The lasting image of the New York Red Bulls’ 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City, a collision of two distinctly different styles, took place a few feet off the playing field.
The start to the match seemed calamitous. Rampant waves of Sporting Kansas City attacks – largely directed at New York Red Bulls left back fill-in Connor Lade – threatened Luis Robles’ goal. With 90 minutes of hindsight, though, the opening barrage from Sporting was tame.
That is because, while the crossbar was still vibrating from Daniel Salloi’s 92nd minute walk-off attempt and Children’s Mercy Park still boisterous from an 88th minute equalizer by 16-year-old homegrown Gianluca Busio, Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra lost his head.