Sporting Kansas City were crowned champions of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in a nail-biting final at sold-out Children’s Mercy Park.
A 25th-minute header from Latif Blessing and a 66th-minute strike from Daniel Salloi were just enough to secure victory as Sporting Kansas City continued their mastery of North America’s oldest soccer tournament, lifting the Open Cup title for the fourth time overall and the third time since 2012.
The Red Bulls grabbed a goal back through Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 91st minute — making for a tense final few minutes — but the visitors were unable to find a last-gasp equalizer.
Another euphoric dose of Open Cup glory makes Sporting Kansas City the only MLS club with four major championships over the last six seasons. Manager Peter Vermes also becomes just the second coach ever to win an MLS Cup (2013) and three Open Cup titles (2012, 2015, 2017), continuing an era of trophy-laden success in Kansas City since the turn of the decade.
