Sporting Falls to LAFC in Home Finale
October 5, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City (8-18-7, 31 points) fell 3-0 to LAFC (17-8-7, 58 points) on Saturday in the club's 2024 home finale at Children's Mercy Park.
Goalkeeper Tim Melia saved his 18th career penalty kick in the first half-second most in MLS regular season history-but LAFC secured three road points behind goals from David Martinez, Cristian Oliveira and Aaron Long to solidify second place in the Western Conference. With the defeat, Sporting saw its 14-match home unbeaten streak in the month of October snapped in a rematch of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final played 10 days earlier in Los Angeles.
Sporting is off next weekend for the FIFA international break and will visit FC Dallas on Oct. 19 to conclude the 2024 campaign. Kickoff at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:40 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Coaching his 600th match for the club in all competitions, Manager Peter Vermes made five changes to the starting lineup from last weekend's loss at St. Louis City SC. Among them was a Kansas City debut for Joaquin Fernandez, the 28-year-old center back who joined Sporting in August after playing over 300 professional matches in Europe, including 85 in the top-flight Spanish La Liga.
MLS MVP contender Denis Bouanga threatened twice inside the first five minutes for LAFC, dragging a shot wide off a feed from World Cup-winning teammate Olivier Giroud before seeing a right-footed effort blocked by Joaquin. At the opposite end, Frenchman Remi Walter almost opened the scoring for Kansas City with a 20-yard turf-trimmer that deflected inches off target.
LAFC drew first blood in the 14th minute after Bouanga was fouled inside the box. The LAFC winger missed his ensuing spot kick as Melia held his ground to make the save, but Martinez was first to react and slammed the ball into the roof of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. In addition to having the second-most penalty saves in league history, Melia's goals conceded percentage on penalties (.561) is the lowest all-time among MLS keepers with 15 penalties faced.
Captain Johnny Russell broke free in the 34 minute and was isolated with his defender on a quickfire Sporting attack, but his low drive was smothered by LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The chance came a dozen minutes before Los Angeles doubled its lead on the stroke of halftime with Bouanga squaring low to Oliveira for an easy finish.
Sporting midfielder Erik Thommy was one of five second-half substitutes for the hosts and nearly put Kansas City on the scoresheet twice. His dipping drive in the 66th minute was saved by Lloris and his sliding attempt off a delectable Daniel Salloi diagonal pass caromed off the outside of the right post.
LAFC landed its final blow with 69 minutes on the clock. After Sporting was unable to extinguish the danger off a sustained spell of pressure, Long found a pocket of space on the left side of the box and curled a strike inside the far corner for his first goal of 2024.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match...
They're a better team than we are. I mean, you have to admit it when the other team is. They're a better team than we are. They are very hungry when they go to goal. They have an intensity and a relentlessness to get to the goal and they get numbers. The other side is, from a defensive perspective, they defend with everything. They're up on you. They're kicking you. They're all over you. That's how I see the game. Tim (Melia) makes a great save on the penalty kick. It's unbelievable for us to let him down on the rebound. We need more from that perspective.
On what needs to change...
Mentality. Mentality. The mentality has to change within the group.
On Khiry Shelton's late scratch...
I don't know. I guess in warmups, his calf felt tight or he was getting tight. So those guys decided and coming in they were like, 'hey, we need to make a change.' So that was a change we had to make right before the game.
On Joaquin Fernandez's debut...
I thought he was actually really good. I really do. I think he was really good. He was mature. It's not easy playing against (Olivier) Giroud. Big body, obviously, incredible experience, great player. I thought he dealt with him really, really well from the very first play of the game. I thought his tackling, his individual defending, his aerial duels, they were excellent. I thought he was really good. Obviously, he needs more time because, as I've said to you guys before, he was coming off of the break because he was on the European window. It's really just trying to get him fit. But it was good to see him get 45 minutes in this game. It was good. It was very good.
On the ideal mentality for SKC...
We've always had it. Part of it is that when you are unsuccessful, I think that the group has unfortunately lost a lot of confidence. At the same time, I think when you play at home, you have got to drive the game. Nobody comes into your place and drives the game. You have to drive the game. That's first. Our intensity in the game has to be at a much higher level. Our individual duels defensively have to be a completely different intensity. You want to win the ball. You don't give the other player any time or space on the ball. Right now we do. I'm being honest. I would say some of that is because they know we're out of the playoffs and it's not there. But I can tell you this, that will not be the case next season.
On the support from the fans...
For our fans to act the way that they did, it was great. They were tremendous, especially in this game and throughout the season. We haven't had a good year but even tonight, they were trying to push us on. That was great. I appreciate it very much.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia
On his penalty save...
It's a million different things. You guys always ask me and I always feel bad giving you the same responses, but we spend so much time on those things. And I also think it's a moment in a game - and they're a very good team - so in that moment, you're probably going to see something a little bit more cheeky. It's very early in the game. You can recover from a missed penalty if it doesn't happen. So that was why I kind of was leaning towards the middle with a player like that who has gone down the middle in the past, but predominantly he'll open up. And he hits the ball so hard that I just don't direct it well.
On LAFC scoring the rebound...
If I direct it out of bounds or anywhere else, I don't need anybody else to worry about it.
On what needs to change...
All the things that you guys already know. There is going to be changes at every level. There should be. We have got to get back to a more disciplined group from top to bottom. And we have got to get back to just kind of believing that we are not an underdog. That team is better than us and at times we play like they are not, and then they hurt us. But I also think if we put in the same effort and same teamwork as we did in the Open Cup game against them, I don't think this is a 3-0 game at all. There's probably going to be massive restructuring and switching things out, but overall, it's just discipline for me from top to bottom.
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