MONTREAL - Kai Kamara and Graham Zusi scored on penalty kicks in the second half Wednesday as Sporting Kansas City posted a controversial 3-1 victory over the Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.

Fans booed through much of the second half after referee Sorin Stoica called Montreal's Patrice Bernier for an accidental hand ball in the area for one penalty and then awarded another after what looked like incidental contact by captain Davy Arnaud.

After Kamara and Zusi converted from the spot to erase a 1-0 deficit, substitute Jacob Peterson put the match away for Kansas City (10-5-2) with a goal from the right side in the 82nd minute as Sporting ended a two-game losing run.

Bernier scored for Montreal (5-11-3), which lost a third match in a row and has conceded three goals in each contest.

Former Italian international defender Alessandro Nesta, who has agreed to terms on a contract with Montreal, watched from a box with the Impact management team. Montreal is waiting for league approval of the deal for the 36-year-old former AC Milan star to begin playing.

Nesta saw the Impact take the lead in the 49th minute and then get into a running spat with Stoica that led to penalties and cautions.

Midfielder Felipe Martins and Arnaud each drew their fifth yellow cards of the season and will be suspended for Sunday's home game against the Columbus Crew.

After wasting a handful of chances in a scoreless first half, Montreal broke the ice when Zarek Valentin found Felipe with a long. The Brazilian slipped a pass to Bernier trailing the play for his fourth goal of the season.

Bernier was called for a hand ball in the area only eight minutes later when a headed ball bounced off his arm. Kamara made no mistake on the penalty kick.

Stoica seemed to take offence at Arnaud's vehement protest of the call and the booing reached full pitch when the Montreal was called for another foul in the area during a Kansas City corner. Zusi drilled his penalty in the left side for the game-winner in the 75th minute.

Marco Di Vaio had his best game in three since he began play as Montreal's first designated player. Another former Italian star, Di Vaio was all over the pitch in a first half in which the home side did everything but score.

Only five minutes in, Di Vaio sent Felipe in alone, but his shot from point blank was blocked by Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Neilsen. Then Justin Mapp sent Di Vaio in, but Felipe was slow to react to his pass across the box.

Di Vaio missed a glittering chance in the 29th minute when he was in alone and shot wide of the goal. When he finally put the ball in a minute later, it was called offside.

Felipe, a habitual diver, was shown the yellow card after he went down in the Kansas City area. Arnaud, who vigorously argued the penalty kick call, got his caution for a remark made after a non-call of a foul on Felipe in the second half.

Sporting is at home Saturday against Houston.

Notes: Bernier was back after serving a one-game suspension. Hassoun Camara was back at centre back for Montreal, while Valentin moved back to right fullback. ... Kansas City came in with a two-game losing streak and the one to pay the price was midfielder Julio Cesar, who was at left home. Paulo Nagamura took his spot.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2012