Sporting KC
Exorcised? Sporting Kansas City dispatch Tulsa Athletic in US Open Cup
Sporting Kansas City dominated Tulsa Athletic 3-0 in Kansas City Tuesday night to advance to the Round of 32 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
For the first time in their Open Cup history, Sporting Kansas City entered the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ahead of the Round of 32 Tuesday evening, hosting Tulsa Athletic of the National Premier Soccer League (4th tier) at Children’s Mercy Park. And for the first time in 2023, Kansas City came away with a victory. Goals from Daniel Salloi, Alan Pulido, and Marinos Tzionis, along with an appearance by attacking midfielder Gadi Kinda provided not only the win, but reason to believe demons may have been exorcised.
For their part, Tulsa Athletic, winners of two 1-0 matches in the tournament, was facing an MLS team for the first time in their history.
Rotation was expected for Sporting Kansas City past Saturday’s loss at New England Revolution and ahead of Saturday’s match at home against CF Montreal. Though an Open Cup win would provide a boost for the side, getting their first win in league play this season on the weekend would provide at least a lifeline in Sporting’s 2023 campaign.
Manager Peter Vermes put out the following Starting Eleven:
Your @BlueKC Open Cup XI 👇#SportingKC pic.twitter.com/v4ftjDrKaS
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 25, 2023
The headline catcher was the presence of attacking midfielder Gadi Kinda in the Kansas City lineup for the first time since November 28, 2021, when Sporting was eliminated from the MLS playoffs. And Jake Davis’s appearance at right back was a take-note type of moment.
Sporting arrived in the midst of an offensive quagmire of only three goals in nine league matches. In a cup match, jumping on top is often key, keeping the underdog in check. Would Kansas City’s attack ignite with a fair number of regulars getting the nod?
Early touches by Kinda brought possibility and a warm recollection of skills that have been missing for the hosts. Yet, it was Marinos Tzionis playing a ball across the box in the 8th minute for Alan Pulido that could have been the opener. However, the striker was well-hassled and unable to reach the ball.
All Tulsa needed was a break early to make it a match. They got it in the 17th minute. Jordan Watson broke in behind Sporting’s defense, drawing out goalkeeper John Pulskamp. Pulskamp went down, taking Watson with him and gaining referee Jose Lara’s call for a penalty kick. Christopher Taylor stepped up to take the chance; however, Pulskamp read the shot and denied Tulsa the initial lead.
Called on early, Big Bear comes up B I G.#SportingKC | #SKCvTUL pic.twitter.com/RIqCCWZTAT
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 26, 2023
Kinda, likely due to a plan for only a 30-minute run out, came off for Sporting debutant Ethan Bryant in the 30th. Byrant was a call-up from Sporting KC II just days before.
Sporting finally broke the ice after eleven crosses and a few half chances in the 33rd minute. Left winger Daniel Salloi added to his Sporting best U.S. Open Cup total with his eighth goal in the competition. The homegrown won the ball near the edge of Tulsa’s box, cut centrally, and swung for goal, eking it just past Tulsa goalkeeper Bryson Reed at the near post.
Daniel Salloi opens his home scoring account!
His 8th @opencup goal in his career 😎#SportingKC | #SKCvTUL pic.twitter.com/bFLPSnTN30
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 26, 2023
Sporting began the second half sprightly with quicker ball movement and higher intensity. Two early chances went wanting via a defensive block and a Salloi getting wrong footed on what would have been an easy goal.
At this stage, one goal for either side would change the match.
Sporting would take command in the 54th minute. Gaining entry on the left wing, deep in Tulsa’s box. Salloi hit a precise left-footed cross to pick out a sliding Pulido at the back post. The striker, in his 5th match off return from an extended injury, knocked in the pass to get on the score sheet for the first time on the year.
Alan Pulido with his first since returning from injury 🤩
2-0 on the night 👏#SportingKC | #SKCvTUL pic.twitter.com/qan2ibOkR5
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 26, 2023
Pulido would leave the match six minutes later, as would Salloi and Remi Walter, for Erik Thommy, Sebastian Cruz, and Roger Espinoza respectively.
Thommy introduced himself to the match a few minutes later with a dipping free kick that rattled the post of bemused Tulsa Goalkeeper Reed.
Thommy turned provider in the 69th as he split two defenders into space for Tzionis on the left. The Cypriot cut towards goal and unleashed a roller that beat Reed near post and extended Sporting’s lead to 3-0.
Thommy and Tzionis connected four minutes later, but Tzionis’ drive from the middle of the box was saved off the line by a Tulsa Athletic defender.
Tzionis for the third on the night 👏#SportingKC | #SKCvTUL pic.twitter.com/sruz4QGZRk
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 26, 2023
Left back Robert Voloder was replaced by Mo Abualandi in the 80th minute to complete Kansas City’s substitutions on the night.
During a run that includes an active 13-match home unbeaten streak since 2015, Sporting have now come out on top in 25 U.S. Open Cup matches since 2012, more than any other team in American soccer. Sporting will find out their Round of 32 opponent during Thursday’s drawing.
The hope now is for a confidence boost and a continuation of effective attacking soccer on the weekend as Sporting look for their first league win. Run Devil Run.
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Sign Ethan Bryant.
Odd this got a minus vote, I was impressed with him as well and Vermes even called him out in the post-match press conference as the best midfielder tonight.
He definitely stood out. Granted the competition was lower, but he seems like a very serviceable player to have on the bench (and actually use)
The way they built out SKC II was very interesting this season. Benny said they had more time to do a proper build. This feels like a very “Benny-like” player. We spoke with him after the game and he seemed to be very cognizant that he had a chance to move up over time.
There is literally only one roster spot available. But I’ll be watching him with the II’s for sure. They paid a fee to get him from the Richmond Kickers, which feels somewhat unique (though the team did tell me they’ve bought players for the 2nd team before).
Idc if there’s only one roster spot left. He looked better than any midfielder outside of Walter this season. Our midfield has felt pretty stagnant and toothless. In the 60 minutes I saw him play, Bryant has fantastic vision. He moves into space without the ball, eats up available space with the ball, and plays the ball into space for teammates. Not an easy skill to look so good at for someone who is only 21 years old.
We looked better in the second when Tulsa got tired, but the first half was a horror show. Yea we dominated possession but we had very few good looks. Daniel’s shot wasn’t “lucky” in the sense that a hard knuckler that hits the ground in front of the keeper is hard to save, but it’s not a high xG look.
#FreeTzionis.
Agreed. There’s a part of me that wants to feel hopeful, after all it’s nice to see a few goals go in for a change. But we did it against a semi-pro team. An MLS-level keeper probably saves the goals by Salloi and Tzionis, and Pulido’s was a tap in due to some very shoddy defending. But you have to hope it’s a confidence boost regardless of the level of opponent. Tzionis absolutely needs more game time!
Tzionis definitely needs more time on the LW. Salloi regularly flips to the RW with Russell. I don’t see why this didn’t happen more with Tzionis on the field.
And the Pulido goal was the only one that looked replicable, outside of some luck.
If they can do it against Montreal, that’ll be a step in the right direction.
Pros:
the skc 2 loanees all played. Bryant looked solid and should get a 1st team deal but I don’t really know how that all works. Even though Jake played out of “position”, I liked he got 90 mins. I liked that pulido asked to play, a lot of dp’s could be divas and be offended to play in a game like that but he recognized he needs all the mins and time he can get. I also appreciated that the team overall didn’t seem to get too excited. Each goal was met with a reserved reaction and I appreciated it wasn’t some over the top celebration. It was also cool that a semi pro team got to play in a competitive game rather than a preseason exhibition. I had a few times I joked at my wife that someone looked like a plumber moonlighting as a soccer player, and then a remembered that was probably true. I kept referencing the office episode where Andy mentions the ringer for the Sweeney Todd episode is a plumber.
Neg:
It took a little too long to feel comfortable. I know Tulsa wasn’t going to take too many chances, but it never felt like sporting was comfortable until the tzionis goal. It’s a bit frustrating that the answer to that was dribble down the sideline all the way to the touch line and do a last min cross. It’s very worrisome that no one seems to either be confident enough to try and make something happen down the middle (Erik did a few times and it seemed to open the game up a bit but that also could be tired legs). The backline looked terrible to me. Castellanos had a few moments where he got pressured and panicked, plus getting caught over the top on that pk didn’t look great either. The vibe from the team also didn’t look great after the game. Daniel seemed a bit reserved during the post game interview and the shots the broadcast showed of the team didn’t really spell a team that was happy to win a game. On one hand I see it, it was an open cup game against a semi pro team so it’s not like you beat Man U 3-0, but I would of thought a bit more of a morale boost was in the card.
Overall, it’s good to win. But it wasn’t as clean as I’d like. As a ku fan, it’s like those early season exhibition against a local team that takes way too long to be put away.
Oh man, yea the body language post game felt the same as a loss. The players walked around with the exact same energy and it took Roger making them line up on the 18 for them to pause at the Cauldron.
I didn’t want over the top celebrations either, but something a little more….excited? would have been nice to see. Though I’m not sure what word to use. I agree that over the top celebrations were not indicated.
Post game with vermes and salloi was awkward as hell with fans voicing displeasure for vermes.
I only watched the Daniel portion and he seemed like he was off. Maybe it was the empty ish stadium, the performance, or the season overall. But he just seemed kind of off, I didn’t stick around for the Peter portion of it. Just kinda seemed like overall the team morale was similar someone kicking the teams metaphorical dog
Agree on basically all of this.
It was definitely more jubilant in the locker room, but not overly so. It felt in line with a win against a lower division team that they should have beat by far more than three goals (but hey, at least they finally got going, I was worried it was going to be 1-0 for a while).
And that 1 may not have been SKC’s.
Pleased to get the win, and to see the SKCII guys contribute. Given what we’ve seen thus far in the season, I’ll take a 3-0 win a game we should have, and did, control. That said, my negatives are: (1) Tulsa’s only offense was to hit direct balls and try to knock them down to another attacker making a run…offense 101…yet, our back line struggled with this, making it look like it was the back line’s first time to see this. We have to be better; (2) Castellanos nearly gave away a goal with a terrible touch right in front of goal; (3) our offense is, well, offensive…so slow and plodding with the ball movement/decision making — and this isn’t an “our players are old” issue…in the first half, watching DS20, Kinda, Voloder work the left side…JFC, move the ball and yourselves quickly. No wonder we can’t get any good looks, it looks like we’re running through wet concrete and not smart enough to make quick choices.
On the balls over the top, I asked Peter about it after the game and pointed out a better team probably finishes those and he agreed. He said they had a talk about it in the locker room. And Kerry Zavagnin apparently loses his crap on these guys because they do know it’s coming. It’s good to see they are training it, but it’s bad to see how bad Fonti and Casti looked.
As for the slow play. It felt deliberate to me, like not to make a mistake. But I agree, it was too slow. That won’t open up a good defense. It didn’t even really open up this defense.
On Pulido’s goal, Salloi’s turn was the most penetrating run we’ve seen all year. He received the ball, took no extra touches, and made a good cross. Sure, the defending was sub-par at best, but we weren’t trying to make those runs in the first place. I think that kind f cross is a good way to find goals and success, along with trying to Pulido more direct touches facing with the ball, as he hasn’t been able to do that yet.
That was so hard to watch my eyes are still hurting this morning.
Tulsa was totally inept. To be fair, their season is just getting started. But most MLS teams would have won 8-0 playing their fringe players.
Bryant looked good, but…….semi-pro competition is not MLS. He does seem fearless and sought out the ball, but does not appear to have great pace. Maybe he can develop into a reliable squad player in time.
Against inferior competition it was just more of the same from SKC. More profligate shooting, more terrible crosses-to-nobody, nobody (other than Pulido on his goal) arriving on time with urgency in the box on the handful of balls played across the face of the goal, the uncanny inability to put the ball on target when a decent chance presents itself.
Hard to take many positives from this match.
So many opportunities pulled wide or high. A couple of those go in, the defender doesn’t save it off the line, and this game is a blowout. With that said, this still looks like a team that is trying too hard. The game will look smoother and more what we are use to seeing from SKC once they relax and let the game happen .
As for Saturday, I would love to see this lineup roll out there, even if just for a half
GK: Melia or Pulskamp (they both have had good and bad moments)
Def: Ndembe, Voleder, Rosero, Zusi if healthy. If not, lets give Davis an MLS try.
Mid: Kinda, Thommy, Walter
For:Tzionis, Pulido, Russell
I want to see the 3 in the midfield push the pace. We tried Duke at RB and it didn’t go so well. Let’s give Davis a shot. And I’m sorry, but let’s give Salloi a break. I know he’s PV’s guys, but part of a game off would be nice. Especially coming off an okay game for him last night.
Ryan this is stunningly close to the lineup prediction I wrote up as I wait for an official injury report.
I like that lineup
Ok, after sleeping on it I just want to point this out: pre-injury Pulido knew where the goal was at all times and took half-chances that put the ball on frame. Pulido now had absolutely no idea where the goal is. Watching him struggle in front of the goal while standing behind it really hurt. It seemed as though he really had no idea where he was relative to the goal. He had a one or two chances that just needed a one-time shot or redirection that he tried to control, and after those moments his head came up and you could see his realization. I fear he won’t get this back as I don’t see a bunch of improvement made since his return.