Stale Sporting Kansas City surrender four to Rapids

A sly near-post finish by Sporting Kansas City winger Shapi Suleymanov gave Sporting Kansas City a needed boost in the 44th minute Saturday night at Sporting Park. One goal does not stand up to a night of struggle, however. Three goals later for Colorado Rapids meant a look in the mirror for Kansas City, hopefully the rearview mirror.

Momentum. The thing of confidence. The thing of unity and understanding. Sporting Kansas City (1-2-1) has not built much momentum in the past two seasons.

Going into Saturday night’s match the wheels were churning forward for Sporting after a win in their fourth match of the 2026 Major League soccer season last week. The match roster brought more. Freshly signed center back Diego Borges was on the substitutes bench after signing just the past week, and the recovering Ian James and Justin Reynolds were available as well.

Colorado Rapids (2-2-0) were coming off a 3-1 loss at New York Football Club last week, after a 4-1 drubbing of Los Angeles Galaxy the week before. The same club Sporting beat 2-1 last week.

Kansas City Manager Raphael Wicky filled out his lineup card this way:

Chose our fighters 👾 pic.twitter.com/jLrK4YfDYA

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) March 21, 2026

Sporting sought momentum in an early goal via the long ball. Left center back Ethan Bartlow went well diagonal and over-the-top for right winger Calvin Harris in the 3rd minute. Harris, in free with a defender closing, pushed his roller just outside Zach Steffen’s far post.

In attack, midfielder Jacob Bartlett pushed high often, pressuring the Rapids’ backline, while last week’s debutant for Kansas City, Lasse Berg Johnsen played the deep lying role.

Referee Fotis Bazakos blew his whistle liberally in the first 10 minutes, calling one foul a minute. Colorado’s frontline was intent on disrupting Kansas City’s backs as they built in possession.

Sporting’s wide players were unable to do same to Colorado. Flying down the left flank in the 12th minute, Colorado winger Darren Yapi, played a centering ball for Paxten Aaronson. Aaronson, left to run at will straight down the gut, lifted an easy shot over KC’s John Pulskamp for the opener.

Five minutes later, Harris was found again. This time by Bartlett. After a smart move 15 yards inside Colorado’s half, Bartlett played for a wider Harris. The Englishman faked right, cut left on his marker, and fired well high of the net.

Colorado should have been up two in the 19th minute. Freed on the left flank again, Yapi beat Jake Davis and broke in on Pulskamp. Pulskamp flapped at the first attempt that deflected back to Yapi. An easy finish waited, but an off-balance Yapi flubbed the moment and a big early lead for his side.

With flanks pushing high in Shapi Suleymanov on the left and Harris on the right, Sporting opened space for striker Dejan Joveljic and the midfield, including playmaker Manu Garcia, to operate. Colorado stifled with their banks of three front to midfield, backed by a last line of four. An apparent advantage in athleticism and physicality in challenges gave the visitors more than a fighting chance, their finishing abilities aside.

Moments after Jansen Miller earned Sporting’s second yellow card (Garcia earlier), the Rapids’ Lucas Herrington was shown yellow for half-shouldering, half-pushing Harris to the pitch after he carried out of Sporting’s box.

And it would be Colorado’s second yellow that gave Kansas City an opportunity in the 43rd minute. A free kick left and 8 yards wide of the Colorado’s box was the consequence. Steffen, however, man-claimed the floating entry ball from Berg Johnsen.

But he would not deny Suleymanov in the recycle. Berg Johnsen found Harris running diagonal ahead of Colorado’s box. Harris kept driving and played the Russian native running left. A patient Suleymanov did not cross, let the ball run, and slipped a low shot near post for the match-tying goal.

Turnover by Colorado and it's quick from Berg Johnsen to Harris who assists Shapi with his near post finish! 1-1! #SportingKC #SKCvCOL pic.twitter.com/xG2SztG41E

— KC Soccer Journal (@KCSoccerJournal) March 22, 2026

The Rapids cut short and ideas of Kansas City momentum in the 47th minute after Bartlow knocked out a low Aaronson cross for a Rapids’ corner. Dante Sealy, son of former KC Wizard Scott Sealy, spun a swerving ball towards Pulskamp’s near post. Arriving, Pulskamp was able to push the ball onto the crossbar, then fall into the net. Momentum of the wrong kind… Wayne Frederick latched on and fired home for a 2-1 lead.

Pulskamp and his mates appealed for a foul, but none was given after review.

The half ended with Kansas City trailing in xG 0.4 to 2.1 and in shots 9-5.

Early in the 2nd half, Meyer ran with Sealy to Sportings’ left endline near the edge of the box. After Sealy crossed, the two tumbled together, Meyer twisting oddly out of the wreckage. The back had to be helped back to the bench after a delay. Midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng replaced Meyer. The substitution put the rookie in a challenging situation at left back.

Harris, ever on the run, earned a dangerous free kick centrally 20 yards out in the 57th minute. Suleymanov pinged the free kick directly at Steffen, who double-fisted the shot away from net.

Davis gave Sporting a chance at momentum within the match in the 68th minute. Driving forward, Davis was taken out by Miguel Navarro stepping into his path. Kansas City played the ensuing free kick just above the far left of Colorado’s box with moxie. Suleymanov played square for Garcia, who stepped over the ball, leaving for  Berg Johnsen. Last week’s hero leaned back and shot well over.

Colorado made Sporting pay and denied any inkling of momentum for the host, striking twice within four minutes – 71st and 75th – through Navarro and Aaronson. The first saw Aaronson and Navarro outduel Sporting’s Davis and Harris. The second saw Navarro, played on by a cheeky chip over three players, feed a central-running Aaronson. Both goals came after Wicky had inserted Stephen Afrifa for Suleymanov.

Subsequent substitutions for Kansas City included Justin Reynolds for Calvin Harris and Taylor Calheira for Bartlett.

Eight minutes of stoppage time were posted, and after a jaunts to and fro, the match was whistled to a stop.

Sporting Kansas City will travel to Real Salt Lake April 4th after the weekend off for the international window.