MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Falls 2-1 to New England

June 12, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City (3-9-4, 13 points) slipped to a 2-1 loss against the New England Revolution (5-5-4, 19 points) on Sunday afternoon at Children's Mercy Park. Captain Johnny Russell treated a fervent crowd to the game's best moment early in the second half, bagging a brilliant free kick for his 50th career Sporting goal in all competitions, but New England claimed victory behind goals in either half from Gustavo Bou and Emmanuel Boateng.

With Sunday's encounter in the books, Sporting will now prepare for a challenging road test against a Nashville SC outfit that owns a 24-match home unbeaten streak. Next Sunday will mark the inaugural meeting between the clubs at the new GEODIS Park in Nashville, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. CT and national coverage on FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app.

Taking the field for the first time in two weeks, Sporting deployed a reshuffled lineup as Academy product Felipe Hernandez assumed a false nine role alongside fellow attackers Russell and Cam Duke. Oriol Rosell, Remi Walter and Roger Espinoza manned the midfield, while Sporting's defense received a boost with the return of veteran right back Graham Zusi to support Kortne Ford, Robert Voloder, Logan Ndenbe and goalkeeper Tim Melia.

Rosell did well to create Sporting's first chance inside five minutes, applying pressure in New England's defensive third to win the ball from Wilfrid Kaptoum and find Hernandez in an open pocket of space. The 24-year-old swiveled near the top of the box and unfurled a low blast that sizzled marginally wide of the left post.

Hernandez was involved once more on the half-hour mark when Duke embarked on a dazzling 50-yard solo run down the left side and pulled the ball back to his homegrown counterpart. Hernandez faked the first-time shot and moved the ball onto his left foot, but his ensuing shot from 18 yards was blocked.

New England drew first blood on the possession that immediately followed. Dylan Borrero looped a clever lob over the top for Bou, who settled the ball crisply and finished with conviction into the low left corner for his second goal of the MLS campaign.

Sporting's matters were further complicated a few minutes later when Walter, who had played every MLS minute of the season entering Sunday, was forced to exit through injury. Center forward Khiry Shelton was summoned as his replacement and Hernandez dropped back to his more customary central midfield position in Walter's absence.

An explosive start to the second half-preceded by a double substitution in central defense with Andreu Fontas and Nicolas Isimat-Mirin entering the fray-saw Sporting suffer a major setback as Rosell received his marching orders for a bad tackle in the center of the park. Shortly thereafter, however, the hosts drew level behind a stunning bit of magic from Russell.

Awarded a free kick 22 yards from goal near the right side of the penalty area, Sporting's captain promptly delivered by sending a sublime left-footed curler high inside the near post past outstretched New England goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic for his milestone 50th goal at the club. Russell, who now has four strikes in his last four games and a team-leading seven for the season, is the fourth Kansas City player to eclipse half a century of goals alongside Preki (71), Dom Dwyer (57) and Davy Arnaud (52), who on Sunday was formally inducted as the newest Sporting Legend.

New England went frighteningly close to reclaiming the lead on 54 minutes when Tommy McNamara was played through on goal, but Melia's phenomenal reflex save kept the score at 1-1. A dozen minutes later, Petrovic produced a solid stop of his own to deny the marauding Russell on the breakaway.

Hot and humid conditions weighed heavily on both sides as the battle neared its conclusion, but the search for a winner remained delicately poised. Melia was summoned to make another splendid save with 10 minutes remaining, dropping low to cast aside a long-range Bou strike that deflected through traffic.

The Revolution conjured their winner in the 87th minute. Shortly after DeJuan Jones' blistering strike fizzed inches wide of the far right post, Melia spread himself to block a right-footed attempt from the edge of the box. Newly introduced substitute Boateng was on hand for the rebound, however, and snuck a follow-up effort under Melia that bounced fortuitously into the net for his first tally of the campaign.

QUOTES Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

On the red card early in the second half...

It obviously put us in a big hole. We do a great job to get back a goal and we're defending very well. The guys were doing everything. In the 86th minute, Khiry (Shelton) has the ball, gets fouled. One hundred percent a foul. I mean, how you miss it I don't know. One hundred percent. Emphatic, 100% foul. He's facing his goal. Guy comes inside, takes both his legs out from under him. I wish I had a video I could show you. One hundred percent a foul and then they go down the field and that's where they get their goal from. The fact that he doesn't call it, it blows me away. But he's quick to throw the second yellow for Uri (Rosell). If you want to call that? Great, call it. You call that then you have got to call the other. A complete miss. Absolutely a 100% miss on the referee's position. Emphatic, 100% foul on Khiry Shelton and he doesn't get it. And I know the difference. The difference is Khiry is not a DP and (Carles) Gil is. And that's the difference in the game. That's the difference on the fouls.

On why he switched center backs at halftime...

Because I didn't like the way the goal got scored in the first half and I also didn't like the way we were coming out of the back with the ball. So I made the change and I thought those guys actually did a really good job. We were back in the game and then unfortunately we get the second yellow so early in the half that we couldn't even take advantage of it. I thought the guys did a good job in the second half when we went down a man. The fact that you missed that call that leads to the goal and it's a simple foul. He's already put us in the hole with a second yellow. But the fact that he misses that, it's unacceptable to me.

On SKC rallying after the red card...

I thought we played very, very well. We definitely did not get what we deserved in the game in regards to leaving the game with a point. We didn't get it. And I put the blame on missing that foul. I really do. I put the blame on that because our guys are playing. They're playing the game. That's fair. You've already set the tone of what a foul is and what isn't. Taking both his legs out right there. It leads to the goal. It changes everything. I'm sad for the guys because it's exactly on the 86th minute that it happens.

On Graham Zusi returning from injury...

He played very well. I didn't want to have to extend him as long as I had to. I really didn't. I had a bunch of subs, but then didn't plan on Remi (Walter) getting injured as well. To be fair, we just don't have a lot of guys to put in the game. They're substitutes, but they don't play any of the positions that the guys are going down in. And so now, all of a sudden, it's completely changing things and it's hard to move the guys around. We came into the game without any center forwards. We had to play a false nine with Felipe (Hernandez). We were trying to play the whole first half and then maybe give Khiry 45 (minutes). But to him as well, he had to play way too much today. It's just tough.

On missing Daniel Salloi and Marinos Tzionis on international duty...

It changes us immensely, for sure. We have guys that play in the positions where we need help right now. We're moving too many guys around. Cam Duke's doing a great job. Everywhere he gets put on the field, he's working and he's dangerous. But for me to have to play Roger (Espinoza) 90 minutes today is too much. Graham played 80 some odd minutes. It's too much time.

On the play of Cam Duke...

He was very good. I actually wish in the first half he wouldn't have passed to Felipe and just taken on (Omar) Gonzalez himself because he would have went right past him, no doubt. He would have been one on one with the keeper. He was very good. Excellent.

Sporting Kansas City captain Johnny Russell

On the team's response after the red card...

It's always going to be difficult when you go down a man, especially when you're trying to get back in the game and it was a little bit hot today as well. We know it's going to get hotter. We just lost ourselves a little bit and gave the ball away in silly situations, and then they used the extra man to their advantage. They had us running a little bit more than we would have liked. We had to sit a bit deeper than we would have liked and what we'd plan to do in the second half. So it was going to be difficult and then obviously getting the goal late on, it's a difficult one to take.

On the play of Cam Duke...

I think he's continuing to get better out there. In the first half especially, I thought he was great and really dangerous for us down there, creating a lot of opportunities for us. And then, like I said, towards the end of the game we weren't getting in any of those positions. We were pinned back a little bit too deep and that's down to them obviously using the extra man and keeping the ball well. It just wasn't enough and pretty much the same old story. I don't really know what to say anymore. We're just in a really difficult situation and we're not making it easier for ourselves to get out of it.

Sporting Kansas City forward Khiry Shelton

Thoughts on the match...

It didn't end the way we wanted. But the boys fought. I'll appreciate that and I think all the guys appreciate the effort. It's tough when you're a man down, but I felt like we actually dominated in a lot of parts of the second half even a man down. So that's a positive and we'll take that from the game and we'll continue to push.

On the no call that led to the game-winning goal...

I was fouled and hopefully the League fixes that. It's a continuous thing. I get fouled all the time and they don't call it and I don't care if I'm a big profile player. I get fouled. It's a foul. They need to start calling that stuff.

On not getting a call earlier in the match...

If Omar Gonzalez doesn't pull me there, I'm gone and then I'm in on goal. So that's an opportunity lost and that frustration builds. He called one, which I was happy for but I was still in his ear letting him know that I'm getting fouled.

On returning from injury...

I felt really good. I've got to continue to build my fitness coming back from injury. So I'm just going to continue to build and build and get back into form.

2022 MLS Regular Season | Match 16

Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas

Attendance: 18,307

Weather: 91 degrees and partly cloudy

Score 1 2 F

Sporting Kansas City (3-9-4, 13 points) 0 1 1

New England Revolution (5-5-4, 19 points) 1 1 2 Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi (Kayden Pierre 90'), Kortne Ford (Nicolas Isimat-Mirin 46'), Robert Voloder (Andreu Fontas 46'), Logan Ndenbe; Uri Rosell, Remi Walter (Khiry Shelton 33'), Roger Espinoza; Johnny Russell (C), Felipe Hernandez, Cam Duke

Subs Not Used: Kendall McIntosh, Kaveh Rad, Ben Sweat, Julian Vazquez

New England Revolution: Djordje Petrovic; Brandon Bye, Andrew Farrell, Omar Gonzalez (Jonathan Bell 55'), DeJuan Jones; Wilfrid Paktoum (Jozy Altidore 64'), Matt Polster; Tommy McNamara (Arnor Traustason 72'), Carles Gil (C), Dylan Borrero (Emmanuel Boateng 73'); Gustavo Bou (Lucas Maciel 90')

Subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, A.J. DeLaGarza, Damian Rivera, Justin Rennicks

Scoring Summary:

NE -- Gustavo Bou 2 (Dylan Borrero 1) 30'

SKC -- Johnny Russell 5 (unassisted) 52'

NE -- Emmanuel Boateng 1 (unassisted) 87'

Misconduct Summary:

NE -- Gustavo Bou (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 7'

NE -- Matt Polster (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 24'

SKC -- Kortne Ford (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 34'

NE -- Uri Rosell (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 45+2'

SKC -- Uri Rosell (red card; serious foul play) 48'

NE -- Andrew Farrell (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 50'

NE -- DeJuan Jones (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 55'

Stat SKC NE

Shots 9 12

Shots on Goal 2 5

Saves 3 1

Fouls 9 10

Offsides 1 2

Corner Kicks 6 5

Referee: Chris Penso

Assistant Referee: Kyle Atkins

Assistant Referee: Mike Rottersman

Fourth Official: Jon Freemon

VAR: Daniel Radford

AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert

Check out the Sporting Kansas City Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from June 12, 2022


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