Sporting KC Battle Back for 2-2 Draw at St. Louis

In the middle of a nearly 5,000-mile road trip sandwiched between West coast trips, Sporting Kansas City crossed the state to face their newer rivals St. Louis City. Sporting KC entered the matchup with a one game lead in the all-time series despite only having full rest for a single game in Energizer Park. This would be yet another short rest game, coupled with a high travel. And it looked like it early.

Perhaps because of the short rest, Sporting KC made three changes. Jake Davis, Zorhan Bassong and Erik Thommy entered the starting lineup. They replaced Nemanja Radoja, Tim Leibold and Shapi Suleymanov respectively.

Our XI 😤#STLvSKC | #SportingKC

— Sporting Kansas City (@sportingkc.com) 2025-05-14T23:46:52.352Z

St. Louis also started players that you probably don’t care about, including Designated Player goalkeeper, Roman Burki.

Our Starters to face kansas 🗞️

— St Louis CITY SC (@stlcitysc.com) 2025-05-14T23:40:47.348Z

The game was uneven to start with neither team really finding much early success. It was a physical affair, which of course favors St. Louis City. The referee was really letting them play, despite some heavy challenges.

The early part of the game definitely favored the home team. It was a recycled ball off a set piece that would put St. Louis ahead early. After the initial corner kick was cleared, Pompeu took a touch and curled the ball into the upper 90 where no one was getting to it. 1-0 St. Louis.

GOLAZOOO 🔁

— St Louis CITY SC (@stlcitysc.com) 2025-05-15T01:23:15.821Z

In the 29th minute it looked like the referee was going to finally find his yellow card as Ostrak pulled down Garcia as he turned and burned him in the midfield, but it was just a warning. A minute later, it would be Sporting KC who would go in the book. Hartel stopped in front of a recovering Robert Voloder who tried to go around him but collided and found himself with a yellow. Perhaps more infuriating is St. Louis delayed numerous restarts throughout the game and were never punished.

From there, Kansas City really took control of the game and kept STL under pressure for almost the rest of the half. They earned a bunch of corners, which were all taken by Jacob Bartlett. Nothing came of them though. However, it was St. Louis who would get another goal. A lucky goal at that. STL came on an attack where they took a long-range shot that deflected off Cedric Teuchert and bounced casually into the net. 2-0 St. Louis.

A stroke of luck for @stlCITYsc puts them two goals to the good! pic.twitter.com/Df8JLKIpO2

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 15, 2025

It looked like Sporting might pull one back just before the half. A beautiful one touch pass from Manu Garcia found Dejan Joveljic. Burki came up huge with the save and knocked it off his defender for an apparent corner. However, the ref gave it as a goal kick. That led to Daniel Salloi going into the book for the game’s second yellow, this time for dissent.

Garcia to Joveljic for the best chance of the half for SKC but Burki saves it and it deflects off his defender… for a goal kick. Salloi got a yellow for dissent after this blown call. #SportingKC #STLvSKC

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T01:50:06.055Z

The teams headed into the half with the visitors down 2-0.

To start the second, Sporting KC made two changes. Suleymanov and Radoja entered the game for Thommy and Davis. The changes didn’t immediately help as St. Louis’ Pompeu got a shot off 15 seconds in that just missed the post. In the 49th, Baumgartle crushed Manu Garcia from behind as he was about to turn just outside the 18-yard-box. No card was given but immediately after Bassong grabbed a player and earned a yellow. Despite Manu being pulled back earlier and it just being a foul (to be fair, Bassong’s was more egregious). Inconsistency.

In the 52nd, another opportunity came KC’s way. Salloi played a nice through ball to Joveljic who took too many touches and ultimately had to shoot from a poor angle and missed well wide of the net. Shortly after, Radoja played a good ball through to Garcia who had a series of back and forth passes with Joveljic who once again would have his shot saved.

Things went from bad to worse for SKC. Less than 10 minutes into his shift, Radoja pulled up lame and would have to be subbed out of the game despite just coming on. Tim Leibold replaced him and Bassong shifted into the midfield. The Leibold replacement would actually end up being massive. But not right away.

After the sub, Salloi had a series of chances that also came to nothing. A cross perfectly found his head but Salloi sent the shot wide. Then a turnover was forced deep in St. Louis’ end of the field and Joveljic laid a ball off to Salloi that he badly mishit with his less favored left foot.

Briefly after that, Pompeu chopped Shapi down on a counterattack and no card was again given. Pompeu had even been warned earlier for screaming at Andrew Brody, yet it was still nothing. Pompeu then started getting into it with Shapi off camera. It went on for a few minutes, during play, leading the crowd to booing each time Shapi would touch the ball, at least until the curse of the boo struck.

The booing may have motivated KC because they would find a goal a little later. It was a lovely, chipped ball from Garcia to Leibold, who played it to Salloi who softly cushioned a header back into Leibold’s path who stroked it home! Sporting KC pull one back to make it 1-2!

Leibold pulls one back! What a team goal!! 1-2 #SportingKC #STLvSKC

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T02:26:06.045Z

The jinx of the boo continued not long after. Shapi drew a foul (again from Pompeu) and earned a deep free kick. He lofted a lovely ball into the box and Dejan Joveljic equaled the all-time goal scoring lead in this series picking up his third goal with a nice header into the corner back across the path of Burki. 2-2 in the 77th minute! That is the final score as well, but not without some nervy moments.

Shapi to Dejan to SILENCE the crowd! 2-2!! #SportingKC #STLvSKC

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T02:33:00.064Z

The game’s next big chance would come for the team in power pink. But it was John Pulskamp who would come up with a MASSIVE save (with a mid-play celebration to boot)!

INCREDIBLE SAVE FROM PULSKAMP!! #SportingKC #STLvSKC

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T02:39:10.246Z

After a few more cagey minutes, the game ended in a 2-2 draw. There was some controversey as Xande Silva put his hands to Shapi’s face in another dust up between Shapi and Pompeu where Ceilo wouldn’t get out of Shapi’s face. Shapi showed great restraint, something he may not have been known for prior to coming to Kansas City. Ultimately the ref and the VAR decided to let all of that go as well.

Sporting KC are back in action this Saturday for their first visit to expansion side San Diego FC at 9:30 PM CT.