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KANSAS CITY, Kansas - Sporting Kansas City became the first team to qualify for next season's CONCACAF Champions League, outlasting the Seattle Sounders on penalty kicks after 1-1 draw Wednesday night to win the U.S. Open Cup.
The victory gave Kansas City its first U.S. Open Cup title since 2004 - when the club was called the Wizards -- and ended the three-year reign of Seattle.
Sporting claimed the win when Seattle's Eddie Johnson sent his attempt over the bar after Paulo Nagamura put his side ahead 3-2.
Kansas City, which outshot Seattle 12-5, took the lead in the 84th on a penalty by Kei Kamara but Zach Scott equalized for Seattle two minutes later with a header off a free kick from Mauro Rosales.
After the start was delayed more than a half hour due to a storm including rain, strong winds and hail, the match required extra time, when the two teams combined for only one shot. Seattle finished the match with 10 men after Patrick Ianni was ejected with a second yellow card.
The result was the first time the U.S. Open Cup, contested since 1914, was decided on penalties since 1997.
Kansas City will look to improve on its performance in the old CONCACAF Champions Cup, when it drew 0-0 and lost 2-1 to Costa Rica's Saprissa in the quarterfinals and was eliminated.
Seattle, which reached the quarterfinals in last season's Champions League, won its opener in this year's tournament, 3-1 over Caledonia AIA, and will resume its schedule on August 30 against the Caribbean club champion in Trinidad.
