Sporting Kansas City were given another chance to anoint their new stadium with a win on Friday night, and this time they didn’t waste it. On the latest edition of “Soccer Night in America,” C.J. Sapong latched onto a free kick from Graham Zusi and scored the lone goal of the game as Kansas City defeated the San Jose Earthquakes by a 1-0 scoreline.

San Jose had come into the game on a six-game unbeaten streak during which they had earned 14 of a possible 18 points. But it was Sporting who came away with all three points in this one, extending their own unbeaten run to five games.

Each team controlled possession for various portions of the game, and it was a close encounter throughout. For the second week in a row, Sporting striker Teal Bunbury was notably left on the bench, only coming into the match in the 86th minute. While both squads enjoyed chances, it was Sapong who converted the only goal in the game to give his team the valuable victory.

With the win, Sporting Kansas City continues to make up ground in the Eastern Conference. They now sit just one point away from eighth-placed New England and three points away from sixth-placed Toronto FC. But what’s really in their favor is that they have two games in hand on the Revolution and three games in hand on Toronto.

San Jose, meanwhile, were stymied after experiencing a rapid rise up the table in recent weeks. They remain in sixth place with 19 points from 14 games, two points clear of Chivas USA and the Portland Timbers.

Kansas City have a short week as they travel to PPL Park on Wednesday to face the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union. San Jose return to action next Saturday as they host the LA Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium as part of yet another “Soccer Night in America.”