Sporting KC
Playoff drama as Sporting Kansas City hosts Seattle Sounders
It’s summertime in the city. That means it’s time to start spying on the playoff table in Major League Soccer for Sporting Kansas City.
It’s summertime in the city. That means it’s time to start spying on the playoff table in Major League Soccer for Sporting Kansas City. Coming into their home match v Seattle Sounders, Sporting is peaking in 2025, just three points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
This Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park also meant recognizing the franchise’s first MLS Cup winning squad from 2000, which featured current Interim Manager Kerry Zavagnin. Sporting Kansas City (6-10-5, 11th in the West) faces a stingy Seattle Sounders (8-6-6, 5th in the West) defense that has conceded 1.31 expected goals per game this season, third fewest in MLS. Adding further significance to the evening is that Sporting Kansas City stands one victory short of 300 home wins in all competitions in its history.
Zavagnin filled in the lineup card as such:
Our XI to take on Seattle 💪#SKCvSEA | @BlueKC pic.twitter.com/KcH6yohD9v
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) July 12, 2025
The visitors began brightly with two shots within the first ten minutes, one whistling by Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp’s far post and the other no trouble.
Midfielder Zorhan Bassong swept away a Seattle penetration at the last second two minutes later orchestrated via quick Seattle combinations around Sporting’s box. No Bassong and Seattle would have been up early.
The Sounders Jordan Morris, who has been working his way back to fitness after a long injury layoff, broke free in the inner right channel in the 15th minute. Spraying the ball wide left to Paul Rothrock, Morris ran central to the six-yard box with Kansas City center back Jansen Miller stride for stride. Morris arrived first, knocking the ball into Kansas City’s net for a, frankly, well-deserved lead for Seattle.
Jordan Morris with the finish to put the @SoundersFC ahead early in KC 😤
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/I6vvmQ1n6E pic.twitter.com/G7iZGJDg97
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2025
Known for goal-saving heroics, Miller cleared a shot in front of Pulskamp’s line minutes later as Seattle kept on the attacking pressure.
Sporting was kept busy off the ball as Seattle moved the ball sprightly and at different angles. Clearly, Seattle’s time battling in the Club World Cup had sharpened their awareness and play.
The 25th minute brought a VAR check as cameras spied Daniel Salloi committing a handball in the area. Albert Rusnak stepped up to the spot and hammered to Pulskamp’s left as he dove right. The Slovakian put Seattle up 2-0.
Cool as ya like 😎
Albert Rusnák calmly places the penalty to double Seattle's lead vs. SKC. pic.twitter.com/mzicGUtYFv
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2025
Salloi retorted in the 32nd minute for Sporting Kansas City as he picked up an errant cross at the top right of Seattle’s box. Taking a quick touch, the winger forced Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas to cave right to cradle the attempt.
Moments after Sporting’s Shapi Suleymanov was yellow carded for an apparent elbow to the face of Alex Roldan, a Seattle attacker caught center back Joaquin Fernandez with an elbow while battling for a flighted corner. It took a while as Fernandez was treated, but the Sounders’ Jon Bell was given a card in kind.
Just before and during first-half stoppage time, Sporting began to seek and find striker Dejan Joveljic in the attacking end. The result was a more threatening attack that opened lanes for others. Suleymanov’s low near-post drive forced cat-like instincts from Seattle’s Thomas.
Suleymanov’s change of pace moments after forced Cristian Roldan to tug his jersey as Suleymanov went by, ending with a yellow for Roldan. Yet, off the ensuing run of play, Seattle was off and running led by Jesus Ferreira with Morris and Rusnak. Rusnak’s overlap meant a pass from Ferreira and a return. Ferreira, in tight space, poked the ball into the net for a 3-0 lead just as the half ended.
Five minutes into the 2nd half, Kansas City’s Jansen Miller was on the pitch after a collision with Thomas. Calls for a foul in the box on Adams went unheeded.
Kansas City began to take a strangle hold as the half progressed, buoyed by the insertions of Santiago Munoz and Jake Davis for Memo Rodriguez and Suleymanov at the half. Davis struck from the top of Seattle’s box off a clearance of a corner in the 61st minute. Davis banged his shot into turf, giving Thomas fits as the ‘keeper fumbled the attempt but the danger was quickly cleared.
Sporting’s pressure ramped up, this time Davis fed Joveljic at the top of the box where Joveljic touched and was bowled over by a defender. No hesitation this time – PK for the Bosnia-Herzegovina native. Sporting’s leader in goals and goal contributions finished well to the left corner to make the match a two-goal affair after 67 minutes.
Munoz broke in after left back Logan Ndenbe entered Seattle’s box in the 71st minute. Receiving in space, Munoz couldn’t get his feet right and the chance was wasted.
Wild, but not as wild as two minutes later. Salloi drove a blistering shot off Thomas’s near post, but was glad to see the ball fall to Joveljic in the box. With quick contact, Joveljic’s touch sailed towards the open goal. However, a Seattle defender got the very edge of the sole of his boot on the ball and deflected it into Thomas’s thankful arms.
Sporting Manager Zavagnin inserted Mason Toye for Salloi and Nemanja Radoja for Ndenbe in the 79th minute for a final push to gain at least a point. The last sub was used to put on Andrew Brody for Khiry Shelton at right back.
Despite Toye and Joveljic running up top with Munoz and Manu Garcia supporting, Sporting was unable to break Seattle’s defense, until VAR intervened. Munoz had been felled to the turf as he attempted to weave through three Sounders at the top of Seattle’s box. Before the ensuing throw, center referee Elijio Arreguin reviewed and called for a penalty.
While the review was progressing, Seattle’s Nouhou committed an unknown offense – perhaps throwing something at a fan in The Cauldron – that resulted in his expulsion from the match.
Munoz, not Joveljic, stepped to the spot for the initial infraction and shot left of a wrong-way diving Thomas to put Kansas City within one late. Six minutes of stoppage time was the original announcement, but who knew how long would be added as that time was now up.
Can @SportingKC make a comeback?
Santiago Muñóz scores from the spot and pulls KC within one. pic.twitter.com/ZqDuhTLJq6
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2025
Five minutes was the answer, but no answer came for Sporting Kansas City to draw the match and gain an important point.
Sporting Kansas City’s next match is a hosting of New York City FC next Saturday, July 19, at Children’s Mercy Park.
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I wish we could figure out how to play well in the first half so we don’t dig ourselves a hole, but it seems the Sporting way to start off slow. I’m pretty sure that Nouhou flipped off the ref to get thrown out. It could be photoshopped, but I saw a picture of him wielding a middle finger. Even if it is fake, I found it pretty funny.
I actually didn’t watch the second half because of how awful the first was, so I can’t speak to that gameplay, but again, we’ve got to do better in the opening of games.
The photo/screencapture is real, but initially misunderstood by many who posted it. The more likely explanation is that Nouhou is attempting to show the ref what the mean fans did to him, not that he’s actively flipping off the ref. As in
“no, no, don’t give me a card, didn’t you see them flipping me off? Like this?”
Which is still pretty dumb from a guy that chucked a ball into the stands, but a different kind of dumb than “F you, don’t give me a card”
That cannot be the first time anyone ever flipped him the bird. I know that athletes suffer a lot of abuse from fans but Nouhou has to do better than that.
I know this is an unpopular opinion but starting Queso Rodriguez is a recipe for disaster. He’s a turnover machine who constantly switches off to complain when he should be tracking back or getting into a better position. He’s an offensive black hole and does not run the hard yards you would expect from the man wearing the 8 shirt for SKC. He should be an emergency reserve option only.