Sporting KC
Depleted Sporting Fall on the Road to Vancouver
Facing injuries, absences, and their sixth game in nineteen days Sporting KC walked into BC Place with just seventeen players on their game day roster to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps. The likes of Johnny Russell, Dany Rosero, and Memo Rodriguez did not even dress for the game while Remi Walter made his first start since late April. Sporting Kansas City kept just four players from their starting eleven in San Jose on Saturday; Tim Melia, Robert Voloder, Alenis Vargas, and Alan Pulido.
The trouble started early for Sporting as in the seventh minute off one of Vancouver’s four corners in the first half, Robert Voloder saved a ball off the line with a header after Brian White won the initial ball in. It became a warning shot for the first half as most of the half was played in Kansas City’s defensive half of the field. Twice in the half the Whitecaps had goals ruled out due to an offside call as Vancouver played a high line looking to find a goal. Sandwiched between the two offside goals called back the Whitecaps did take the lead as Vancouver sliced up the middle of KC’s team ending with Ryan Gauld getting played into the box where he laid a ball back for White who was beaten to the ball by Robert Voloder, but all the KC center back could do is turn the ball into his own net to make it 1-0 Vancouver.
Half time saw Sporting make three changes, bringing on Stephen Afrifa, Khiry Shelton, and Erik Thommy for Alenis Vargas, Kayden Pierre, and Alan Pulido respectively. The substitutions had an immediate effect as Sporting looked more interested, more involved, and more dangerous when going forward. Thommy especially was the catelist for all of Kansas City’s best offense going forward. He picked out Afrifa with a great cross field ball that was brought down well and banged off the cross bar. The rebound fell to Daniel Salloi who turned and fired a shot that was tipped over the bar by Yohei Takaoka. KC found a deserved equalizer in the 69th minute. After Thommy and Salloi combined well down the left side Salloi fired a shot on goal that Takaoka could only parry into the middle of the box where Willy Agada poked the ball home to level the game at one.
The Whitecaps though responded as two substitutes Vancouver brought on shortly before KC’s goal combined on the winner. Sebastian Berhalter played a great cross into the box in the 76th minute where Fafa Picault had drifted off of Robert Castellanos’ shoulder to head the ball past Tim Melia and in. Castellanos had slid centrally to mark White and Shelton had not recognized the shift of marks and Picault powered the header in. KC had one last chance late on from Thommy in a position similar to the free kick he scored against Real Salt Lake late in the 2023 season but his effort went well over the goal and minutes later the final whistle blew.
With nine games left in the season, and one game left before the Leagues Cup break, Sporting sit in twelfth in the Western Conference on 23 points.
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You used an old photo. The only cool thing about last night was our throwback wizard kits!
Which player in the league has walked the most miles this year? They wear those sports bras, they know the answer. If they kept the stat, and they should. Our very own Pulido would have a hof record from this season. Does anyone know what mall Pulido works out at prior to opening?
I know he made a couple of plays, but Shelton needs an offseason to play rb. I actually think he can do it, unlike striker. Own goal last game, didn’t cost us but always can. Let his man run free this game for an open game winner.
I recall one match where Pulido logged the most miles on the pitch. One of his deep-lying striker games. Those games always disappoint me when he’s back with the #6 just to get a touch and never in the box when we need him. Of course nearly every Pulido game has been disappointing this year. Surely Messi walks more though. He’s gotta hold that record for most miles walked. He likely has a private mall for his training.
I’ve been thinking the same thing about Alan since he got here. Why the hell does he get so far up the field. Then he’s never in the box when he needs to be.
Because our midfield isn’t dangerous and the wingers lose the ball all of the time
I thought the first half was rough. They waltzed through us too often. What changed in the second half when we bottled them up pretty well? Thommy certainly changed the offensive picture, but he wasn’t intercepting balls in the midfield, so what changed?
Thinking of players last night… Of course Thommy was great. I posited that he’s the best field player KC has ever had during the run last season (though I think when Guti was in form there is a bit of an argument). Last night it was just obvious he was head and shoulders above everyone wearing a (fancy throwback) SKC jersey. Daniel showed that he needs someone to feed off of or he might as well not be on the pitch. Pulido showed (for the 100th time) that can’t play the creative midfield spot. Peter will give him a 101st try though. Time to tell Pulido we’re selling him so he can start playing hard and earn his next/last contract. Pierre looked pretty lost last night, didn’t he? He tries so hard though, thinking he can do everything, which of course draws him into places where mistakes happen. I’m not sure he’s a right back. He always seems most effective when he picks up the ball and drives through the midfield (though often missing that last pass and holding onto the ball too soon). Still not sure he’s a starter in the USL. The half time sub of Shelton was welcome. Shelton might be a right back someday, but as someone else noted, he needs to spend lots of time learning when to shift as well as when he has to get back vs. when others expect to cover for a right back caught up the field in Peter’s system.
That cross was fantastic though. Goodness.
Anyway an oddly disappointing game. When you are close to a result, but just not capable of getting there, it sometimes hurts more. Bless their hearts.
Perhaps Khiry could become a RB, but why spend time converting an overpaid player when we have younger prospects that are already better? Plus, with his ridiculous contract, it would be hard to get him down lower to an acceptable pay range for the quality he would bring there. The best thing he could contribute is to be bought out so we can free up $750k to invest in someone who actually has a future with the team. He’s a great guy who’s worked very hard for us, but hard work does not translate to sticking around, especially at that price.
Salloi and pulido are doing their best to show they don’t deserve minutes, even when we are depleted.
just watched the highlights but i thought salloi at least forced one good save…maybe 2?
Those two shots. The most we have seen out of him in a long stretch. He does not perform consistently
I’ve been trying to figure out why Salloi has been so lackluster this year and I think it comes down to not having a dangerous number 9. The year that he went off and scored 16 was when Pulido was new and dangerous to the league. Others had to focus on Pulido which meant Salloi had more space to work with. I don’t know how many times we watched him cut in on his right and nail a shot from outside the box because Pulido pulled players away. But now, with Alan being nearly useless, Salloi doesn’t have that same space and he’s easier to defend. Not to totally absolve him of playing poorly, but I think that if we had a more dangerous option up front, he might be more productive than he is.
Salloi just has never been very good. Sure, a 20+ goal CF gives him more chances but that would be true for literally any other player in the same position.
He is slower than he was. He never developed skills to compensate. He isn’t strong. He doesn’t have ball skills for taking defenders on.
He has a shot, but it is limited. He cannot shoot on a half-step.
Salloi was good when defenders and teams didn’t know him. He is ok when good players pull defenders to give him space. He isn’t good enough to make his own space or even pull defenders. He doesn’t make creative runs…
He is way overpaid for his lack of consistent production.