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Sporting Kansas City fall at LAFC

When in-form striker Dejan Joveljic scored for Sporting Kansas City against the run of play against LAFC, it seemed Kansas City had an upset in the making.

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When in-form striker Dejan Joveljic scored for Sporting Kansas City against the run of play Saturday night in Los Angeles against host Los Angeles Football Club, it seemed that Sporting Kansas City had an upset in the making. However, the talented, and persistent, LAFC winger Denis Bouanga would have his say in the end.

In the midst of turmoil fueled by protests of governmental immigration raids and the federal government’s response around the Los Angeles area, Sporting Kansas City (4-8-4, 12th in the West at match start) took on Los Angeles Football Club (6-4-5, 6th) on Sunday night at BMO Stadium. The match marked Sporting’s seventh road game (2-2-2) out of their last nine dating back to April 19. Meanwhile, LAFC came in on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions since April 9.

Under interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin, Sporting has gone 4-3-3 and crept up the table. A win in LAFC before a homestand and before LAFC starts the Club World Cup would be a boost to Kansas City’s ambitions. LAFC claimed a 2-0 win earlier this season at Children’s Mercy Park on March 22, extending Sporting’s winless streak to 0-7-2 in the last nine meetings dating back to 2021.

A litany of absences due to injury or International duty altered Zavagnin’s lineup for the match: Defender Dany Rosero (Ankle), Defender Robert Voloder (Clavicle), Midfielder Zorhan Bassong (International Duty – Canada), Midfielder Nemanja Radoja (Quad), Midfielder Erik Thommy (Groin) were all ruled out. Thus, Sporting Kansas City setup this way:

Sloppiness on the ball and LAFC’s pressure just outside of Sporting’s box made for some sketchy moments for Sporting in the first six minutes. Khiry Shelton, Shapi Suleymanov, and Jansen Miller held steadfast, allowing only threats and no shots on goal.

After a dangerous 16th minute chance for LAFC, another fearful moment followed in the 22nd minute as LAFC winger Denis Bouanga beat Memo Rodriguez and Joaquin Fernandez in tight space in Kansas City’s box with a spin and a push. The French native got off the first shot on goal, forcing goalkeeper John Pulskamp into a squatting save. The chance came amid a series of threats on Sporting’s goal.

On the ball, Kansas City struggled to get significant numbers forward when they were able to breakthrough LAFC’s counter press. A few free kicks were the only products.

LAFC’s flirted with taking the lead once again in the 36th minute. This time, Bouanga cooked Shelton with pace and skill to gain the endline and serve a dangerous low cross. Fortunately, no one across the box cashed in for the home side.

Despite having only a few touches thus far in the match, it was Deke time in the 40th minute. Working their way upfield on the right wing, passes from Manu Garcia, to Shapi, to Dejan Joveljic, and again to Garcia, sent the Spanish playmaker rushing towards the top of LAFC’s box. Seeing Joveljic, Garcia played into the Serbian’s path. Deke took a perfect first touch into space beating four, setting up a clean finish past an onrushing Hugo Loris. Joveljic’s finish was his fifth in his last four appearances, giving him ten goals on the season.

Somewhat shocked, but not deterred, LAFC went right back on the attack just a minute later. Bouanga cut through two on the left wing, cut away from goal, and then hit right for the far post. Miller was the savior here stationed in front of Kansas City’s goal line for the clearance.

But Kansas City would not leave the half unscathed. Bouanga sent a corner in from the right wing in the 45th minute. The driven ball beat Shelton, Logan Ndenbe, and Daniel Salloi in the middle of the box to reach an unfettered Eddie Segura. The Colombian defender drove his header past Pulskamp to draw the match level.

Sporting was outshot 9-1 and outpossessed 62% to 38% in the first half, yet had given themselves a chance for an important result.

Miller was on the spot again after another LAFC flurry in the 49th minute. After a threat across Sporting’s box and a ringing of Pulskamp’s near post, Bouanga entered the box and shot far post. Just beyond Pulskamp, Miller blocked the attempt for his second fist-pumping defensive play of the match.

It was dupe time in the 57th minute. To Kansas City, Bouanga falling to the ground after shifting Memo Rodriguez’s feet with a quick cut back was a duping dive. However, Rodriguez clearly caught the winger’s foot inside the left edge of Sporting’s box, and the penalty call was upheld. A strong drive from the spot to Pulskamp’s right gave LAFC the 2-1 lead.

Rodriguez was yanked shortly thereafter for the returning Jake Davis, recently out with an ankle injury.

Fresh attacking legs arrived in the 71st minute in the form of Santiago Munoz Shapi, just before an LAFC free kick squirted just wide of Pulskamp’s right post. Would this and any further switches overturn the now 16-1 shot deficit?

Not before a scrum in front of Kansas City’s box in the 80th minute. Feet were swung, bodies were hit, and a Big Bear’s hand swatted away a fluttering chance. Sporting still had a chance to draw level in a moment.

Stephen Afrifa and Tim Leibold stepped on for Salloi and Logan Ndenbe a few moments later.

Afrifa had a chance to shoot two minutes on, but he went shy and dropped back. The recycled play saw a low cross from Leibold get by Munoz at the six-yard box before the resulting corner found Fernandez with a shot that he skied over the net.

Afrifa earned a free kick in the 88th minute in the middle of the pitch some 36 yards from LAFC’s goal. The series ended with a long shot from Garcia as the match slowed to a grind for the last few minutes, yet five minutes of stoppage time beckoned.

Miller, attacking from what had been a pseudo right-back position for much of the half, rumbled up the right middle channel and unleashed a long drive that flew just high of Loris’ goal. The spectacular was not to be.

The predictable was. LAFC countered via a still crazy fast and sneaky Bouanga, who played wide left for Mark Delgado. Delgado fed back to Bouanga, who stepped around two defenders and fed substitute Olivier Giroud. Giroud, the French legend, slotted past Pulskamp for the final 3-1 scoreline.

Sporting Kansas City will finish June with three straight home matches beginning next Saturday night hosting FC Dallas. Here is to some home cooking.

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EddieDeschain

Thorough domination by a shorthanded and rotated LAFC squad. Our midfield was horrible defensively, especially in the first half. I feel like Zavagnin, in trying to drill the bad parts of Vermes’s tactics out of them, has taken away any ability to do anything good that doesn’t involve individual magic. Defensively they can’t press, they can’t close out lanes in the midfield, they can’t absorb pressure, and they can’t keep an offside line. But the centerbacks and goalkeeper can make acrobatic interventions now so, win? Offensively they can’t possess, they can’t progress through passing, they can’t beat a press, and they can’t get off good shots unless Jovelic and Manu execute wizardry. But they play direct now so, another win?

I just don’t see it. Yes, they’re 4-3-4 with Z at the helm but one of those 4 was a game where they were horrible for an hour before something seemed to snap in Jovelic and kickstart his form, one was a zero shot own goal miracle, and one was a 5 SOG for 5 goal anomaly. So really only the Houston win was just a plain “we were better than them” win and every single draw was us holding on for dear life and succeeding just enough to not lose and every single loss was us holding on for dear life and failing.

So some results, yes, but they still just look horrible to me. A different brand of horrible, but still horrible. Four guys on opposite ends of the formation are in form and that’s getting us some miraculous moments but everyone in between them except maybe Ndenbe looks like they have no direction or organization and that’s on Zavagnin. Obviously there are limitations on this roster but they’re better than “half-heartedly chase the ball around and hope one of the good players does something good.”

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Howlie2

Yeah, SKC hasn’t been consistently exciting since early in 2019. The last 3 years have been next level dismal. It is hard to even care enough to comment. I fell asleep watching this game…at least I woke up in time to see Giroud score…I’ve always liked watching him play.

Regardless of what Z does, this roster is not good enough. I think they could be better than they currently are, but no way this roster competes with LAFC. Bouanga simply owned Shelton all night. Amazing what a high-quality wing does for the attack. It is almost like the DP wing is a complete difference maker on a team’s attack. Shocking

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EddieDeschain

I still think it starts with the tactics. Shelton got roasted by Bouanga, yes, but LAFC was consistently able to hit Bouanga in stride with uncontested passes because our midfield players are basically pass drill dummies when we don’t have the ball and Bouanga had a ton of room to run because our back line still sits far too high for their skill level. So Shelton was set up to fail against one of the best players in the league. And fail he did.

I don’t miss Peter, not even a little bit, but I think Zavagnin has implemented tactics that exacerbate the bad habits of players instead of trying to hide them.

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