MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting Fights Back for 1-1 Draw at Colorado Rapids

Published on August 30, 2020 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Gianluca Busio tallied a stunning equalizer from distance as Sporting Kansas City (5-2-1, 16 pts.) salvaged a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids (2-3-2, 8 pts.) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night to extend their lead atop the MLS Western Conference. Busio scored 10 minutes after Cole Bassett had given the hosts the lead, before Sporting closed out the result with 10 men after Gadi Kinda received his second yellow card in the 78th minute.

Busio, deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role these past three games, shone once again and picked the perfect time to score his first goal of the season and first since scoring in three straight games from March to April, 2019.

Sporting started the game on the front foot in the Colorado altitude, as Khiry Shelton slipped Alan Pulido into the area down the right channel, but the striker's low effort was well blocked away by William Yarbrough in the Rapids goal.

The visitors kept the pressure on and almost found the opener in the eighth minute when Busio's corner was cleared only as far as Gerso Fernandes, and his stinging drive flashed narrowly wide of the top corner.

Sporting were forced into two first-half changes due to injury, with the first coming in the 15th minute as Roger Espinoza departed the match with a hamstring concern and was replaced by Homegrown midfielder Felipe Hernandez.

Gerso was causing the Rapids all sorts of problems with his movement in the first half which almost led to the opening goal in the 29th minute. The speedy winger latched on to a long ball from the backline before laying it off to Pulido, but his low effort from the edge of the area was charged down.

In the 40th minute, Sporting was forced to spurn their second of three substitution moments as New Zealand international Winston Reid pulled up with a groin complaint and Roberto Puncec checked in to replace him.

A mere minute later, Sporting almost took the lead. A cross from the left wing evaded the host of bodies in the area and squirmed out to Graham Zusi on the right wing, and his low drive trickled agonizingly wide of the far post as the two teams headed into the halftime interval scoreless.

Colorado began the second half with added impetus and seriously threatened the SKC goal for the first time when Keegan Rosenberry latched onto a loose ball in the Sporting half and forced Tim Melia into a sharp save low to his left in the 49th minute.

The Rapids found the breakthrough in the 57th minute when Designated Player Younes Namli dribbled at the Sporting backline before flicking a pass into the path of former Kansas City striker Diego Rubio, who smartly dummied the ball which allowed Cole Bassett to smash home his first goal of the year.

The two sides traded blows in the minutes that followed as first Kinda fired a low left-footed shot into the side netting before Rapids substitute Jonathan Lewis forced Melia into another solid save low to his right.

Sporting found the equalizer exactly 10 minutes after falling behind. After Johnny Russell's corner kick was cleared only as far as Busio, the 18-year-old controlled the ball and struck a fizzing effort beyond Yarbrough from 20 yards out to level the game.

Revitalized, Sporting pushed for the go-ahead goal in the minutes that followed as first Russell fired over the bar from distance before Pulido was denied by Yarbrough after leaving two Rapids defenders in his wake.

The momentum would shift once again in the 78th minute as Kinda was shown his second yellow card of the night and was sent off after catching Rubio on the ankle. Colorado almost took immediate advantage as Namli's cross from the right was fired into the side-netting by Lewis.

The Rapids continued to press as the clock ticked down, but Sporting held firm defensively to see out an important point on the road.

Sporting KC now heads home to prepare for a Wednesday night bout with FC Dallas at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports KC Plus and Sports Radio 810 WHB.

QUOTES

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

On getting a road result in Colorado despite injuries and a red card...

I thought that we were very organized in the first half. I thought we had some great chances going to their goal, which we should have taken advantage of. We stay organized throughout the game. We didn't lose ourselves after they scored. We found a way to get back into the game. And then being able to close it out being a man down showed a lot of grit from the team, which we needed to after last game's performance. We talked about how we were going to respond and I thought the guys responded very well.

On the substitution strategy changing with the injuries...

First of all, I think that we were actually playing really well at that point. So I wasn't really thinking too much about what those changes might be. I thought someone on the wing, or both, might get tired just because of part of our game plan. I also thought that there was going to have to be a change in the middle of midfield, which happened. I was expecting Gadi (Kinda) to be able to play most of the game because I've given him rest the last couple of games. So I did that as well. Everything else comes off of where guys are physically. It did change the point of view that I wasn't going to sub two guys on the first sub and then two guys on the second sub when they both happened in the first half. Where it hurt was it didn't really give us a chance to use the other guys that we could have used just because we weren't in a position to do it.

On the play of Gianluca Busio...

He had a good performance. Each game, I think he gets better and better. The goal was a great strike and he has that quality in him so it was good to see it. All the guys on our team are growing and they're starting to get a little bit of a routine in the position in which they're playing and that's a good thing. Again, this was a good result. If you look at the guys on the field, again, a lot of young players. We keep going that direction because of the complexity of the schedule. Those guys are holding their own. It's good to see. He had a good performance again. Each time he's getting to be smarter and smarter in some of the decisions he's making both with the ball and without it. It's good.

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gianluca Busio

On recent position change...

I'm liking it a lot. Obviously, it's a good thing to be on the field and help the team win and get points. If I can do that from any position, I enjoy it and I've enjoyed this position a lot. The game's in front of you and I feel like I can pick out passes a lot and hit more shots like the one I scored so I'm liking it a lot and hopefully I can keep on improving in that position if need be.

On playing in altitude and the team's conditioning...

Your legs are tired. I think everybody feels it after playing so many games in such a short period of time. I think we do well with recovery and being professional, so I think we handled it well and everybody gives 100% in every game, so I don't think it's a problem if you're tired and you push through it. It takes a toll on you with the travel and everything but if you want to be a good team you have to push through and get points for these games.

On his goal scored...

When I'm out there anything that comes out has to either go out of bounds or in the goal. I thought I'd have a good shot shooting from outside the box and as soon as I took my touch it was a good touch for me as it got out of my feet. As soon as I took that touch I knew I was shooting and I knew if I got it on target, it had a chance of going in because of how many people were in the box. It went in so I'm happy I could get a goal.

On his Wakanda celebration...

I was paying my tribute to Chadwick Boseman who passed away unfortunately yesterday. I love superhero movies and I love Black Panther and the Avengers movies. My mom and I always used to watch them together so (his death) hurt a little bit. I told myself if I scored, I was going to pay tribute to him some kind of way and obviously the Wakanda Forever sign is pretty big and inspirational to me. It's just a sad time and I want to pay my respect in some kind of way.

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia

On getting a draw in Colorado...

I thought the whole group did a really good job responding to the last game. I thought tonight we did a good job maintaining our low block defensively, not really giving away a lot of opportunities. And then to go down a goal and kind of show the resilience to get back into the game -- add a red card to that -- and then just come together as a group and lock it down defensively is something we should be proud of.

On quick turnarounds between matches...

It's just something we have to get acclimated to. Traveling the day of is not something we're used to but that's not to say that we can't do it. It's just something we need to get used to. We left Kansas City around 11:00 and we ended up landing here and getting to the hotel around 12:30. You have a pregame meal at 2:30, we leave the hotel around 5:30 so you have a little bit of time to decompress in the hotel, relax and get your head right into the game.

Right now, this year in its entirety is going to breed inconsistencies and we've got to make sure that we're mentally focused and rolling with the punches this year because traveling day of, getting out the night after, games coming fast and hot, it's just something we all need to get used to. It's something we're capable of doing. We have a deep squad and we have enough players that are more than capable of sliding into spots but there's definitely going to be an adjustment period.

2020 MLS Regular Season

Match 8 of 34

Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, Colorado

Weather: 72 degrees and partly cloudy

Score 1 2 F

Sporting Kansas City (5-2-1, 16 points) 0 1 1

Colorado Rapids (2-3-2, 8 points) 0 1 1

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Graham Smith, Winston Reid (Roberto Puncec 40'), Jaylin Lindsey; Gianluca Busio, Roger Espinoza (Felipe Hernandez 16'), Gadi Kinda; Khiry Shelton, Alan Pulido (C), Gerso Fernandes (Johnny Russell 64')

Subs Not Used: Richard Sanchez, Matt Besler, Luis Martins, Cameron Duke, Erik Hurtado, Daniel Salloi

Colorado Rapids: William Yarbrough; Keegan Rosenberry, Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson, Sam Vines; Jack Price (C), Kellyn Acosta (Nicolas Mezquida 59'), Andre Shinyashiki (Jonathan Lewis 59'), Younes Namli (Braian Galvan 89'), Cole Bassett (Kei Kamara 68'); Diego Rubio

Subs Not Used: Clint Irwin, Jeremy Kelly, Drew Moor, Auston Trusty, Collen Warner

Scoring Summary:

COL - Cole Bassett 1 (Younes Namli 1) 57'

SKC - Gianluca Busio 1 (Unassisted) 67'

Misconduct Summary:

COL - Jack Price (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 47'

COL - Kellyn Acosta (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 52'

SKC - Graham Smith (Yellow Card; Handball) 63'

SKC - Gadi Kinda (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 65'

SKC - Gadi Kinda (Yellow Card/Red Card; Unsporting Behavior) 78'

COL - Diego Rubio (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 82'

Stat SKC COL

Shots 13 10

Shots on Goal 3 4

Saves 3 2

Fouls 10 11

Offsides 0 0

Corner Kicks 8 0

Referee: Armando Villarreal

Assistant Referee: Corey Parker

Assistant Referee: Jeremy Kieso

Fourth Official: Alejandro Mariscal

VAR: Allen Chapman

AVAR: TJ Zablocki

Check out the Sporting Kansas City Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 30, 2020


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