Sporting KC Falls 2-1 at D.C. United

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MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Falls 2-1 at D.C. United

March 8, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City (0-3-0, 0 points) fell to a frustrating 2-1 loss at D.C. United (1-0-2, 5 points) on Saturday night at Audi Field in the nation's capital.

Erik Thommy fired Sporting ahead on a wonderfully worked team goal in the 53rd minute, but the hosts restored parity through a Christian Benteke penalty kick near the hour mark and found their winner on a Hosei Kijima header in the 68th minute.

The result condemns Sporting to a third straight league defeat to open the 2025 campaign, which will continue next Saturday, March 15, when regional rivals Minnesota United FC visit Children's Mercy Park for a nationally televised clash on FS1. Kickoff is slated for 7:25 p.m. CT with tickets available via SeatGeek.

Manager Peter Vermes made three changes to the Sporting lineup from last weekend's 2-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Center back Dany Rosero replaced Robert Voloder, left back Logan Ndenbe entered for Tim Leibold and defensive midfielder Nemanja Radoja started in place of Jacob Bartlett, whose older brother Lucas Bartlett started in central defense for D.C. United.

In a hotly contested battle that saw referee Rosendo Mendoza produce 11 total yellow cards, Sporting and D.C. locked horns for the first time since 2022-and for the first time at Audi Field since 2019. United could have taken the lead inside five minutes, but Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp conjured a superb reflex save to deny Gabriel Pirani at the near post.

Costly giveaways afforded both teams good looks in quick succession, with Manu Garcia feeding fellow Sporting newcomer Shapi Suleymanov for a chance that went begging and Benteke misplaying an open Jared Stroud on the opposite end. Stroud and Benteke connected again in the 24th minute, the latter controlling a cross with his chest and uncorking a bicycle kick that bounced wide.

Sporting's best opportunity of the first half came in the 36th minute when Suleymanov's probing delivery into the box was met by Thommy, who touched the ball into the path of Dejan Joveljic. The Serbian striker's shot under duress was blocked and D.C. subsequently cleared the danger. Both sides then traded blows on the cusp of intermission, with Benteke steering a header high and Suleymanov unleashing a wayward curler from distance.

At halftime, Sporting center back Jansen Miller replaced Rosero for his club debut after joining the club as a first-round pick in MLS SuperDraft 2025 last December. Minutes into his cameo, the Indiana University product did well to close space and block a shot on the edge of the box from Pirani.

Thommy vaulted Sporting ahead eight minutes into the second half, kickstarting the lethal counter-attack with a pinpoint diagonal ball to Suleymanov down the right channel. The Russian winger slipped a ball into the path of the underlapping Jake Davis, whose cutback pass found Thommy in stride. The German made no mistake from there, slotting low inside the near post for the 16th goal of his MLS regular season career.

D.C. roared back after falling behind and could have equalized in the 58th minute, but Pulskamp delivered another clutch stop to deny Benteke on the doorstep. Two minutes later, however, Benteke scored in his third straight appearance to open the season by smashing a penalty kick into the right corner. United had been awarded the penalty after Suleymanov fouled Joao Peglow on the left side of the box.

Sporting was desperately unfortunate not to retake the lead on 66 minutes when Manu Garcia sprang forward and fed Suleymanov, whose turf-trimming strike on the edge of the penalty area rattled the woodwork.

The visitors were made to pay shortly thereafter. Afforded space on the left channel, Peglow lofted a cross into the mixer for Kijima to nod past Pulskamp, giving D.C. a 2-1 advantage that would stand to the final whistle.

Kansas City committed numbers forward in the dying embers of the game, creating a pair of half chances off the foot of Garcia. The first resulted in a header from substitute William Agada the carried over the crossbar, while the second was a tantalizing free kick that skipped through traffic and nearly found Miller at the far post, resulting in a crunching collision between Miller and D.C. goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong.

QUOTES

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

Thoughts on the match...

On the penalty, we had a couple bites at the apple before that play occurred. We had a clearance and then two other situations where 1v1 we could have won the ball. Then the guy nips through and we still have defenders back. It's just not a great tackle in that part of the field. On the second goal, I have to be honest with you, I was kind of up and I turned around. I didn't see the goal as best I could. I really didn't so I don't have a good idea on that one. But I think for a lot of portions of the game we actually competed and played very well. Tonight is unfortunate because there's a lot of other really good stuff in the game.

On the team's buildup...

The combination is starting to get there. They have better timing with each other. They're just starting to really link up. The unfortunate thing in the game is we have just got to be better defensively. On the two goals that we gave up, I do know this. They both came from our right side. Getting out and stopping service, clearing the ball, those types of things, we have just got to do better with those plays.

On the early yellow cards...

It does. There's no way the first yellow card is even a foul. If you look at the context of the game, it's not even a foul. It just isn't. The referee, unfortunately, he changed the situation a little bit there. There's some some yellow cards that at times they can change how a player plays. I still think that the group did a decent job. (We were) very good attacking and very good competing for second balls. It was just those two opportunities and John (Pulskamp) made a really good save early in that second half. Outside of that, I thought we were pretty good.

On turning around the momentum...

I think that we're actually playing pretty well for the most part. We have got to clean up still some things defensively, but we have some really positive things to look forward on the attacking side and that part is really good.

On the upcoming home games...

The key is we have got to take our next game and be ready for that one and we'll deal with the ones thereafter. But we have got to really be ready and prepared for the next game. It's going to be a tough opponent, but we have got to take advantage of points at home.

Sporting Kansas City captain Erik Thommy

Thoughts on the match...

Let's start with the first half. I think we were pretty good defending-wise. We tried to create some opportunities up in front. We didn't get too close to the goal but we had some really good chances at the end. At halftime, we came strong out of it and scored immediately. Then we gave up two easy goals with the PK and the second one was there number six getting between our defenders and getting a free header. So at the end, a really, really tough start so far for us unfortunately. But we'll keep working and turn everything around.

On his goal...

I switched the side to Shapi (Suleymanov) who was free over there wide open. I tried to get around the box. It was a good cross from Jake (Davis) and I scored. It was definitely something that we trained throughout the week, but at the end we're still sitting here with zero points. That is what matters at the end. We're really disappointed right now.

On the attacking chemistry...

I think it was a step in the right direction with the way we played. Even in the first half, we were really close. Like one last pass or one step. If we were cleaner up in front, we could create more and score maybe earlier. I think there's a progression but at the end it needs to be a progression of all of us. Even though we lost today, I can see everyone is fighting. Everyone is working hard also in the training sessions and that's what matters. It will pay off long term. We need to do it next week again. We have the chance at home. We will keep working hard because you can turn around things so quick in soccer. We will keep our heads up for sure.

On the game-winning goal...

I haven't seen the goal yet, but what I can say is to communicate something so quick is sometimes impossible throughout the game. So you need to be alert and if a midfielder jumps in between our defenders, we need to cover him and help. We didn't. At the end, that's something we need to improve and do it better next time.

-- SportingKC.com --

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