The depths of a mid-summer slump bounced Sporting Kansas City from the top spot in the Western Conference last month, and on Wednesday the reverberations removed the club from a tournament that has bred some of its best moments.
The end of a U.S. Open Cup championship defense offered something of a rock bottom.
Sporting Kansas City’s title defense came to a close with a 4-2 loss against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The optics of the match — even more than a fifth-straight result without a victory — drew the ire of Peter Vermes postgame, a coach repeatedly questioning the effort of several players.