Nine-Man Sporting KC Lose to the Colorado Rapids

Much like Sporting Kansas City, the Colorado Rapids had the week off after not qualifying for the Leagues Cup this season. Both teams came in rested and ready for a match at altitude that would punish any team on short rest.

A little before the big boys kicked off, their respective second teams were playing back here in Kansas City where Justin Reynolds and Diego Borges saw their first loans to SKC II for rehab starts. They were up 2-0 at the half when those two were subbed off before SKC II gave up two super late goals and went to penalties where they lost the extra point in the shootout by losing 4-3.

Back in Colorado the lineup was surprising! Shapi Suleymanov was the replacement no one had for Lasse Berg Johnsen who was suspended due to his red card against the Houston Dynamo. Manu Garcia, one of the club’s two Designated Players, still wasn’t in the starting lineup. And after another first half red card, if the plan was to bring him on as a super sub, it all fell apart. It’s hard to know if the tactics are working, when players keep getting sent off.

Sporting KC came out in their familiar 4-4-2 shape but with Shapi at right wide midfielder and Calvin Harris pushing up next to Dejan Joveljic as the second striker. Shapi and Capita were both playing to where they could cut in on their dominant foot. Capita playing on the left could also be to get him ready for Andre Luiz to arrive and play in his familiar right wing spot.

Our team to face the Rapids 👊

— Sporting Kansas City (@sportingkc.com) 2026-08-16T00:30:03.871898486Z

On the other side of the pitch, the Rapids started both of their DPs in Paxton Aaronson and Rafeal Navarro. Missing was Lucas Herrington, who was sold to Hull City for a record $23 million transfer fee.

In the third minute, it was near disaster in the box when Moises Mosquera lost the ball just yards from the goal, but Minoungou skied his shot that should have been a goal. It looked like a foul, but Guido Gonzalez Jr. swallowed his whistle, and no review would be necessary after the miss. Cleveland has a giveaway of his own a bit later that nearly led to another chance that Mosquera snuffed out.

Despite the early mistakes trying to play out of the back and turning the ball over, Sporting KC continued to play that way. In the 17th, Mosquera had a turnover that led to a dangerous free kick. Dante Sealy took the kick and the header from Rob Holding went just wide of the post.

In what felt like the 100th turnover of the first 19 minutes, Colorado came rushing up the left side next. Mosquera was out of position and came flying in on Minoungou and appeared to commit a foul, but advantage was played. Aaronson had a shot and Emir Karic made a block that probably saved a goal. It would be Colorado’s only shot on target in the first half, even though they took 12 shots.

Against the run of play, Sporting KC got into Colorado’s box in the 25th minute. Capita touched it around Reggie Cannon and the former USMNT defender reached out and grabbed at Capita, but he went down far too easy and the ref wasn’t having it. Goal kick. Three minutes later, Joveljic forced a turnover just outside the box, it fell to Harris who hit a rocket, but it was straight at GK Nico Hansen.

KC forced another turnover and Shapi weighted a nice pass onto the perfectly timed Joveljic run. Dejan made a nice effort, but the keeper made a big save. The rebound fell to Harris who scuffed a shot on a semi-empty net. Kansas City had three chances relatively close together and can’t finish any of them. It would be costly.

Right after, Zorhan Bassong was the first in the book when he crashed into the Colorado player to kill an attack. The free kick was blasted off the crossbar by Paxton and KC did poor dealing with the bouncing ball in the box before it was ultimately knocked out by the Rapids for a goal kick.

The ensuing attack was killed by a Colorado tackle on Calvin Harris that looked yellow card worthy, but a common foul was handed out. After a bit of back and forth, disaster would strike for Sporting KC for the second straight week.

Sporting KC had earned a corner kick that got cleared. Shapi took an ill-advised shot that led to a counter. On the counterattack, Kwaku Agyabeng went flying in on a two footed challenge and wrapped up the legs of Miguel Navarro to earn a red card. It was the second straight game SKC couldn’t get out of the first half with all 11 men on the pitch.

With Bassong on a yellow and the only midfielder on the pitch, Rapha Wicky went to his bench and subbed Shapi off for Jacob Bartlett to establish a 4-4-1 defensive shape. Despite being down a man, Sporting KC were able to hold their own to see the game into halftime 0-0.

At the half, Kansas City made another sub bringing on Ian James for Bassong, who was on a yellow. Davis pushed into the midfield for the first time in an eternity and James moved to right back.

Colorado came out and it was clear they were up a man. They had chance after chance and corner after corner to start the half. Despite that, they couldn’t find the back of the net.

Then the defense took another blow. Off the ball, Or Blorian went down grabbing his lower back. He immediately signaled that he needed a sub. Despite that, he pushed through and played for several more minutes.

Before they could make the change, Sporting KC had their chance to steal the game. They came out flying on a counterattack, but Capita overhit a pass to Harris. Calvin did get to it, but then he slightly overcooked his pass back to Capita who couldn’t get a foot on it. After that, Blorian came off with Wyatt Meyer replacing him.

Then things got a bit weird. Miguel Navarro dove in front of the Kansas City bench and handled the ball when Harris was trying to hit on another counter. The bench exploded and Shapi picked up a yellow from the bench. After a little more soccer, then Guido Gonzalez Jr. came over to the bench and booked Wicky too.

On the corner kick that was being set up during the Wicky booking, Colorado finally broke through. No one marked Cannon who flew in and headed the ball into the ground and then into the back of the net. Assist from Youssef Maziz. 1-0 Colorado.

Immediately after the goal, Sporting KC made two more changes they already had prepped before the goal. However, they made no sense with KC needing a goal. Dejan was subbed off for Taylor Calheira. Which is fine, like for like and no need to run him into the ground with a game against St. Louis in a few days. But Jayden Reid, a completely defensive fullback, replaced Capita. A defensive sub when the team suddenly needed a goal. What do you have to lose? The team already has the worst goal differential in the league. Put on Manu Garcia or Stephen Afrifa and go for it!

The next big moment would come on an odd sequence in the box. A Colorado shot was deflected and bounced awkwardly, sending Stefan Cleveland the wrong way initially. Cleveland tried to scramble to the ball but was late as Georgi Minoungou blasted it out for a goal kick. However, Cleveland did make contact after the shot. Gonzalez clearly said no penalty kick live. However, the VAR signaled after a delay for the ref to come take another look. After a delay, it all didn’t matter because Rapha Navarro was offside in the buildup, so it was all for not. A review shouldn’t have been called for, since the play was offside.

In the 78th, Rapha Navarro had a chance to make up for it, but he missed a very open shot to keep it 1-0. Minoungou had beat Mosquera and played a perfect ball that deserved a better finish from the usually clinical striker.

Kansas City on the ensuing sequence nearly stole a goal. They got into the attack, and Colorado tried to head the ball back to their keeper. However, a miscommunication saw him having to dive and force the ball out for a corner that led to nothing.

In the 87th minute, it looked like Sporting KC were going to steal a point. Out of nowhere, Calvin Harris got in all alone with the goalkeeper. Calheira had taken a great hold up touch and then worked through multiple defenders to play a perfect pass. Despite that, Harris would botch it. He beat the keeper but forgot to beat the post! A chance to punish his old team goes wanting.

Right after that, Mosquera picked up a stupid yellow for taunting Darren Yapi who was down on the pitch. But that was compounded a few minutes later with a straight red to Mosquera. Colorado hit a long ball, and he took a touch but was beat to the ball by Reggie Cannon. Then Mosquera tried to go shoulder to shoulder but a foul is committed outside the box, and the ref goes to his back pocket. Mosquera took a long time to leave the field too, probably hoping for the VAR to intervene, but it’ll likely just earn him a fine.

Despite all of this, Kansas City were still pushing trying to level the game. It got them stretched and with bodies falling everywhere in the box, Rapha Navarro finally got his goal making it 2-0 and sealing the game.

That loss, coupled with an Atlanta United comeback win, puts Sporting Kansas City dead last in all of Major League Soccer.

Sporting KC are back in action on Wednesday against their rival St. Louis City SC. They’ll have to do that without one of their two best center backs in Mosquera and Blorian also could be out with injury. A bad season somehow got even worse.

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