Sporting KC top LAFC in impressive fashion

A 2-0 lead over Los Angeles Football Club at halftime for a struggling Sporting Kansas City side brought joy for a Saturday night crowd at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. And a fair amount apprehension. Could Sporting be on the verge of only their third home victory of the season? And one as dramatic as this? Could it be their first shutout? As expected, the match was far from over.

On the occasion of Sporting Salutes Night, Sporting Kansas City hosted Los Angeles Football Club on Saturday evening at Sporting Park in search of points. A winless run of 0-6-1 has Sporting’s season tilting ever closer to its first Wooden Spoon, the “award” for the last-place club in Major League Soccer.

LAFC, however, came in on an unbeaten streak of four, including their 2-0 victory of Red Bull New York midweek.

Further impacting Sporting Kansas City is a litany of injuries. Eight players – including four likely starters (or more) – were listed as either questionable or out on the team’s player availability release. Center back Or Blorian, who underwent a heart procedure recently, is out for the season, while Zorhan Bassong has been upgraded to questionable.

Kansas City Manager Raphael Wicky sent in the following lineup card:

Wyatt Meyer came into the lineup for Blorian, while Calvin Harris dropped in for the injured Capita.

Center back Moises Mosquera kept a close eye on LAFC danger-winger Dennis Bouanga from the get-go. Conversely, Yevhen Cheberko tracked Sporting’s recent DP signing Andre Luiz. Luiz glided past Cheberko to release a weak shot easily gobbled up in the 8th minute by Hugo Lloris in front of LA’s goal.

Soon, Sporting had to deal with striker Son Heung-Min at the point of LAFC’s attack, while tracking Bouanga, who moved to the right wing for a spell. Sporting’s defense repelled all comers as they worked for sustained possession.

In the 18th minute, Sporting found what they came for. Spreading the ball from wing to wing via the backline and Lasse Berg Johnson, Sporting found right back Justin Reynolds. With Luiz inside and left, Reynolds faked down the line and played the Brazilian DP. A few steps, a cut, and swing of the left foot saw Luiz deposit the ball in the far corner of Lloris’ net for the match opener. The goal was Luiz’s first and the kind one expects a DP to bring to a club.

Luiz dazzled again moments later after a yellow to LAFC’s Sergi Palencia. At full sprint, Luiz flicked the ball with the outside of his left ankle and took a volley with his next touch. Little more than a trickle outside of the post was the result. But the aesthetic and the crowd’s roar were the attraction.

Sporting doubled their lead in the 31st minute off a cross from left back Emir Karic. Stephen Afrifa rose just beyond the back post to nod back in front of LA’s net. Ever the opportunist, Kansas City striker Taylor Calheira battled an LA defender and Lloris for the ball across the mouth and persisted in putting home a sneaky header at the back post. The goal was Calheira’s 4th of the season and his third in the last two matches.

Feeling the moment, Sporting pushed for more through Afrifa. The forward scorched a shot at Lloris eight minutes later from 22 yards, forcing the French legend to his right for a strong save.

Bouanga looked to get LA back in the match in the 43rd. Turning Meyer, Bouanga stepped over and hit a low shot forcing Sporting goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland to full stretch for the save. Bouanga would then draw a yellow from Kwaku Agyabeng 25 yards out in a dangerous spot.

Son took the shot, going up and over the wall, but Cleveland read the flight and saved for Kansas City.

At the half, Sporting Kansas City led in nearly every offensive category, startling in that LAFC came in with a league leading 13 shutouts, while Sporting was seeking their first of the season.

The pulse of Sporting Park took a jolt two minutes into the 2nd half. Bouanga snuck past his mark at the back post off a low cross from substitute Jacob Shaffelburg to pull within one. Shortly after, Bouanga twisted and turned in Sporting’s box, getting off a shot that was deflected wide. The entry of an extra attacker in Shaffelburg gave Kansas City fits.

A competitive, free-flowing soccer match became a who-wants-it-more, who-has-the- skill-and-savvy sandlot war.

Wicky put Jacob Bartlett on for Agyabeng in the 61st minute. Only a minute later, Afrifa struck twice on each side of a Calheira strike only to see all three blocked.

A knock down of Luiz by an LA defender (no card given) upped the intensity in the 65th minute.

Ryan Hollingshead and Tyler Boyd came on for LAFC for Palencia and Armindo Sieb in the 67th minute.

Cleveland stretched left in the 69th minute to save a lightning bolt from Mathieu Choinière as Sporting Kansas City’s defense continued to stand tall.

Sporting’s attack, though muted, had not itself faded. In the 71st minute, Luiz’s shot from the right was blocked, falling to Bartlett. The homegrown calmly settled and drove for the far post, bulging the net for Kansas City’s third of the night and sending the crowd into delirium.

Jayden Reid entered for Afrifa and Shapi Suleymanov entered for Luiz for Kansas City in the 85th minute, and Seymour Reid came on for Calvin Harris two minutes later. Sporting continued to hold the fort into the four minutes of added time in the face of LAFC’s sustained possession.

It was not shutout. It was not perfect. But a home win that built some goodwill and showed a fair amount of promise it was.

Sporting’s 3-1 win will see them into a home clash with Philadelphia Union next Saturday night.