Sporting Set League Record in Loss in Minnesota

Sporting Kansas City wrote themselves into MLS history books on Wednesday night in Minnesota as the club set a new league record for most goals conceded in a season as Sporting fell 3-1 to Minnesota United. After leading 1-0 at half time KC conceded two goals in five minutes and a late third goal putting KC’s total goals conceded for the season at 80, two more than the previous record of 78 set by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2024 season.

Minnesota, needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive came out in control of the game. Anthony Markanich forced a save from Stefan Cleveland that set up a United corner, while Aziel Jackson fired over the cross bar after some good work down KC’s left from Minnesota. In the 30th minute, Markanich had another chance on a header that went just wide of Cleveland’s near post.

KC though grabbed a surprising lead a minute later through Taylor Calheira. Jake Davis was trying to pick out Capita Capemba on a through ball through the middle of Minnesota’s midfield. The ball was deflected by a Minnesota player right into the path of Calheira who shielded off his man and fired a shot into the far corner past a diving Drake Callender to put KC in front.

The rest of the first half was controlled by Minnesota, but Kansas City was able to limit the Loons to low quality chances and went into half time with a lead.

At the start of the second half though the lead almost immediately vanished as Minnesota looked to have equalized through Mauricio Gonazlez who got in front of Wyatt Meyer and flicked a header past Cleveland into the goal off a cross from Nectarios Triantis. Referee, Sergii Boiko, was called over to the monitor by VAR though because in the build up of the goal, Triantis was judged to have fouled Emir Karic, getting his hand up into Karic’s face, causing the Bosnian left back to go down and leaving Triantis with all the time in the world to pick out a cross. Boiko called the goal back and KC stayed in front for the time being.

Minnesota kept their foot on the gas to start the second half as Cleveland was called on a few times to make saves as the game was being played almost exclusively in KC’s half to start the half.

In an attempt to get back control of the game, Rafa Wicky went to the bench early, making a triple save before the hour mark, bringing on Calvin Harris, Owen Wolff, and Ian James for Capemba, Stephen Afrifa, and Jake Davis.

The changes seemed to have an immediate effect cause Kansas City started to find some space going against Minnesota on the counter. In the 64th minute Andre Luiz raced behind the Minnesota back line in on goal but ended up hitting the top of the cross bar with his shot. Minutes later on a slower built counter, Kwaku Agyabeng forced a save out of Callender from the top of the box.

Minnesota still had their chances though and Cleveland made probably his biggest save of the night coming off his line as Kelvin Yeboah got behind KC’s defense but couldn’t flick the ball over Cleveland.

KC though couldn’t hold on under the pressure from the Loons as in the 72nd minute, Markanich found the equalizer rising over Calheira and Ian James to flick a header into the far corner past Cleveland.

After the goal things started to go back and forth as Kansas City again looked dangerous on the counter as Luiz again raced in on goal, this time putting a shot wide of the post with options near him. Moments later, Harris had a chance to put Kansas City in front. Unfortunately moments later KC found themselves behind as a miscommunication between Wolff and Jacob Bartlett led to a giveaway in KC’s defensive third to Triantis. He played a ball to Gonazlez who took a touch around James and beat Cleveland to put Minnesota in front.

Sporting struggled to create offensively for much of the rest of the game, though they did hit the post on a corner that deflected off the heads of a few Minnesota defenders.

In the 88th minute, another poor giveaway in the back, this time by Harris and Karic allowed Minnesota to grab a third. Substitute, Tomas Chancalay took advantage of a slow pass by Harris back to Karic and won the ball with a sliding challenge. He played the ball into Yeboah in the box who beat Cleveland to make it 3-1. After five minutes of stoppage time with the result already feeling sealed, the final whistle blew as Sporting lost their fourth straight, fifth in their last six games, and are now winless in six.

It’s the sixteenth time in thirty-two league games that Sporting has now allowed three or more goals this season. There are 180 minutes left in the season for Kansas City, 180 minutes left for many of these players to play for spots on the roster for the sprint season in 2027. That starts Saturday in the home finale against an FC Dallas team that had been surging until their loss tonight to the Columbus Crew.