HOUSTON -- Soony Saad scored late in the first half, and Dominic Dwyer added a penalty kick goal in the second to help 10-man Sporting Kansas City beat the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Friday night. Kansas City snapped a five-game winless streak to improve to 6-5-4. "For them to be able to come in here and get a win being a man down and having a lot of changes, was huge," Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said. "From that perspective, its more for us than just three points going into the (World Cup) break." Houston (5-9-2) has lost four straight -- all shutouts -- and hasnt scored in 389 minutes. Houston had a few regulars, including starting goalkeeper Tally Hall, replaced in the starting lineup. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear took responsibility for the loss. "Its my fault for giving guys a chance," Kinnear said. "Im the guy who picks the team Im the guy who makes the subs. This game is my fault today, I take 100 per cent. I dont look back on years and say, Oh that was a tough stretch in 08. I dont know. Its not a good time right now." Saad scored in the 45th minute, taking a pass from Benny Feilhaber and sending a shot into the right net from just the left of the upper half-circle. "Even with us being down a man, I feel like we stayed mentally focused and picked our moments to go," Saad said. "On the one where I scored, that was just us stepping up as a team, capitalizing on a mistake and it was perfect right before half to get momentum going into the half." Dwyer struck in the 70th, firing his penalty kick low into the right net and freezing Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric. Sporting was awarded the penalty kick after Houstons A.J. Cochran had a hand ball in the box off a corner kick. Kansas City played the final 69 minutes a man down after Toni Dovale was given a straight red card in the 21st minute for elbowing Houstons Alex Lopez in the face. The win was Kansas Citys first since May 10 in Montreal. "We were up in it today with the red card early in the game," Dwyer said. "It was a lot of running for us. We stayed in touch with the game and was able to get the three points. It was a good test of character (to be down a man). We had a lot of guys who normally dont start who came in today and had a fantastic performance from everyone on the field." Warren Creavalle had a chance to score for Houston in the 76th minute, but his shot from the right box was saved by a diving Eric Konberg. Houston had two more chances late in second-half stoppage time. Giles Barnes sent a shot from inside the upper goalkeepers box off the face of Kronberg. The rebound attempt by Will Bruin in the middle of the box was slowed by the traffic in front of the net and cleared out. "I think we need to look at everything from back to front," Barnes said. "Im sure thats exactly what we will do out on the training field. There will be some guys coming back, some people can get some extra fitness work in so that after the break we come back ready to go." Sporting Kansas City lost captain and midfielder Paulo Nagamura in the third minute after he and Cochran went up for a ball and Cochran headed Nagamura in the back of the head. Alex Martinez was substituted in for Nagamura, who was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to the locker room where he was diagnosed with a concussion. He was not taken to a hospital. Houston lost starting defender David Horst in the ninth minute with a left leg injury after a corner kick. Horst hobbled to the sideline, and Eric Brunner came in for him. Feilhaber, who was tackled hard by Brunner on the first goal, left the game with a left shoulder injury at halftime. Both teams were down two players already due to the World Cup call-ups, with Houstons Brad David with the U.S. and Boniek Garcia with Honduras, and Kansas Citys Graham Zusi and Matt Besler with the U.S. Jarrad Davis Jersey .J. - Percy Harvin is ready to go, and theres no question in his mind hell be playing Sunday. T.J. Hockenson Lions Jersey .com) - The New York Jets have named Mike Maccagnan their new general manager. http://www.lionsfanspro.com/Black-Jarrad...ey.html?cat=920. At Manchester United, Ferguson developed Beckham into one of the worlds most recognizable sportsmen, but the midfielder left United in 2003 for Real Madrid under a cloud after his relationship with the manager broke down. Kerryon Johnson Jersey . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. Matthew Stafford Lions Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot.TORONTO - Helio Castroneves purses his lips and smiles. Will Power looks away to contemplate what it will take to win the title that has eluded both drivers their entire careers. The two IndyCar veterans are duelling for the elusive championship this year, with Castroneves ahead of his Team Penske teammate by just nine points atop the standings. Its a familiar scenario for Castroneves ahead of the Honda Indy Toronto on Saturday and Sunday. He entered the Toronto races first overall in 2013 only to eventually cede the title to Scott Dixon. But this could be Castroneves year. The 39-year-old Brazilian yearns for a championship. "More than anything, my friend," said Castroneves. "More than anything." Castroneves lost by just 27 points to Dixon last year after being undone by a disastrous doubleheader in Houston where Dixon finished first and second, respectively. He also settled for second behind Sam Hornish Jr. in 2002, his first full season in the Indy Racing League after four seasons in Champ Car. Both series merged in 2008. Power has come even closer. The 33-year-old Australian finished second overall every year between 2010 and 2012. Power could taste the title in 2012, but he crashed at Fontana. His team scrambled to get him back on track, but Ryan Hunter-Reay edged Power out in a dramatic season finale. He doesnt want another year of being IndyCars bridesmaid. "Its going to be a tight race to the end. But man, Im doing everything I can," said Power. "Im determined to win the thing. Really determined." The Penske cars, always a formidable presence in the series, have been consistently dominant this season as the team looks to end an eight-year title drought. Power began the season on a tear. He won the season opener at St. Petersburg and again at one of the Detroit races. He was on the podium five times and never finished out of the top-10 in the first eight races. But penalties have hampered Powers season. Hes been charged five times so far, some more costly than others. At the Grand Prix of Indianapolis he hit pit equipment and was dropped out of contention. Later at Pocono on July 6 he was charged with blocking Castroneves. "The only one that cost me was the one at Pocono," said Power. "Double points, man that was like actually a 40-point swing right there, which is (a) pretty bad hit." Powers last four results have also been poor — 14th and 11th at Houston, 10th at Pocono and 14th in Iowa. He nearly won the second race at Houston but had to pit with a broken suspension just two laps from the finish.ddddddddddddPower has two career wins at Toronto in 2007 and 2010. Castroneves, who took over the overall lead last Sunday at Iowa with an eighth-place finish, has just one win so far after splitting the Detroit doubleheader with Power. But Castroneves has been consistent. Hes been on pole twice, stepped onto the podium five times and has nine top-10 finishes in 12 races so far. Last year Castroneves, who has never won in Toronto, made a breakthrough with a second-place finish in the second race behind Dixon. "I feel this place owns me," said Castroneves. "We start on the pole, finish second, finish all over the place. ... This place always helps a lot in terms of strategy. Some people in the back sometimes take chances and they end up paying off, but it all depends. "We can only try to predict the unpredicted, which is hopefully start in the front, stay in the front if the race goes that way and then collect a lot of points." Points are becoming ever-more precious as the season winds down. Six races remain ahead of the Aug. 30 finale at Fontana, and at least 100 could be won by a driver who sweeps the 85-lap, 2.81-kilometre street course at Exhibition Place. Theres also plenty of time for another driver to steal the title from Castroneves and Power. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has three wins including one at Iowa, trails Castroneves by just 32 points. Simon Pagenaud and Penskes Juan Pablo Montoya are also within 100 points of first place. Power and Castroneves both say theyre trying to balance a focus on racing with an awareness of the standings. "Youre just thinking every session," said Power. "Youre thinking about getting the car right and having good weekends. Not even that, every session youre thinking about, every lap. Doing it right, thats it." Castroneves added its hard to not get overwhelmed by the numbers. "Sounds not a lot when you say six races to go, but points involved its a lot and with that aspect, not that I dont look ahead, but youve got to push through to make sure that you finish ahead of those important (drivers). ...," said Castroneves. "Youve got to actually save for a rainy day in case that something bad happens, you have enough to cover for the last race." It might just take the last race for the championship to be decided. --- Follow @tyler_harper on Twitter ' ' '