SKC Falls, 1-0, to Supporters' Shield Leaders San Diego
Published on March 8, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City fell 1-0 against Supporters' Shield leaders San Diego FC on Saturday at Sporting Park as the visitors kept their third straight clean sheet to open the 2026 MLS regular season.
Head coach Raphael Wicky made one change to Sporting Kansas City's lineup from the club's 2-2 draw with Columbus a week earlier as Jansen Miller made his first start of the season in place of the injured Ian James (quad), while 19-year-old SKC Academy product Shane Donovan made his MLS and SKC debut as a late substitute.
The game's only goal came in the 39th minute as San Diego FC Designated Player Anders Dreyer struck from the edge of the penalty area for his second goal in as many weeks. The reigning MLS Newcomer of the Year - who recorded 19 goals and 19 assists as a Best XI selection a year ago - leads all MLS players with five goal contributions through the first three weeks of the season with two goals and three assists.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp produced four saves in the defeat, with his first of the night coming on a superb foot save on Onni Valakari's diving header in the 42nd minute. On the opposite end, Dejan Joveljic forced a save from Duran Ferree on the cusp of halftime with a well-taken shot from a tight angle.
The second half would see San Diego strike the woodwork on three different occasions - in the 53rd minute on Valakari's shot from outside the penalty area, in the 68th minute from substitute David Vazquez and finally in the 92nd minute as Dreyer nearly bagged a brace -- while Pulskamp continued to keep Sporting within striking distance. The 24-year-old goalkeeper twice denied Dreyer, first from close range in the 56th minute and then again 20 minutes later.
Sporting brought Stephen Afrifa and Taylor Calheira off the bench in the final 20 minutes to spark the attack and both came close to netting a late equalizer. Calheira latched onto a perfectly-flicked pass from Manu Garcia in the 88th minute only for a sliding challenge from Oscar Verhoeven and the left hand of Ferree thwart his attempt. Garcia then set up Afrifa four minutes later as the MLS SuperDraft selection unleashed a powerful half-volley that Ferree dove low to his right to palm away.
After back-to-back home matches, Sporting Kansas City will travel to Southern California next weekend to take on the LA Galaxy in a Walmart Saturday Showdown on Apple TV. The Western Conference clash will kick off at 8:30 p.m. CT from Dignity Health Sports Park and pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will show all of the action.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City's Head Coach Raphael Wicky
Thoughts on the game...
First, we have to say and we all know, that they are a very good team. They were excellent last year. They were one of the best in the league last year, and we knew what to expect. We knew that we were going to play against a team that has more of the ball than we have. I felt like for a big part of the first half, we were very disciplined. We were in the game and I felt like we had some good moments before they scored first. We had some good moments where, if we are a bit cooler, if we are a bit calmer, we may have scored before them. We had some moments there. Then, we conceded that goal. It was important to stay in the game. We stayed in the game, but the way we started the second half, I wasn't very happy, because we started to open up and we started to stretch. That wasn't the plan.
Our problem today wasn't defending. I think we were today not as good with the ball as we were, for example, a week ago. I think we had way too many sloppy balls. We tried to play behind them, because they don't like to defend when you're playing behind them. But it was too fast, too quick. That was why we lost the ball again pretty quickly, and then you're in this spiral. But the effort of everyone until minute 96 was excellent. I think the effort was there. The belief to be able to come back was there. That is very positive. We had 2-3 really big chances at the end with great saves from the goalie. Our goalie made some saves as well obviously. In the end, I'm very disappointed because we stayed in the game but we just didn't take these chances. We've got to keep working. We've got to take the positive out of that. The energy from the team was good. We've got to take that and keep working hard.
On San Diego's possession...
The percentage of possession from San Diego doesn't really surprise me because when you look at their average, that's 60+ per game. We knew that that's probably going to happen in a similar way. It's more, what are you going to do when you have these 35-38 percent of possession? What are you going to do there? I felt, in certain moments, we were a bit too rushed in our decision. We were a bit too rushed in playing behind. Instead of making them run, and then maybe opening a gap, and then maybe playing behind. But it's easier said here, right? You defend a lot. You run a lot. Guys are disciplined and then you win the ball. Because you run a lot, you're tired, right? Then you're maybe not so fresh. I think the decision-making on when to play forward and when to keep the ball, I think it was in a moment, maybe not our best, but still we had our chances and we were in the game.
On the team's pursuit of a first win...
The results are not always what we hope, that is for sure, but I think I'm also trying to look at performance. With a young team, we're in these games. We had a very good game against Columbus. I think today, for a big part, we had a good game, then we were a bit too open, but we were in the game until the end. We were there to steal a point, to take a point. I think we just have to keep going. We have to keep working hard, keep believing, keep giving these young players opportunities to grow, and as well, learn and do the things better, which we have to do better. We were not in our best in certain moments with the ball, and we have to keep working. And then I'm 100% convinced that we will win games.
On younger players like Stephen Afrifa and Taylor Calheira...
That's obviously what we want. They come in, and they take their opportunity, and they also believe that there will be a chance, because in football games, there is always going to be a next chance. You have got to believe that there is one, and when that chance is there, you have got to try to take it. The goalie made two really good saves.
Stephen (Afrifa) is coming back from a little hamstring injury, so we're trying to bring him back up to speed. He needs more training, more training with the team, and then I think Stephen can always help us with his speed, with his 1v1, with his drive to goal. (Taylor) Calheira's been here a few weeks. We have seen he is a guy who smells where the goal is, and I would have been very happy for him if he goes in there and scores that goal. They keep working, and then they will score.
On balance in the team's speed of play...
We have to watch the game. We work with film, sometimes they have to visualize. We work in training, and together on the field, on film, we try to improve the players. We try to get better and be more calm in certain situations, because when you defend so much, then it's not easy to stay calm when you don't have the ball. That's where we want to improve, that we are then calm and let the opposition also run, because usually teams don't like to run after the ball. We don't like to run after the ball all the time, right? That is something we have to keep working on, and we will. Against Columbus, I think we had a very good possession game. Today, we were a bit more sloppy. Probably because the opponent was pretty aggressive as well, right? Credit to them. We want to get better in these moments. We want to be better under pressure as well, and we keep working.
On the play of John Pulskamp...
John obviously had a very good game, big saves. I've been in this game long enough, that's why you have goalkeepers. We're very happy with John. We are very happy with Stefan Cleveland, but we have the young goalkeepers who come behind them, who work very hard every single day, who push John and Stefan to be as good as they are. I'm obviously very happy that he made these saves. As a head coach, I would love to be here after the game and say the goalie didn't have to make one save in a game. That would be perfect, but that is usually not the reality of this game. We're happy with the way he performed today, and happy with the goalkeepers we have.
On the growth of the team...
I expect the same as I saw in the last two months. Since the few weeks I've been with the team, and what I heard from the staff and everyone. I expect the same that they commit to what we do, which they absolutely do, that they hold each other accountable for things which don't go well, and that they want to improve. That's what they want. This group has been amazing with the commitment and the energy they have, and the willingness to get better. I think if you see that from a group, then I believe that a group and players individually will get better.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Manu Garcia
On the team's performance against a strong San Diego team...
I think we came with the idea of pressing them a little bit more, but we know them, I think they are probably the best team with the ball in the league. I think they found the spaces, but they didn't create much until we opened in the second half. I think first half, it was quite close, we had a couple of chances, we were holding up pretty well. Then second half, they got the chances when we just tried to go for the game and try to press a little bit more. But I think, as you saw, they had some chances, but we had them too. I think many positive things and many things to improve, but the feeling is quite good.
On if the team could have kept the ball better...
That was the idea. The idea was to - when we get the ball, either find them in behind because we know they don't like to run back or keep the ball because they don't like to run after the ball. They are a team that likes the ball. They also press and they press well. I think their pressure after they lost the ball was quite good. We struggled to find spaces to keep the ball a little bit more in the first half. I think the second half was better, even though we opened a little bit. When we had the ball I think was much better. That's how we created a couple chances. And again, I feel like today we came here (against) one of the best teams in the country for sure, and we saw a match that was quite close and we could have stayed with some points.
On how the team can handle the opposition's high-press better...
The idea was to try to be a bit more calm and try to find the free man, because when they go, everyone goes to somewhere, there needs to be someone alone. I think we could have done it much better, of course, in the first half. I think we thought a bit way too much on going in behind where sometimes maybe we have to stay a bit more calm and keep the ball. But again, I feel like they are one of the best teams with the ball, one of the best teams that do this pressure after they lose the ball, it's their game. I think we were close. We compete really well against a team that for sure is going to fight to win the championship.
On the balance of the team...
Our idea is to have the ball. I think the coach's mentality and the idea that this group has is to try to have the ball as much as possible. Today here came a team that likes to have the ball as much as possible too. So we knew that they are a team that, coming from last year, they've been doing really well. They come into this year and I feel like they're even playing better than last year. They reinforced a bit what they had last year and they are doing really well. So I think there is a lot of positives to take once again. I think we are showing that we can compete against any team. I think these last two games, we are showing that what happened in San Jose, it's not this team. This team is what happened against Columbus and tonight probably. I think there's just good things to look forward and I'm sure we're going to give a lot of good nights to these people.
-- SportingKC.com --
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