Sporting Kansas City wrapped up the 2011 Major League Soccer qualifying slate for the US Open Cup with a stunning 5-0 win at home Wednesday. Regardless of what the outcome had been though, for the first time home clubs were going to finish without a winning record in qualification matches.
Kansas City, which has been on the road for all eight league games and a previous qualifier, actually brought the record for home teams in 2011 to an even 3-3-2 with the victory. Even the penalty kick decisions were level with a win and a loss from the spot by the home teams. In the previous four years, the home clubs had twice as many victories as losses.
When the current format of stand-alone MLS qualification matches was adopted in 2007 the home clubs were 3-1 and it was not until 2009 that another home club lost as they were a combined 4-0-1 in 2008 with the lone draw also seeing the host club advance from the spot.
The 2009 slate saw the home clubs finish 4-2, and in 2010 the record once again was decidedly one-sided at 5-1-1, bringing the four-year total to 16-4-2.
Scoring was also rather one-sided prior to 2011 with home clubs outscoring the opposition nearly two to one each year for a total of 50-24 the previous four years. Prior to Wednesday’s record win by Kansas City, the aggregate scoreline was level at 10 goals each.
The current campaign also saw home clubs shutout twice by the visitors in eight games, matching the total of two from the previous 22 games in the last four years.
One unusual note is that in the 30 qualifiers over the course of five years, all seven losses by home teams were one-goal decisions with two coming via overtime.
Home Team Results (W-L-T)
2011: 3-3-2… 15 GF… 10 GA
2010: 5-1-1… 18 GF… 9 GA
2009: 4-2-0… 13 GF… 7 GA
2008: 4-0-1… 12 GF… 4 GA
2007: 3-1-0… 7 GF… 4 GA
Total: 19-7-4… 65 GF… 34 GA
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