Sporting Falls in First Leg of Champions League Semifinals
April 5, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City suffered a 5-0 defeat to CF Monterrey on Thursday in the first leg of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Semifinals.
Dorlan Pabon's brace propelled the rampant hosts, who received additional goals from Aviles Hurtado, Jesus Gallardo and Nicolas Sanchez to take a commanding aggregate lead at Estadio BBVA Bancomer in Guadalupe, Mexico.
The result gives Sporting a mountain to climb heading into next Thursday's second leg, slated for 8 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for the decisive matchup are available at SeatGeek.com as Kansas City hosts its first semifinal match in the Champions League against the three-time winners of the tournament.
A turbulent first half began brightly for Sporting, who enjoyed space and possession in the attacking half during the early stages. Parity was short-lived, however, as the hosts drew first blood with eight minutes on the clock. After breaking the visitors' midfield lines, Rogelio Funes Mori was played into space and slid a diagonal through ball to Pabon, who finished low across Melia into the left corner for his second goal of the tournament.
With a buzzing crowd behind them at the stunning Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Rayados doubled their advantage six minutes later. Pabon's cross from the right flank reached Funes Mori near the penalty spot, and although his scuffed attempt was kick-saved by Melia, Hurtado was on hand to smash the rebound high into the net.
Sporting Manager Peter Vermes fielded an unchanged lineup from Saturday's 7-1 smackdown of the Montreal Impact at Children's Mercy Park, but the cutting edge of last weekend's performance had waned amidst a steady wave of pressure applied by Monterrey's attack. Sporting managed two shot attempts in the first 45 minutes-a blocked effort from Graham Zusi and an audacious 35-yard sledgehammer from Johnny Russell that sailed wayward just before intermission.
Forward Krisztian Nemeth entered the night with a team-best eight goals and showed glimpses of his quality in the second half, dragging a shot narrowly wide in the 54th minute and forcing Monterrey goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero's first save shortly thereafter. Yet Rayados were undeterred, and their lead swelled to 3-0 in the 55th minute when Stefan Medina's deflected cross was stabbed home at the back post by Mexican international Gallardo.
Center back Sanchez added a fourth for Monterrey from the penalty spot, converting after substitute Yohan Croizet was whistled four a foul inside the box. Sporting endured yet another blow on 76 minutes when Pabon rifled low through traffic for his second goal of the evening.
Sixteen-year-old substitute Gianluca Busio was on the receiving end of Sporting's final meaningful foray into Monterrey's defensive third, but his header off Zusi's bending delivery was saved by Barovero.
Sporting will aim to bounce back on Sunday in their inaugural MLS regular season matchup with expansion side FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The interconference clash is set for 2 p.m. CT with live coverage on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On if the speed of Monterrey's transition or not executing well played the biggest factor in the result:
"I think you hit it on the head, the second piece. The difference in this game was that we were not good with the ball, we gave it up in critical areas, and the difference is they took advantage of each of the opportunities where we coughed the ball up in bad places, or were not good with the ball, and then they went and they scored. They were relentless at it. They had an incredible desire and intensity to do that. If you had to ask me for one reason, it's that in itself. Positionally, we were poor, we left ourselves exposed and then when you don't keep the ball in those moments, and you're not going to because you're not positioned well, a team like that will crush you, and they did."
On preserving a strong mentality heading into the weekend's match and the second leg:
"There's not much time here to think about a lot of stuff, other than get back to playing. We've got another game coming up and then you have obviously the other Champions League game coming up on Thursday. There's not a lot of time to sit back and think about it, that's for sure."
2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League
Semifinals (Leg 1 of 2)
Estadio BBVA Bancomer | Guadalupe, Mexico
Weather: 78 degrees and clear
Score 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (3-2-0) 0 0 0
CF Monterrey (3-1-1) 2 3 5
Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Andreu Fontas, Matt Besler (C), Seth Sinovic; Roger Espinoza, Ilie Sanchez, Felipe Gutierrez (Gianluca Busio 73); Johnny Russell (Yohan Croizet 64), Krisztian Nemeth (Kelyn Rowe 80), Gerso Fernandes
Subs Not Used: Adrian Zendejas, Botond Barath, Rodney Wallace, Gedion Zelalem
CF Monterrey: Marcelo Barovero; Stefan Medina, Cesar Montes (Miguel Layun 73), Nicolas Sanchez, Jesus Gallardo (Leonel Vangioni 83); Dorlan Pabon (C) (Maximiliano Meza 79), Carlos Rodriguez, Jonathan Gonzalez, Aviles Hurtado; Rodolfo Pizzaro; Rogelio Funes Mori
Subs Not Used: Edson Resendez, Celso Ortiz, Adam Bareiro, Angel Zaldivar
Scoring Summary:
MTY -- Dorlan Pabon 2 (Rogelio Funes Mori 1) 7
MTY -- Aviles Hurtado 1 (unassisted) 14
MTY -- Jesus Gallardo 2 (unassisted) 55
MTY -- Nicolas Sanchez 3 (penalty kick) 70
MTY -- Dorlan Pabon 3 (Rodolfo Pizarro 1) 76
Misconduct Summary:
SKC -- Andreu Fontas (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 30
MTY -- Nicolas Sanchez (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 49
SKC -- Graham Zusi (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 58
MTY -- Cesar Montes (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 67
Stat SKC MTY
Shots 6 18
Shots on Goal 2 11
Saves 6 2
Fouls 16 12
Offsides 2 2
Corner Kicks 3 5
Referee: Mario Escobar
Assistant Referee: Joseph Bertrand
Assistant Referee: Humberto Panjoj
Fourth Official: Daneon Parchment
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