Cleveland saves penalty to hold Dallas to 1-1 draw

Sporting Kansas City fans in Kansas City, Kansas, watched their team extend a seven-game winless streak on Saturday evening. A late penalty save by goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland secured a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas, leaving the hosts without a victory in their last seven matches.

FC Dallas took the lead in the 19th minute when Herman Johansson scored his first MLS goal of the season. Ran Binyamin provided the assist, delivering a through ball that allowed Johansson to finish with one touch. The goal ended Binyamin’s long assist drought, as it was his first since May.

Sporting responded in first-half stoppage time. Jansen Miller headed in a free kick from Owen Wolff to tie the score at 1-1. The goal gave the hosts a brief moment of hope, though the match ended in a draw.

The decisive moment came in second-half stoppage time. Petar Musa stepped up to take a penalty kick for Dallas, a player who had converted all five of his previous attempts this season. Cleveland dove to his right and blocked the shot with his left hand, denying Dallas a late winner.

The result leaves Sporting Kansas City with a record of 6-22-5. They finished the season with only three home wins, an all-time low for the club. Kansas City also joined the Toronto FC side from earlier this year as the only MLS teams to finish a season without a clean sheet at home.

FC Dallas holds the second spot in the Western Conference with a 15-8-10 record. They sit four points behind Vancouver, which clinched the top seed and a Concacaf Champions Cup berth with the result. Dallas plays Colorado next Saturday, while Sporting travels to San Diego on the same day.