Sporting KC Eliminated from Leagues Cup

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Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Eliminated from Leagues Cup

August 9, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City was eliminated from Leagues Cup 2024 following a 4-0 road loss to the Columbus Crew on Friday at Lower.com Field.

Diego Rossi notched a brace to give the Crew a commanding lead before Columbus debutant Dajuan Jones and Dylan Chambost added late goals to secure victory in the Round of 32 and bounce Sporting from the competition.

Sporting is slated to return to action on Saturday, Aug. 24, with an MLS home match against Orlando City SC at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the Retro Night showdown are available at SeatGeek.com.

Four days removed from a 2-1 group stage loss to Deportivo Toluca FC, Sporting deployed a lineup featuring six changes as John Pulskamp, Kayden Pierre, Dany Rosero, Jake Davis, Erik Thommy and Daniel Salloi all stepped into the starting XI.

The first chance of the night fell to the reigning MLS Cup champions, who ran out 4-0 victors the first time Sporting visited Lower.com Field on June 22. After switching the point of attack, Rossi found a pocket of space to receive a square pass and fire from the top of the box, but his shot under duress carried over the crossbar in the 13th minute. Four minutes later, Thommy thought he had vaulted Sporting into the lead with a delectable chip shot from close range, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Crew striker Cucho Hernandez entered the night with 15 goals this season in all competitions and almost opened the scoring at the half-hour juncture. The Colombian unleashed a low screamer from 22 yards that Pulskamp did well to cast aside at full extension, keeping the game goalless. Sporting survived another major scare in the 34th minute as left back Tim Leibold intervened heroically on the goal line, applying a slight touch with his foot to prevent Rudy Camacho's glancing header from finding the back of the net off a corner kick.

At the opposite end, Sporting immediately responded with a tantalizing near miss of their own. Pierre galloped down the right flank and delivered a pinpoint cross to the opposite side of the box, where Salloi's sweetly struck side volley was repelled by Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen.

Columbus broke the deadlock a minute before halftime. Hernandez turned goalward from a central position and slipped an incisive through ball into the path of Rossi, who finished low across Pulskamp with a shot that kissed off the right post and nestled home to make the score 1-0 in favor of the hosts.

Rossi bagged his brace a dozen minutes into the second half. A quick throw-in from the right side allowed the Uruguayan forward to send a 24-yard piledriver into the far left corner as Columbus doubled its advantage just seconds after Sporting's Stephen Afrifa and Willy Agada entered as substitutes.

Pulskamp denied Rossi a spectacular hat trick in the 75th minute, diving at full stretch to punch away another long-range blast. The Crew would find their third goal shortly thereafter, however, as Jones scored a minute into his Columbus debut with a pinpoint finish from the left side of the box. Chambost pushed the score to 4-0 with 11 minutes left, pouncing on a loose ball after Pulskamp had made an initial save and tapping home on the doorstep.

QUOTES

Post-match quotes from manager Peter Vermes and captain Johnny Russell will be available later tonight at SportingKC.com/news.

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