Austin FC Earn Come from Behind Win Against Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City stayed at home for the second consecutive week, looking to build upon the 4-2 win over the Colorado Rapids last weekend. They welcomed playoff hopefuls, Austin FC, to town. Austin entered unbeaten in their last three games and coming in off their own 4-2 win last week, over D.C. United.

Sporting KC rolled out a few changes to their lineup. Both of them forced due to international absences for Ian James (US U-17s) and Zorhan Bassong (Canada). In their places, Alan Montes on loan from Necaxa (Liga MX), got his first start and Jacob Bartlett returned to the starting lineup. It was Barlett’s first start since the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 26th. The remainder of the lineup stayed the same, as shown by this sweet “Kick Childhood Cancer” comic graphic.

Our XI to take on Austin 📝 pic.twitter.com/gCFEcJB1IS

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) September 7, 2025

Austin's XI.#AustinFC x @YETICoolers pic.twitter.com/Xp15nUGiRM

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) September 7, 2025

The lineup was listed as a 4-2-3-1 again, with Santi Munoz as the #10 but with the wingers flipped with Shapi Suleymanov on the left and Daniel Salloi on the right. Salloi scored from the right last week against Colorado, but that was after the switch back to the 4-4-2. They would stay that way before the wingers flipped back a bit over halfway through the opening stanza.

The first dangerous chance of the game would come from Austin. Jake Davis, who was playing next to Bartlett in a double pivot, went for a ball and collided with an Austin player. All the angles were inconclusive if Jake got the ball, and a free kick was given. Old friend and former Sporting KC player, Diego Rubio, would take the 6th minute free kick from outside the box before ultimately sending it into the South Stand.

In the 10th, Sporting would get their first chance. Off a long throw from Bartlett, the ball fell to Munoz who cut it back to Tim Leibold who’s shot clipped off the outside of the post for a near miss.

In the 12th minute, Sporting KC would get in on goal and Shapi would be taken down in the box. Play continued for quite a while, but when it was finally stopped, the VAR intervened, and the penalty was given.

Shapi taken down in the box, after a video review, the PK is given. #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-09-07T23:27:59.001Z

Dejan Joveljic stepped up and put away his 17th goal of the season! 1-0 Kansas City.

After Shapi draws the penalty, Dejan Joveljic drains the spot kick for his 17th goal of the season. #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2025-09-07T23:31:02.151Z

The next major action was a Leibold interception that led to defender Mikkel Desler having to pull him down from behind. That would be the first yellow card of the night. A similar challenge by Jader Obrian on Robert Voloder, only moments later, was just a common foul. Referee Sergi Boiko starting off inconsistent.

The game lost some rhythm for a while until Austin had a few back-to-back near chances. First, Rubio got in behind the defense and a perfectly timed Voloder tackle ended the chance. Minutes later, Austin again appeared to be in behind with Khiry Shelton making a perfectly timed intervention in the box to stop Obrian, who was ultimately ruled offside.

A promising Sporting KC attacked was stopped when Munoz played a ball off the hand of defender Mateja Djordjevic, who was the second player in the book with a yellow for once again stopping a promising attack.

Austin would have the next two chances and on the second they would convert. First, there were shouts for a handball in the box on Bartlett, but he clearly had both arms behind his back. Next, a simple ball over the top to Owen Wolff split Leibold and Voloder. Wolff’s touch put the ball in a perfect spot at the top of the box, and he leveled the game.

Out of nothing, Austin levels. Owen Wolff. 1-1. #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-09-07T23:52:43.723Z

Austin would keep the pressure on with another simple ball over the top, this time up the left side of the offense. A few quick passes across the top of the box left Obrian wide open to test John Pulskamp who put a big bear paw on it and stopped the threat. Briefly after that, Sporting KC earned a corner kick on a Shapi attack. Bartlett sent the ball in and found the head of new center back Montes, who sent it towards the goal, but missed the mark. Montes pounded the ground in anger as he slightly mistimed his jump and didn’t get over the ball enough to direct it on goal.

That would be the last truly dangerous moment for either team in the half. Both teams entered the locker room level at 1-1.

At the half, Sporting KC were level with Austin on shots (4 each), but ahead of expected goal (xG), 1.1 to 0.4. That was heavily aided by the penalty kick, that is usually weighted between a 75 and 80 percent chance of going in.

At the half, neither team made any changes, at least to their lineups. Shapi and Salloi once again switched sides of the attack.

The first promising moment of the second half came in the 48th minute when Bartlett pinged a ball wide left to Shapi who waited for the run of Munoz. After playing him, Munoz played a well-weighted pass to Joveljic who’s touch escaped him and the ball trickled out for a goal kick. Had he controlled it, he was wide open in the box for a strong scoring chance.

Sporting Kansas City had a lot of possession after that chance, but nothing really came of any of it. Then Sporting KC made a double sub in the 61st minute. Logan Ndenbe and Mason Toye entered the game, replacing Leibold and Munoz respectively.

After the changes, Austin could barely get the ball out of their own half and SKC controlled all the possession. In the 69th minute, a nice pass from Daniel Salloi found Joveljic in the box who dummied it to Toye. They had a nice interchange but there was a little contact between Dejan and his defender, and the play was ultimately stopped for a foul.

During a rare Austin attack, Bartlett got beat and pulled a jersey, but advantage was played. Several minutes later, he went in the book with a yellow. On the same long sequence, Dejan Joveljic was crashed to the ground by Brendan Hines-Ike who made no attempt to play the ball, but he escaped a yellow card himself.

From there the game really opened up. Austin had a five on two rush that somehow didn’t result in a shot.

In the 76th minute, Erik Thommy made his return from injury replacing Shapi. It was Thommy’s first appearance since July 4th, and the crowd roared in appreciation at his insertion into the match. Thommy had an immediate impact. A 79th minute attack saw Daniel Salloi blast a shot towards the far post, but Brad Stuver parried it wide. Thommy’s rebounded shot was pushed out for a corner.

The corner didn’t lead to a shot but led to an Austin counterattack. This odd-man rush did result in a shot, and a massive Pulskamp save to force a corner. Before the corner there were some shenanigans that saw Pulskamp on the ground and Rubio getting a talking to from the ref. But it was Austin who would get the last laugh. A simple near-post run by substitute CJ Fodrey would lead to a flicked goal over everyone to put Austin ahead.

Austin take the lead. Fodrey made a simple run across to the near post and flicks it over everyone. 2-1 Austin. #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-09-08T00:55:41.201Z

After the goal, Jansen Miller and Nemanja Radoja subbed in, replacing Montes and Bartlett respectively. Then the time wasting was cranked up to 11. Luckily Boiko put a quick stop to it with a card for fullback Zan Kolmanic, who had subbed in. That didn’t deter Stuver from time wasting though, and he effectively burned 30 seconds on every goal kick or free kick for the remainder of the game, those seconds would be key.

SKC remained in control but couldn’t generate any chances. Four minutes of stoppage time was shown by the fourth official and KC immediately got in on an attack. Toye was clattered to the ground but found Dejan who laid it off to Thommy. However, his shot would go wide of the net.

The last best chance would be Dejan Joveljic dribbling through the entirety of the Austin defense only to have his shot saved by Stuver. It was a really remarkable save.

Dejan dribbled through everyone, but Stuver comes up massive for the save. #SportingKC #SKCvATX

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2025-09-08T01:08:05.983Z

Right after that, SKC earned a free kick in a dangerous area. After a delay for an Austin injury, referee Sergi Boiko blows the final whistle without allowing the kick. I’ve never seen this. At least not where it wasn’t ended immediately at the foul. To wait and then end the game was odd.

Update: It was confirmed that the ref was holding play for a VAR review, there was no intent to allow the free kick.

The final scored was 2-1 to Austin FC after taking the early lead. They are on the road next week against Real Salt Lake, with their playoffs hopes all but extinguished from tonight’s loss.