Sporting KC reach conference final with wild win over RSL

Sporting Kansas City booked their spot in the MLS Western Conference finals with a frantic 4-2 second-leg win over Real Salt Lake on Sunday.

It took KC, who held a valuable away goal heading into the return fixture, just 14 minutes to establish an outright lead thanks to Diego Rubio's simple finish, and they quickly doubled the advantage through Daniel Salloi.

If the home fans thought that early double salvo had put the tie to bed, they were rudely awoken by Sebastian Saucedo's slick strike on the hour mark - which threatened to change the dynamic of the game significantly.

However, hopes of a revival were shortlived as Nedum Onouha was adjudged to have felled Rubio just minutes later in the box at the other end and Ilie Sanchez dinked home from the spot.

Salt Lake still refused to fold. Damir Kreilach's header brought them to within one again, but after missing a flurry of late chances, a defensive error from Brooks Lennon gifted Salloi the brace to seal a 5-3 aggregate win for the hosts.

There was a punch to the gut for Sporting KC boss Peter Vermes, however, in the form of Rubio's second-half yellow card for a handball - a seemingly innocuous incident that will see the 10-goal striker miss the first leg of the Western Conference final due to suspension.

For now, though, that concern will take a back seat after what was KC's first postseason win since the MLS Cup-winning campaign of 2013. Vermes' men will now meet the Portland Timbers over two legs later this month to vie for a place in the MLS Cup final.