Sporting suffers frustrating home loss to Minnesota

By Sam Kovzan – SportingKC.com

Sporting Kansas City (8-16-7, 31 points) suffered a frustrating 2-0 home loss to Minnesota United FC (12-12-6, 42 points) on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.

In a match that was delayed at halftime for nearly two hours due to inclement weather, Minnesota took a 65th-minute lead through newcomer Kelvin Yeboah and sealed the result with a goal from Bongokuhle Hlongwane in second-half stoppage time. The loss eliminates Sporting from playoff contention and gives the Loons their first regular season road win at Children’s Mercy Park after suffering defeat in each of their first nine visits to Kansas City since entering MLS in 2017.

Sporting still has a coveted opportunity to play for a trophy and will do so Wednesday by visiting LAFC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Kickoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT with a free broadcast on Apple TV as Sporting competes for a record-tying fifth Open Cup title, having won the tournament championship in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017.

With Wednesday’s Open Cup Final beckoning, Manager Peter Vermes made eight changes to his starting lineup from Sporting’s rampant 4-1 midweek victory over the Colorado Rapids. Defender Khiry Shelton and attackers Stephen Afrifa and William Agada retained their starting spots, and it was Agada who nearly opened the scoring after nine minutes. The Nigerian striker latched onto a probing cross from Daniel Salloi and snapped a powerful header goalward, forcing a reflex save from Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

Minnesota threatened just once in the first half, almost capitalizing on a Sporting miscue. After Dany Rosero’s attempted clearance sailed skyward, goalkeeper Tim Melia advanced off his line in a bid to punch the ball clear. His effort afforded Hasani Dotson a decent look to finish from the top of the box, but his shot skipped harmlessly wide.

Sporting had two set piece opportunities go begging on the stroke of intermission. Erik Thommy’s free kick skipped through the Minnesota wall and into the hands of St. Clair, then Agada steered a leaping header narrowly wide off a Jake Davis corner kick.

Following a weather delay that lasted one hour and 50 minutes, Sporting entered the second half with three reinforcements as captain Johnny Russell, fellow forward Alan Pulido and midfielder Memo Rodriguez came off the bench. Pulido went close to scoring for the second straight game in the 54th minute, receiving a pinpoint cross from Thommy and slamming his shot off target into the side netting. Rodriguez then bent a well-struck free kick a yard over the crossbar at the hour mark.

Minnesota drew first blood against the run of play. Halftime substitute Robin Lod ignited a counterattack and spread the ball left to Yeboah, who cut centrally and curled a pinpoint strike into the far right corner for his fifth goal in as many games.

After Pulido and Russell prompted St. Clair to make a pair of saves, Sporting was awarded a golden opportunity to restore parity in the 90th minute when Rodriguez was tripped inside the penalty area. Referee Ismir Pekmic wasted no time pointing to the spot, but Agada’s ensuing penalty kick rattled the woodwork and Minnesota ushered clear to extinguish the danger.

As Sporting committed numbers forward in search of a late leveler, the Loons put the game to bed deep into second-half stoppage time with Lod picking out Hlongwane for a simple close-range finish.

2024 MLS Regular Season | Match 31
Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 17,328
Weather: 81 degrees and rainy

Sporting Kansas City 0-2 Minnesota United FC

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia (C); Khiry Shelton (Memo Rodriguez 46′), Dany Rosero, Robert Voloder, Tim Leibold; Jake Davis, Remi Walter; Stephen Afrifa (Johnny Russell 46′), Erik Thommy, Daniel Salloi (Alan Pulido 46′); William Agada

Subs Not Used: John Pulskamp, Zorhan Bassong, Robert Castellanos, Andreu Fontas, Logan Ndenbe, Alenis Vargas

Minnesota United FC: Dayne St. Clair; Carlos Harvey, Michael Boxall (C), Jefferson Diaz (Miguel Tapias 78′); Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Hassani Dotson (Franco Fragapane 61′), Wil Trapp, Joaquin Pereyra (Sang Bin Jeong 61′), Joseph Rosales; Tani Oluwaseyi (Robin Lod 46′), Kelvin Yeboah (Devin Padelford 90+3′)

Subs Not Used: Alec Smir, Anthony Markanich, Teemu Pukki, Samuel Shashoua

Scoring Summary:
MIN — Kelvin Yeboah 5 (Robin Lod 13) 65′
MIN — Bongokuhle Hlongwane 11 (Robin Lod 14, Wil Trapp 3) 90+4′

Misconduct Summary:
SKC — Jake Davis (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 36′
MIN — Miguel Tapias (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 79′

Match Statistics

Referee: Ismir Pekmic
Assistant Referee: Logan Brown
Assistant Referee: Tyler Wyrostek
Fourth Official: Matthew Thompson
VAR: Greg Dopka
AVAR: Claudiu Badea