Dejan Joveljic Scores Twice in Sporting KC's 2-2 Draw with Columbus
Published on March 1, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City rallied from a halftime deficit to earn a 2-2 draw on Saturday in the team's sold out home opener at Sporting Park as Dejan Joveljic provided both goals to equal the club record as the fastest player to score 20 regular season goals in team history.
After leading SKC with 18 goals a year ago in his debut season, Joveljic now has 20 goals in just 34 regular season games - tying a mark set by Preki in 1997 -- and the Designated Player has recorded the last five goals scored by Sporting KC players dating back to Aug. 30, 2025.
Fastest to 20 regular season goals for SKC
1. Dejan Joveljic, 34 games (2026)
1. Preki, 34 games (1997)
3. Dom Dwyer, 44 games (2014)
4. Digital Takawira, 45 games (1997)
5. Alan Pulido, 48 games (2023)
Head coach Raphael Wicky made one change to Sporting Kansas City's starting lineup from last week's season opener as Ethan Bartlow made his SKC debut in place of the injured Justin Reynolds. Bartlow nearly opened the scoring in the 24th minute on Saturday, rising above two Crew defenders to meet Manu Garcia's corner and directing a header on target to force a superb save from Patrick Schulte.
The visitors would strike first in the 33rd minute through Designated Player Wessam Abou Ali -- who has now scored in five straight MLS matches dating back to last season -- as the Crew capitalized on a turnover inside Sporting's penalty area to take a 1-0 lead.
Sporting nearly pulled even in the 42nd minute as Shapi Suleymanov's free kick was destined for the back of the net if not for a diving save from Schulte but moments later it was the Crew who were inches away from doubling their lead as Diego Rossi struck the post from a yard out and Daniel Gazdag's follow-up effort missed the target.
Saturday's second half was filled with end-to-end entertainment, beginning in the 48th minute as Sporting sprung on a counter to level the scoreline at 1-1. A swift move through the middle third ultimately resulted in Calvin Harris switching the point of attack with a cross to Jake Davis, who squared the ball with a first-time pass for Joveljic eight yards in front of goal. Joveljic made no mistake, sending his defender and the Crew goalkeeper opposite directions with a composed finish to score in his team's home opener for a third season in a row.
The Serbian striker was back on the scoresheet in the 72nd minute, collecting a deflected shot from Suleymanov and tucking away the go-ahead goal in front of the South Stand for the ninth multi-goal game of his MLS regular season career and fourth with Sporting Kansas City.
Ten minutes later, Columbus would respond with an 82nd-minute equalizer as Rossi scored in a second-straight game to start the season -- picking up a cross from Max Arfsten and firing a well-placed shot past Pulskamp -- to give the former MLS Golden Boot winner 81 career regular season goals in eight seasons.
Seizing the momentum, Columbus would win a penalty from their next attack -- albeit only after intervention from VAR Kevin Stott -- and Abou Ali stepped to the spot in the 87th minute with a chance to steal all three points only to be denied by the right hand of Pulskamp at full extension to produce a clutch save that ultimately secured Sporting it's first point of the season.
Sporting Kansas City will next host San Diego FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 7 at Sporting Park. Tickets are available online at SeatGeek and the Western Conference clash will be available to watch live on Apple TV.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City head coach Raphael Wicky
On what the message was at halftime...
The message in the first half was easy to give, because I think the boys played really well, were courageous, were pressing high in moments, were very compact, and were just working as a team, as a unit. In possession, out of possession. That's what I'm asking them to do. Then these mistakes happened, right? That's football, that's the way things happen. What was important was the reaction, not to have their heads down, and they reacted well. At halftime, we told them, 'Hey, let's keep doing what we did, we did this really well, and we're going to turn this game around.' That was the message. I think, overall, it was a very interesting, intensive game. We turned the game around. Columbus is a very good team that has played together for many years, who is difficult to play. I think our boys did really well.
On the performance of Calvin Harris...
I think it's important to alternate in playing short, playing in between the lines, and playing over in the spaces. Then every player has strengths, and Calvin Harris is fast, he's vertical, and he can threaten and hurt other teams with these strengths, and that's what we're asking him to do. I liked that the team played short as well. We found Manu (Garcia) and (Jacob) Bartlett in between the lines, Shapi (Suleymanov), but we also played in behind, and that's really, really important. It wasn't only Calvin (Harris), I think Jayden Reid also had a lot of runs in behind. That's what Calvin does, and we're happy.
On how the team reacted to the penalty kick...
I think that's the message since day one. Since day one, the messages, before we talk tactics, before we talk principles of the game, it's being together, it's helping each other, it's being there for each other, it's fighting, it's leaving everything on the field, and in difficult moments, in football games, soccer games, you suffer in moments. That's where we have to be together, creating this culture, as we said from the beginning, the 'we before me,' putting our egos back, everyone - and me being the first one. I believe in that, and then (comes) the football side, right? I think we're seeing, even last week, even though we lost 3-0, the whole preseason, we see a team on the field. We see that a team works together. Now, in phases better, in phases less good, but in general, the commitment of everyone since day one has really, really been good. I think that is something which makes me very, very happy, next to the football side, that there is a team, and we're creating a team.
On the performance of John Pulskamp...
I think this is a really good performance from John and helps him to grow. He's a young goalkeeper still, and mistakes will always happen in life, right? I'm making mistakes, you're making mistakes, players make mistakes. When a goalie makes some mistakes, it's a goal. The most important thing is the reaction. The reaction, the personality, the body language, what am I doing next? And I think he showed, he's there, and he kept playing his game, he kept in moments playing short, but in moments also playing long, and I think that is really important. The only thing you can control after a mistake is what is your reaction. His reaction - and the team's reaction - was really positive, not to only talk about John. At the end, he helps us with the penalty save to keep this point here at home against a very good Columbus team.
On Calvin Harris' positional adjustments throughout the game...
There wasn't much adjustment, to be fair. We had a game plan, with two or three different strategies in possession, how we want to try to hurt them, how we want to try to take advantage of their shape, and those two or three solutions or ideas are obviously some rotations, some positional changes, and I think the team did very well in moments. I think in the first half, we had very good moments in possession. We're giving them some ideas, some structures, but it's the player who then decides on the field which rotation and which movements we do.
On coaching the team at home for the first time...
It has been fantastic, to be honest. It was my first home game as the head coach of Sporting Kansas City. It's a really beautiful stadium. Great fans. When I was the coach at Chicago Fire, I was here, that was in COVID, there was no one here, or 500 people. Really happy with the atmosphere. What I said as well (to) the team before the game is, our energy, we are the guys who have to transfer the energy to the fans. The fans are here showing up, great crowd, but our energy, we have to sparkle for those fans, and I think it's amazing how the fans showed up, really good how the team went into the game, and I think it's a give and take. I think it was a really beautiful evening to see this crowd.
On the performance of Dejan Joveljic...
Dejan is one of the best strikers in this league in and around the box. I think you guys have seen this last year. I've known him now about two months. In and around the box, his finishing is so calm, he's so good. Now it's me as a coach and the team trying to help him to give him chances, right? I think he needs to be centrally, he needs to be in and around the box. We need to, as a team, try to bring in the balls, because we know when there is a ball, it's quite often in the back of the net. He's also our captain. I think also, the way he behaves himself on the field, in the locker room as a leader, is really good, and now I hope the team can keep going, and he can also keep going.
On tonight's formation...
I don't know if you guys remember, I told you guys in the beginning, the system is not so important to me. Let's say we had a 4-1-4-1 system today, but out of a 4-1-4-1, defensively we went into a 5-2-3. Attacking-wise, we built with a three, so the system itself is not so important. It's really the animation, it's really how we want to defend, and I think the team did really well, applying the plan we tried to implement this week. Like I said in the beginning, the system is not so important, it's more the DNA, it's more we wanted to press high in moments, now we know we cannot press high for all 90 minutes, but we pressed some moments really good. It's the same with playing, we want to play football now, you cannot play every single ball on the short, and that doesn't really depend on the system.
On the performance of Ethan Bartlow...
Ethan Bartlow, I have to watch the game again, but I feel like he has done a really good job. He brings calmness to this team. He is a calm guy, a calm energy, and he's young, but he's still one of the most experienced guys we have in there, and I think you could see that today.
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic
On his performance...
I'm very happy because I scored two goals. Unfortunately, we didn't win all three points, but one point in front of our fans, good enough. We are going to prepare for the next game and hopefully take three points.
On John Pulskamp's penalty save...
Actually, that save gave us the wings. So hopefully for the next game we are going to fly.
On tonight's match...
I mean, after just one game, somehow we grew up because after first goal in San Jose, we started to rush and then we conceded the second goal. Now we saved, let's say 1-0 until halftime. In the locker room we prepared a plan for the second half and we were smart, we were ready to play 45 minutes and actually we turned around the game, unfortunate at the end.
On the difference from last week's defeat...
Same as last week, probably. First 40 minutes we played good in San Jose, same in this game as well. One silly mistake. Players from Columbus, that quality is going to punish us. Unfortunately, they scored, but we were smart and ready to fight until the end. I'm happy.
On being ready when chances arise...
I just try to stay focused and try to make that one extra run because I know that the ball will come. I was happy that the ball bounced twice to me and I scored two goals. One extra run and be a little bit hungrier than the defenders.
On the impact of the youth on the team...
I'm trying to help the team, to help the guys around me who are younger to be an example on the field and outside of the field - even though I'm 26 years old, it's crazy. I think that I'm the third or fourth oldest player on this team, but I'm going to give my best to help the guys and to grow up together.
Referee Sergii Demianchuk (via MLS Pool Reporter)
During the video review late in the second half, what foul did the referee see that led him to overturn the call on the field and award Columbus a penalty?
After review, the referee observed a tripping foul inside the penalty area committed by Sporting Kansas City #2, Ian James, resulting in a penalty kick.
During video review, did the referee take into account who initiated contact, and who did the referee believe that player to be?
During the review, the referee observed the play from different angles and speed, concluding Sporting Kansas City #2, Ian James, committed a tripping foul inside his own penalty area resulting in a penalty kick.
-- SportingKC.com --
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