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Sporting Kansas City raked 4-2 versus FC Dallas

Calls and mistakes made tripped up Sporting Kansas City at home Saturday night.

Published

4 weeks ago

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Thad Bell Photography

A rake has moderately dangerous talons, especially when pressure is applied. However, the rake that pushed Sporting Kansas City (4-10-4) to 4-2 defeat Saturday night against FC Dallas (5-6-6) featured the referee as its sharpest talon.

For the match, nine yellow cards were given – five for Kansas City and four for Dallas – a red for a second yellow to Sporting and dubious penalty call that put the home side down a man. Goals by Shapi Suleymanov and Santiago Munoz were not enough to overcome the decisions of Head Referee Sergii Demianchuk nor the talent on FC Dallas’s roster.

The match was the first of three straight at home for Sporting Kansas City (4-10-4) after five of the last six on the road. Interim Head Coach Kerry Zavagnin filled in the Starting Eleven this way:

The action – and the shenanigans – began early as 2023 MLS MVP Luciano Acosta spun away from Sporting’s defensive midfielder Jacob Bartlett in the 6th minute. To Sporting’s dismay, the 30 year-old Argentine would play a large part in the proceedings.

Yet, it was Kansas City’s Shapi Suleymanov who stole the show early. And how. Taking from striker Dejan Joveljic in on the left edge of FC Dallas’ box in the 8th minute, Shapi cut, as he is want to do, to his left. Eying the far upper corner, the Russian hit it with pace. It was the type of wonder goal that would inspire Ray Hudson to pull out a crazy analogy out in salute.

The 11th minute saw FC Dallas draw level with too much ease. Receiving in the middle of the pitch with no pressure between – count-‘em – five Kansas City players, Sebastian Lletget played for a near Petar Musa. Musa drove forward, then laid off out wide for Shag Moore. Moore, tracking Musa when Sporting was not, played back post for Musa, who had an easy finish after the ball beat center backs Joaquin Fernandez and Jansen Miller.

Sporting’s Manu Garcia was elbowed to the ground in the 13th minute. Although the contact did not seem violent, two more incidents that saw Kansas City players hit the deck in the same general area, a foul was finally called. Nothing came of the resulting free kick and the subsequent corner for the hosts.

Something should have come of an incident in the 40th minute in a clattering of Suleymanov and Sebastien Ibeagha. Played into the right side of Dallas’ box from a beautiful Garcia ball, Suleymanov looked to clearly be bungled over by the defender. Demianchuk was not moved. After a VAR check, the call was upheld, perhaps owing to Suleymanov possibly taking out his own self as he cut back, which then led to the collision in the box.

Sporting had earned four corner and few free kicks by the time the end of the half neared. The shenanigans had continued off the ball as Miller complained of his jersey being pulled on at least three times as he fought in the box to put his side back on top.

Like a parent who had given his child too much freedom and has to pull back on the reigns (which never ends well), Demianchuk dished out three cards during four minutes within the eight minutes of injury time.

The half came and went with no changes for either side. The change was coming soon, however.

In the 56th minute, Acosta tumbled down in Sporting’s box after a slight brush from Fernandez. A penalty was called as the Sporting faithful rained down the boos and heckles on Demianchuk. Replays showed little, if any, contact and a histrionic Acosta. VAR saw nothing to overturn the call – perhaps convinced due to a sandwiching of Acosta from Fernandez and Miller – and Acosta made no mistake from the spot. 2- 1 FC Dallas. Acosta ran his mouth to Pulskamp after.

Zavagnin inserted winger Daniel Salloi for Erik Thommy and Memo Rodriguez for Jake Davis in the 6oth minute.

A substitution for right back Khiry Shelton may have been advised. But Shelton would soon see the showers anyway. Playing on a yellow earned in the 62nd minute, Shelton left his feet and slid into a ball carrier late. One cannot put himself in such a situation. Sporting’s back did not get the ball, but he did get his second yellow and the accompanying red card ejection.

Sporting Kansas City ended the night five shots on goal, but went without from the 29th to the 79th minute.

Before they got that on, Musa received for FC Dallas at the top of Sporting’s box to the left in the 69th minute. Musa scooted around Miller and looked to cut the ball to forward Bernard Kamungo. But Fernandez blocked the pass, that then fell back to Musa. The Croatian cut past a casual Ndenbe and shot back post forcing Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp into a push save. Kamungo, kept onside by Jacob Bartlett, deposited the ball inside the back post for the 3-1 lead.

Sporting kept moving forward. A nice approach via combinations in the 76th saw Salloi push his shot wide, as the ball was played behind him. Then, Stephen Afrifa came on for Shapi in the 78th minute.

A shot by Joveljic in the 79th and a Munoz shot wide in the 81st bore no fruit for a Kansas City side desperate to get back into the match.

Then Acosta shut the door. Played free in the 82nd by back Nolan Norris, Acosta found himself in the middle of pitch inside Sporting’s half. Acosta duped Bartlett, then glided past an onrushing Pulskamp and finished simply into the net for a three goal cushion .

Mason Toye entered for Joveljic in stoppage time. But Sporting was not done. Garcia pushed forward to Munoz in FC Dallas’ box. With a nice skip by a sliding defender, the Mexican slipped into space and shot into the lower right corner for his second marker to make the scoreline 4-2.

No other threats sprouted, leaving Sporting’s fans and players alike with the taste of defeat followed by a bitter chaser of what might have been if calls had gone their way.

Sporting Kansas City next play Wednesday, June 25th, hosting Charlotte Football Club.

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