Sporting KC Close Out Preseason with Back-to-Back Wins

Sporting Kansas City closed out preseason with their third and final game of the Coachella Valley Invitational. On the docket were Austin FC. Sporting KC rolled out four lineup changes, bringing in Justin Reynolds for Jake Davis, Jacob Bartlett for Kwaku Agyabeng, John Pulskamp for Stefan Cleveland and Wyatt Meyer for Jansen Miller. The formation and the other seven players remained the same. That 4-4-2 rest defensive shape that Rapha Wicky talked about on Wednesday.

1' Underway for our final preseason match at @coachella_inv against Austin FC.

Starting XI:

John Pulskamp
Justin Reynolds
Ian James
Wyatt Meyer
Zorhan Bassong
Jacob Bartlett
Manu Garcia
Daniel Salloi
Stephen Afrifa
Dejan Joveljic
Calvin Harrishttps://t.co/LZUJbNE0A7

— Sporting KC Communications (@SportingKC_PR) February 14, 2026

Austin FC rolled out mostly starters, unlike NYCFC on Wednesday.

Our XI to face SKC.#AustinFC x @StDavidsHC pic.twitter.com/Lg9mFYKvqS

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) February 14, 2026

Despite Sporting KC desiring to play with the ball, they had a much tougher time earning possession. Austin was on the front foot for most of the opening 15 minutes. Sporting KC did earn a set piece from outside the box when Dejan Joveljic was slammed to the ground. Manu Garcia sent in a ball, but due to my position behind the other goal and the blurry camera, it was unclear who won the header that Austin ultimately blocked that seemed destined for the goal.

The game was back and forth for the next 15 minutes. Lots of half chances for both teams, but nothing of major substance one way or another.

Bartlett had a scare later on in the second half. He rose up for a header and an Austin player missed the ball and crashed into his head. After a lengthy concussion check, he left the field for a brief moment while the staff warmed up Jake Davis. However, Bartlett would remain in the game.

Just after this, new Austin Designated Player Facundo Torres was booked for a challenge in the midfield for the game’s first yellow card. In the 40th minute, Sporting KC got their first when Dejan Joveljic was booked.

In the 42 minute, the games first goal would go Sporting KC’s way. A nice buildup on the right side of the attack between Justin Reynold and Stephen Afrifa led to an Afrifa cross into the box towards both Dejan and Calvin Harris. But of course, Dejan rose up and sent it home! 1-0 Sporting KC!

Afrifa to Dejan! 1-0 SKC!!#SportingKC #SKCvATX

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-02-14T18:56:01.467Z

The game entered halftime with KC up 1-0.

The second half started with no changes from Sporting KC or Austin.

In the 48th minute, Sporting KC had the first nice buildup of the half. Harris dribbled across the box but couldn’t find a shot, so he laid it off to Afrifa who tried to send a cross on the ground, but it was blocked. Salloi tried to blast it but it sailed way over the bar.

In the 54th, Manu Garcia was fouled for the umpteenth time, and someone was booked. It is unclear if it was an Austin player or maybe SKC for dissent?

A bit later, Sporting KC played a casual counter, also up the right side of the attack. This time Afrifa cut back on his left and shot for goal, but it went over the bar. Right after that, Afrifa took his chance again and Brad Stuver was forced to push it over the bar. The ensuing corner by Manu was too close and Austin tried to spring a counter, but Reynolds tracked down the ball and started KC quickly back the other way. The ball eventually fell to Manu who drug his shot just wide of the near post.

Austin made a handful of changes during that dead ball.

Austin nearly hit Sporting on another counter, but Reynolds’ speed again killed the play and Pulskamp gathered it. On the other end back-to-back fouls led to a dangerous free kick into the box and Ian James headed the ball JUST WIDE of the post. Still just 1-0 KC.

KC tried to spring an attack up the left side of the pitch by Bassong and Gallagher got into it with Zo ended up being booked.

Then things got out of hand. Austin earned back-to-back red cards. Besard Sabovic with hands to the face of Harris, who also somehow picked up a yellow. Then after that chaos cleared, Sporting KC tried to spring a counter and Dejan took a two-footed tackle from behind for a second Austin red card, this time to Guilherme Biro.

At that time, Kansas City made a double sub bringing on Jayden Reid and Shapi Suleymanov for Bassong and Afrifa respectively.

It wasn’t long after, that Sporting KC would get a stupid red card themselves. After an offside call, Harris went ahead and shot the ball and was booked for time wasting and that second yellow sent him off. Now it’s 10v9, favoring KC.

Justin Reynolds picked up an injury on a tackle, just after that and was replaced by Jake Davis. It wouldn’t be long before Dejan nearly had his brace. A nice ball was slipped into him, he found an inch of space, and he dinked it off the post. Shapi chased the rebound, but Stuver made the save.

It wouldn’t take long for Sporting to seal the win. Manu played a hard ball on the ground to Jayden Reid who found Dejan in the box. Dejan played a cheeky backheel to Salloi who slotted it home to make it 2-0.

Salloi seals it late! 2-0 SKC! #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-02-14T19:56:19.113Z

The final whistle would blow, and the preseason came to an end. Sporting KC finished a respectable 3-3-0 in preseason, after a shaky 1-3-0 start. The season kicks off a week from today in San Jose as SKC hit the road to play the Earthquakes.

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