Sporting KC Can’t Finish Their Chances in Loss to San Diego

While most of Major League Soccer has been tied up playing the Leagues Cup, Sporting Kansas City got a bit of a break before welcoming San Diego FC to Kansas City for the very first time. SDFC defeated Mazatlan (Liga MX) on Tuesday night, so they entered their first visit to Children’s Mercy Park on short rest. To account they did some lineup rotation.

ⓍⒾ pic.twitter.com/h20oqjrkK0

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) August 9, 2025

Sporting KC were playing lineup tricks of their own as they rolled out a 4-4-2 for the first time this season. Santi Munoz, who started against San Diego in the 0-0 draw earlier this season, started next to Dejan Joveljic for the very first time. In the middle of the midfield, SKC rolled out the double pivot of Jake Davis and Zorhan Bassong that worked well at times down the stretch last season. This game also marked the return of Robert Voloder for the first time since he had surgery on his clavicle.

The team and the broadcast are calling it a 4-4-2 tonight. Santi could still be a #10 type and Salloi and Shapi could play the wing. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T00:49:28.194Z

The game got off to a feisty start with a series of heavy challenges. It would be a theme of the night.

Jansen Miller gave a heavy challenge, Shapi Suleymanov received one (that wasn’t called) and then there was a collision between Bassong and Anibal Godoy. Godoy proceeded to flop around so violently the ref stopped the game, despite it not being a head injury. Unfortunately, the replay cut out the part where he proceeded to “swim” on the grass. The crowd decided to boo Godoy every time he touched the ball after that for the next 15 minutes.

Bassong and Godoy come together. You'd think Godoy would need to leave the game based on that reaction, but he's back out there. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:02:41.263Z

After the physicality of the opening minutes, the game remained a bit disjointed. At times, Bassong, Munoz, Joveljic and Salloi would be on top of each other as they got used to playing in a 4-4-2. There were brief glimpses of what that formation could be, but San Diego had the better of the attack early. They played balls into the channels and out wide to take advantage of a known Sporting KC weakness. But with the return of Voloder, and Jansen Miller next to him, they snuffed out several of the early chances.

Despite the back and forth, it wasn’t until the 23rd minute that the game’s first shot was registered. And it was a good one… for San Diego. Chucky Lozano showed why SDFC are paying him $7.63 million and he buried a goal from nearly 30 yards out.

There isn't much you can do to stop that…. First shot of the game in the 23rd minute and Chucky Lozano made it a good one. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:21:07.544Z

Sporting KC followed that up with a series of quality chances. First, Joveljic banged a shot towards goal, but it was blocked at the last moment. Davis corralled the rebound and had a nice series of passes to set up a Daniel Salloi shot that went over the bar. Moments later, Santi Munoz found himself in behind and he had a beautiful chip over the keeper that drifted just wide of the post.

Best chance so far but Munoz's chip goes just wide… #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:27:27.726Z

The team went into a cooling break but didn’t cool off at all. Another tight series of passes left Salloi with the ball and only a deflection caused it to WIZ wide of the goal. A series of corner kicks led to another great double chance for Sporting KC. Dejan found himself all alone with the keeper, but he was closed down and had no angle when he took his shot. The rebound fell to Logan Ndenbe who blasted a shot that was miraculously headed off the line by the San Diego defender.

Double chance! Unbelieve saves from San Diego to keep Dejan and Logan out of the net. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:31:45.551Z

Sporting KC were all over San Diego when Davis fouled Lozano just after that sequence. Bassong rushed to his teammates aid and tried to get in the head of the volatile Mexican winger.

Zorhan trying to make friends with Chucky. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:35:34.469Z

Shortly after that, San Diego returned the favor with a much more violent foul on Ndenbe.

Somehow not a card… #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:39:35.033Z

Somehow referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere kept his cards in his pocket and warned Zo for coming to the aid of his teammate? Or trying to pump up the home crowd? It was pretty unclear.

Did the ref warn Zorhan Bassong for firing up the crowd? Or coming to Logan's aid? #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T01:42:03.666Z

The teams would play six plus minutes of stoppage time but head into the half with San Diego maintaining their 1-0 lead. They didn’t even take their second shot until deep into stoppage time. Sporting Kansas City led in every meaningful stat except the one that matters the most — goals. They had 1.1 xG to San Diego’s 0.2 (per MLSsoccer.com).

At the half, Sporting KC didn’t make any changes, but San Diego brought on Designated Player Luca De La Torre.

Only three minutes into the half, Ndenbe sat down after a play with an injury. He was replaced by Jacob Bartlett and Bassong dropped to left back with Tim Leibold out suspended for yellow card accumulation.

After the sub, the game really lost its rhythm. Maybe that was by design from San Diego to protect their lead. In the middle of the sloppy soccer, Chucky Lozano suffered his second foul according to the official scorekeepers. However, the ref warned that it was the 4th foul against Chucky and the next would be a yellow for persistent infringement.

Lozano fouled by Shapi. Referee Lauziere says it's the 4th foul against Chucky. Official stats say it's the 2nd. Despite that, SKC have been warned for persistent infringement. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T02:19:23.517Z

Shortly after Chucky subbed out another violent foul was committed, this time against Shapi. Despite that, the broadcast didn’t even bother a replay (sorry, no gif). During this injury, SKC made a double sub bringing off Shapi and Munoz and replacing them with Manu Garcia, who returned from injury, and Mason Toye. Immediately after that, Manu went into the book in a foul that was not as bad as many others that didn’t draw cards. It would be the game’s only yellow card.

Shapi just got killed (no card, and the broadcast cut off the replay). Manu just came into the game and he gets the first card of the night. Wildly inconsistent from PRO. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T02:26:05.605Z

Things continued to go wrong for Sporting KC when a ball fell kindly to DP Anders Dreyer who bagged the second goal of the night. 2-0 San Diego.

That bounce… everything is going right for San Diego. 2-0. Dreyer with the finish. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T02:33:23.672Z

In the 82nd minute, a San Diego player literally reached out and grabbed the ball with his hand stopping a promising attack, which was called, but not carded. Shortly after, new signing Alan Montes made his Sporting KC debut as the team shifted into a back three. Stephen Afrifa also came on as Bassong and Khiry Shelton exited the game. Afrifa seemed to make an immediate impact, appearing to draw a penalty. After zero delay, the referee gave it as a goal kick. So, San Diego didn’t get the ball, got all the man, and remained without a single card in the game.

Afrifa absolutely cleaned out… goal kick given. #SportingKC #SKCvSD

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-08-10T02:47:37.794Z

From there, the game petered out and San Diego took home the W, 2-0. That is despite Sporting KC taking 22 shots and generating 2.7 expected goals (xG).

Kansas City will hit the road to face Orlando City next Saturday at 6:30 PM CDT. After that, it’s off to face the Seattle Sounders. In 2023, the team won six of their last nine games to squeeze into the playoffs on the way to upsetting number one seeded St. Louis City SC. STL gained three points on KC tonight, but a lot is going to have to go either team’s way to make the playoffs.

Despite that, after the game we asked Jake Davis is the team has it in them to win six of nine. “For sure. I think it just comes down to mentality. We’ve gotta believe. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but half the battle is going into the game and believing you can win the game and not giving up.”