to score at least one goal in every match this season.

It may have been a costly victory for SKC, as defender Graham Zusi left the game with a leg injury in the first half.

Chicago missed out on a chance to move above the red line in the Eastern Conference.

Sporting KC keeper Tim Melia earned his fourth clean sheet of the season, the 49th of his career.

The first half was a tale of Sporting KC defensive mistakes and Chicago failures to convert.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Melia gave the ball away and then fouled Fabian Herbers in the box, setting up a penalty kick in the second minute. Melia saved the attempt by Robert Beric, and the SKC defense was able to clear the zone. It was the earliest penalty kick allowed in Sporting KC history.

Late in the half, Jaylin Lindsey's back pass was intercepted by Djordje Mihailovic, who beat Melia with a chip shot, but it caromed off the cross bar and bounced innocently away.

Zusi was fouled in the 21st minute by Francisco Calvo, resulting in a yellow card. Calvo will miss Chicago's next match with caution accumulation.

Zusi was replaced by Lindsey and was on the sideline with crutches in the second half.

Possession was fairly even in the first half. SKC had more shots, but Chicago had more shots on goal.