Two goals on both sides of halftime propelled Sporting Kansas City (2-0-0, 6 points) to a comprehensive 4-0 victory over rivals Houston Dynamo (0-1-1, 1 points) in an electric home opener at sold-out Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
A rampant display saw red-hot newcomers Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda score for the second straight match, while veterans Roger Espinoza and Khiry Shelton also found the back of the net to give Sporting an early perch atop the Western Conference standings. Between the sticks, goalkeeper Tim Melia secured his record-breaking 46th career MLS regular season shutout, surpassing Jimmy Nielsen for the most in club history.