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Kinda Sweet: Sporting Kansas City pull back from two down

An emotionally charged night displayed not only the impact of a dear teammate, but the impact of fighting always for the one next to you.

Published

3 weeks ago

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Thad Bell Photography

On an evening of remembrance for a fallen friend, Sporting Kansas City roared back to gain a point at home versus New England Revolution. Goals by Daniel Salloi, Dejan Joveljic, and Manu Garcia countered a Carles Gil led Revolution Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.

Sporting Kansas City (3-8-3 at the start of the evening) returned home for the first time since May 4th, playing three consecutive matches away. New England Revolution (5-4-4) were hitting the road for the first of three away.

The coming home for Sporting was comforting, yet laced with tragedy as they learned on Tuesday that their former beloved teammate, Gadi Kinda, had passed.

Donning shirts featuring former midfielder Gadi Kinda during warmups and playing in a match where Sporting’s supporter culture paid tribute with chants in the 10th and 31st minutes to the amicable person and explosive player that Kinda was, Kansas City was uplifted by the memory of their recently fallen friend.

Interim Manager Kerry Zavagnin jotted down this Starting 11:

And Kansas City looked likely to jump on top early as Daniel Salloi stole a pass on the left wing 10 yards inside his own half. Rushing up the left wing on a solo dash, Salloi reached New England’s box with his mark in hot pursuit. Salloi hit as the crowd rose to an uproar, yet the attempt was pushed beyond the far post.

On the defense, Kansas City looked to bottle up #10 Carles Gil. Holding midfielder Jacob Bartlett, true to his position, held onto Gil early near midfield to draw a foul. Yet, the Spanish playmaker would remain unfettered. Scheming at the top of Sporting’s box in the14th minute, Gil cut a smart pass diagonally through the defense to Ignatius Ganago left all alone to Kansas City Goalkeeper John Pulskamp’s right. Ganago played across the box to a driving Tomas Chancalay whose slide knocked home for the guests.

Sporting would soon be duped by Gil again. This time Gil cut across the top of KC’s box after receiving from the right wing. Same result. Gil slipped a pass through the defense and behind right back Andrew Brody. Back Peyton Miller latched on in space and fed across the box for Alhassan Yusuf. Yusuf was blocked off the ball by a retreating, yet unfortunate Bartlett. The 19-year-olds momentum met the ball and forced it past Pulskamp for a Kansas City own goal.

Gil and the Revolution’s carving up of Sporting’s midfield was on continual display, even as Kansas City fought to get back into the game. A smattering of corners and half-chances came and went for Sporting, including a near header from Jansen Miller. Midfielder Zorhan Bassong fed Miller deep into the left side of New England’s box in the 40th minute, but the center back’s header looped into the waiting arms of goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic.

At the half, Sporting was down in possession, shots, and shots on goal (0-3), mostly bad trends, accentuated by leading in crosses 9-6. Perhaps to induce an offensive push, Zavagnin injected Erik Thommy, Khiry Shelton, and Logan Ndenbe into the match at right wing, right back, and left back respectively. Thommy, however, pushed Garcia to the right wing early on.

The injection spread through the side quickly as new life seemed to course in their collective veins. Shelton put in a dangerous header from the right wing followed shortly by a lovely Garcia through ball to Ndenbe in the 55th.

But it was between those threats that Sporting cashed in. Thommy carried down the inside right channel in the 53rd minute. Not once but twice, he looked to fire. The third was the time. The swerving shot was knocked down by a sprawling Ivacic, and Salloi pushed in the rebound with a “Thank you very much.” Game on. And his Gadi salute via a shirt under his jersey and a point to the heavens was spot on.

The influx of life was far from short-lived. A seemingly obsessed Bassong stole the ball in the middle of the pitch some 36 yards from goal. Bassong went airborn in the aftermath as Salloi picked up the loose ball. The Hungarian soon hit for goal, only to be stopped by Ivacic. Still running, Dejan Joveljic got to the rebound first just as he was stepped on by Mamadou Fofanal. Penalty.

After a brief delay due to VAR confirming, Joveljic stepped to the spot, saw the ‘keeper go left, and slotted the ball into the net to pull Sporting Kansas City level in the 60th minute.

Bassong went badass again only a minute later. Dropping Ganago like a rotten tree, Bassong charged from well in his own half to near the top of New England’s box. Seeing Thommy wide, Bassong laid off to the German. Delicately, Thommy lofted to the top of the box for a waiting Garcia. Sporting’s playmaker calmly controlled with chest, struck with good form, and drove the ball into the turf. On its way, the ball caromed off a defender’s head and into the goal for a remarkable 3-2 Kansas City lead.

Center back Robert Voloder, after being dragged down during an attacking run far up the field, kept his hand on his collarbone. Zavagnin inserted Dany Rosero to relieve Voloder in the 74th minute.

New England, gasping for air (like many of Sporting’s faithful), persisted. A close call came in the 76th minute as New England scored after two attackers slid for a low cross. The first, however, knocked the ball past Pulskamp but into the second who was nearly in the goal himself. Offsides was the right call. Then, as Gil popped up again and again, an 83rd minute header off a New England corner whisked wide of Pulskamp’s left post. Both were harbingers.

For in the 84th minute, the match was leveled at three. Released down the right wing, Luis Diaz Espinoza dashed into the right side of Sporting’s box and played centrally for a running Max Urruti. The veteran of 13 MLS seasons made no mistake to cap off a second half of madness.

But there were still 10 minutes of stoppage time to go after center back Joaquin Fernandez came on for Bartlett.

Sporting buzzed around New England’s net, but to no avail, leaving the match at a 3-3 draw for the night.

An emotionally charged night displayed not only the impact of a dear teammate, but the impact of fighting always for the one next to you. A ferocious comeback meant a point where nothing existed before. Kinda like a friend who fills a void you did not know you had.

Sporting Kansas City will next head to Houston Dynamo for a Saturday night clash next weekend.

 

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