Major League Soccer
Renewed? Sporting Kansas City claim win in start to new era
A game, a season can turn on a moment. A missed chance. A tackle. A coaching change. Saturday evening’s Sporting Kansas City match with rival St. Louis City brought that and more.
Soccer is a game and marathon of a season that can turn on a moment. A missed chance. A tackle. A coaching change. Saturday evening’s Sporting Kansas City match with rival St. Louis City brought all that and more. By the end, Kansas City had earned a 2-0 victory and a positive start in their hopeful renewal.
The match was not just another regular season game at Children’s Mercy Park: Traversing the coach’s box would be Kerry Zavagnin, not his longtime boss, the venerable Peter Vermes. To add even more spice for the first match after 16 years with Vermes as head coach, Sporting Kansas City (0-5-1) were facing their closest and fiercest rivals, St. Louis CITY (2-2-2). Fierce and not at all affectionate, let alone friendly. Most importantly, Sporting are battling for the support of their fans amidst at 13 match winless streak in all competitions dating back to September of 2024.
City claims an advantage in the MLS Regular Season series at three wins and two draws in six matches. However, Sporting is undefeated at home versus their fiercest rivals at 1-0-2. Although rival matches can be high scoring affairs, the two sides have not been lighting up the scoreboards. Sporting has generated six goals (three coming against Minnesota United FC), and City has put in only four in the first six weeks of the MLS season.
The night was not short of drama and compelling possibilities. Who would come out sparkling and who would wear a deepening din?
Zavagnin put out the following Starting Eleven:
The #SKCvSTL XI in formation 💠#SportingKC | @BlueKC pic.twitter.com/DGdq7fPfrg
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 6, 2025
Both Joaquin Fernandez (back) and Khiry Shelton (hamstring) were listed as questionable going in. Each provides Kansas City a plus. Fernandez has been Sporting’s most consistent center back and Shelton, who has performed well in limited minutes, allows Jake Davis to be in his prime midfield spot.
The kind-of-red-kind-of-not of City was sprinkled heavily in the South and East Stand of Kansas City’s home, but the home fans outnumbered the travelers.
The first ten minutes had bite and intent from both sides. Sporting had most of the ball, but were unable to create substance.
Then, City came close. Receiving in the middle of the pitch 36 yards out, Joao Klauss played quickly wide right to Conrad Wallum who deked Fernandez and clanked a strong attempt off the inside of the far post in the 16th minute. Another Wallum attempt was saved, followed by Akil Watts skying his attempt over Sporting ‘keeper John Pulskamp and the bar.
Manu Garcia dummied to leave for left winger Daniel Salloi in the 24th for an intriguing Kansas City chance. Salloi’s shot was blocked at the defense, giving City goalkeeper Ben Lundt no worries.
Clearly, both sides were hell-bent on entertaining and gaining the three points. Either a moment of brilliance or a methodical break through was coming.
The 30th minute saw an inventive and industrious Kansas City nearly break free for a shot, only to have Salloi, Garcia, and Dejan Joveljic touch heavy in traffic.
Off another heavy touch from Joveljic, City countered in the 33rd minute. This time the ball was played in for Klauss in behind, yet Pulskamp, in command of his box on this night, rushed out like a rabid bear and gobbled up the ball.
There was no doubt at all that the fans came to have fun. The buzz in the crowd was a long lasting – and a rambunctious – one. Sporting got the fuel close to fire in the 38th. On an overlap of a Shapi Suleymanov cut inside, Davis received and clipped in for a central Joveljic. At the spot, Joveljic struck, handcuffing Lundt. Though Lundt batted away, Sporting was stoking the flames.
A stout KC backline was limiting City’s options. Thus, City went from distance in the 44th, just nipping over the bar as in a number of previous instances.
Sporting trailed in shots at half 6-2 despite winning the possession game. Purpose. Purpose. Purpose.
Six minutes into the 2nd half saw two Sporting chances. The first, Fernandez volleyed from 16 yards out over the bar, followed by Davis trying to chip an onrushing Lundt. Davis’ attempt hit back netting, safe from goal.
Pulskamp was next in action. Driving to Pulskamp’s right, Marcel Hartel unleashed a low burner that forced Pulskamp into a sprawl. The trailing arm corralled the chance and kept the match scoreless.
The chance was the front of a flurry of City chances as they continually broke through Sporting’s flanks.
Nemanja Radoja replaced Shelton in the 59th minute. Davis then moved to right back as Radoja took up in midfield. It was an interesting wrinkle as Radoja played in advance of Jacob Bartlett, who remained at the holding spot.
Davis lost out on a ball from Pulskamp in the 66th. And it was nearly that Sportign moment where the match turns. However, Jansen Miller intervened with a sliding block of a clear shot.
Dangerous City rushes were regular now. A minute later, Watts was on Sporting’s doorstep. Yet, it must have been a “How did I get here” moment because the chance was muffed, away from goal.
One chance gone, one on the other end. Sporting built towards City’s end through the left wing, then centrally. Radoja found Garcia in a seam and the Spainard turned with eyes to goal. Instead, he laid off for Joveljic, a tad wide. But Jovelijic stretched and struck into the far netting for a Kansas City lead in the 71st minute. It’s a cruel game. But a just one…
DEJAN SENDS IT HOME AND WE'RE UP
Watch #SKCvSTL on @AppleTV 🖥️: https://t.co/plEsZfA26L pic.twitter.com/tAwc7Pgn7Z
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 6, 2025
Zavagnin sent on Erik Thommy for Bartlett and Dany Rosero for Fernandez shortly after the goal.
But City was on a break in the 81st minute before Rosero could enter. Blitzing across the midfield stripe, Klauss looked to spoil the party as two runners joined. Radoja, spying from behind, launched a fair tackle to knock the ball away and gain the second biggest eruption from the crowd on the night. Darn near poetic.
Kansas City entered the night two goals short of 400 regular season goals. They would find #400 in the 88th. Thommy pushed at his defender on the right wing while spotting Garcia streaking in at the top of the box. Seeing him free, Thommy fed. Garcia hit it well, but it pinged the crossbar. ‘No problem’ said Joveljic as he redirected the ball past a stunned Lundt and into the net. Two to one, good guys.
🚨 Big time brace 🚨
Dejan Joveljić extends @SportingKC's lead! pic.twitter.com/22qfxTyzgZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 6, 2025
Five minutes of added time were announced, and after Pulskamp saved in the 92nd and a close Joveljic bender, Sporting saw the match out.
Finally, a win. And a good beginning to renewal. Now, what from here?
Wait, this is what. After the whistle, a scuffle ensued involving Davis and some City players by the City supporters. The clubs came together and peace was forcibly restored. After, Davis pumped his fists to get the South End on their feet.
Sporting Kansas City will have another full week of training with Zavagnin as they host Portland Timbers next Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park on a 1:15pm start.
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Vermes is gone, and the team looked absolutely marvelous. The cauldron was in fine voice tonight probably the best I’ve heard in a long time. It was a fabulous match. Sporting was playing with confidence that I haven’t seen in a while.
Sporting has a long ways to go, but the bones are there and a two goal victory over St. Louis is a fabulous way to start.
The team looked relaxed, but played with intensity! They also looked they were just having fun.
It was nice to see attacking players wanting the ball.
I really only want two things out of this season: no Wooden Spoon and wins against STL. I knew we would be bad, but if we could at least accomplish those I’d be pretty happy. This one is helping check both boxes. We’re not fixed, but hopefully this pulls us out of our slump. I personally thought we looked much the same until we scored. That’s when the fire and intensity really came out and we started playing with our old confidence. I love that version of this team and want more of that.
SKC started this game exactly like they have played every other game this year…uninspired, disjointed and not great. St Louis was super unlucky to not have at least one goal in the first 1/2…Pulskamp stood on his head to keep SKC in the game in the first 50 minutes. The second half started out better…not awesome but better. Passing seemed to be a bit more connected. The Radoja for Shelton sub changed the game though. Jake really helped lock down the St Louis LW and Radoja made the play of the game to break up a 3v1 situation. Radoja also had a nice pass to Manu who played a beautiful turn and ball to Dejan who slotted it home for the first goal.
The only difference I saw continuously throughout the game is the short pass through pressure (pass, move, pass triangles) was much, much better. Essentially from non-existent to decent. If they make a similar jump by next week, things will definitely be looking up.
I like the midfield of Davis, Bartlett and Manu but they seriously need to have a conversation and multiple practices on responsibilities and positioning. They were so bunched up and all 3 of them in front of the CBs numerous times. I’d really like Bartlett to understand #6 positioning better allowing Davis to get forward and Manu to stay forward and focus on doing things like that turn and pass to Joveljic. Also, Thommy is way better at RW than Shapi. Thommy needs to start and Shapi can come on at 60min.
The big reveal for me this game is that Thommy is pretty decent at RW where he was virtually invisible at LW. I certainly missed that call. I think the best starting 11 currently on the SKC roster is:
Salloi – Joveljic – Thommy
Bartlett – Manu – Davis
Ndembe – Fernandez – Miller – Leibold
Pulskamp
Leibold is a decent LB…surely he could be a stay back RB and do it better than all the non-RBs we are trying to play there.
Well said.
The team let St. Louis have all the chances and created almost nothing in the first 50+ minutes. As you said, switching out Shelton with Radoja and pushing Davis back to RB made the whole game look different. Davis shut down the ST louis attack on the right side after they tore up Shelton. Radoja both stopped a St Louis counter attack and sent the first pass to start our first goal. THAT is the lineup we should be looking at going forward. If Leibold can hold down the right side defensively then Davis can move back to midfield. Then Bartlett can be a high energy sub later for whoever needs or in the midfield.
The team felt like they had St Louis on the back foot after our first goal. That hasn’t happened all season. So let’s try the guys on the field then as the starting lineup.
You are probably right…Radoja for Bartlett. I keep forgetting how much ground Jake covers which allows Radoja to do what he does best at the 6. Probably solves the midfield bunching up trouble too.
Does anybody know what in the world happened with the Rosero sub? Being at the game, it was impossible to tell a) why they didnt get the sub correct in the first place and b) why they wouldnt let him come on and we had to play a man down.
I also i love jake davis but i dont get the “locked it down” at RB comments. if anything it was game states. he looked discombobulated after getting his position switched mid-game and made a ton of simple mistakes after he switched.
That said, the game looked different. Even if we hadnt scored, the tactics were not the same, and i legit didnt know Zavagnin would have that in him after being under Vermes for so long. It wasnt just hoofing it out wide and hoping the cross falls nicely. There was actual central play. There were even some long balls (not always a bad thing). Some of the stuff that fell flat in the first half wasnt because the idea was bad, it was execution. At this point, im fine with good ideas and sub-par execution!
Miller shushing the pink corner late in the game was excellent. Good job Rook.
All of it was exactly what we needed and provides a good platform to build from. Winning, getting the fans engaged again, seeing some fire, the players showing visible catharsis at the final whistle. It was nice.
Fernandes “took too long” to sub, so they made Rosero wait a minute. It took a while for the broadcast to figure it out too.
players looked like they were just playing again
don’t care or know if it lasts, but i think this is the kind of game that stops the bleeding.
there’s a floor. even if they start losing again, there’s a floor, which wasn’t there weeks ago.
i think it was super cathartic for everyone involved. vermes too, i bet.
#vermesout#reidout