Sporting KC Falls 2-1 to Toluca in Leagues Cup
August 6, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City fell 2-1 to Deportivo Toluca FC on Monday in a competitive Leagues Cup 2024 group stage finale at Children's Mercy Park. Stephen Afrifa scored an excellent equalizer on the cusp of halftime for the hosts, but Toluca used goals from Jesus Angulo and Maximiliano Araujo to secure the victory and finish atop West Region Group 4.
Despite the result, Sporting has advanced to the Leagues Cup knockout stage as the second-place finisher in the group and will travel to face defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in the Round of 32 on Friday. Kickoff at Lower.com Field is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Manager Peter Vermes deployed a 4-2-3-1 lineup that featured three changes from Sporting's 2-1 win over Chicago Fire FC in their Leagues Cup opener on July 28. Robert Voloder replaced Andreu Fontas in central defense, while captain Johnny Russell and forward Alan Pulido relieved Daniel Salloi and Erik Thommy, respectively.
Toluca won at Children's Mercy Park for the second straight year, having beaten Sporting in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 last August, but Vermes' side enjoyed the brighter start on Monday. In the 19th minute, Afrifa cut centrally from the left wing and delivered a teasing cross that striker Willy Agada nodded marginally wide of the right post. Shortly thereafter, Afrifa settled into possession off a cleared corner kick and sent a searching ball to the opposite side of the penalty area for Robert Castellanos. The center back sent a volley back across the face of goal and Nemanja Radoja's booming effort from 15 yards carried over the bar.
Pulido, who starred in LIGA MX before joining Kansas City ahead of the 2020 campaign, almost vaulted Sporting ahead in spectacular fashion in the 34th minute, but his sweetly struck curler from 22 yards was cast aside by diving Toluca goalkeeper Tiago Volpi.
Toluca found its footing and landed the first blow in the 40th minute. After Sporting failed to clear their lines inside the box, Angulo scurried onto the ball, feigned a shot, then finished low past Tim Melia for his second goal in as many Leagues Cup matches.
Sporting suffered an injury blow in the 45th minute as Radoja was forced to exit, summoning the return of Jake Davis, who had spent the last three weeks with the U.S. Men's Olympic National Team in France. Second after his substitution into the game, Sporting were on level terms as Afrifa drifted into a pocket of space and unleashed a brilliant bending effort that beat Volpi from 25 yards. Afrifa now has five goals this season in all competitions, tied with Pulido and Thommy for second most on the team, while Russell picked up his 50th career assist for Sporting in all competitions and passed Roger Espinoza for fifth place on the club's all-time assist chart.
After Toluca went close to restoring its lead on the brink of intermission-Robert Morales' chip shot from a tight angle nestled wide into the side netting-Sporting threatened twice before the hour mark. Agada fired a close-range shot high off a pinpoint Russell cross before Pulido's laudable attempt from the edge of the box was palmed away by Volpi.
Four minutes after Brian Garcia misfired on a volley, the defender assisted Toluca's go-ahead goal in the 66th minute. The right back latched onto the end of Marcel Ruiz's searching diagonal ball and cushioned a header back across for Araujo to bundle home on the doorstep, making the score 2-1 in favor of the 10-time LIGA MX champions.
Angulo had his bid for a brace denied in the 70th minute as Melia made a smart save to deny the Toluca playmaker from the top of the box. Three minutes later, Sporting left back Logan Ndenbe received a standing ovation by entering the action for his first appearance since last November after overcoming an ACL injury suffered in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sporting committed numbers forward in search of a late equalizer, and a well-worked move down the left side involving Davis and Salloi culminated with Agada unearthing a shot that was blocked near the penalty spot in the 90th minute. Not long later, Thommy had a venomous blast punched away by the leaping Volpi as Toluca held on for the win.
QUOTES
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the team's missed chances...
The early chance by Willy (Agada) in the second half is a big chance. He's just got to smash it home. And he knows. We talked about it, him and I. I know where he's coming from but he has got to smash that home. It's different. Now they would really have to open up. And I think that we had the changes that come on to really then strike the other way. But I thought the vibe from our team was very good all night. We moved the ball well and I think we created very good chances. I thought we defended well within the game. I thought it was a good performance, just a little disappointed. Whether we had to go and play whoever, it was more about us winning the game. We performed well.
On the match-up with Toluca...
I actually think that we had a lot of the ball to be honest with you. I thought we had a lot of the ball in the game. I also think that, at times, in a good way we were very direct and I thought that caused them problems. I think as much as they were countering, so were we. They had a tough time with that as well. We created very good chances off of those situations. I think the difference is they scored two and we only scored one. But we had the chances to either go ahead and then see where the game goes or at least keep it level.
On Logan Ndenbe's return...
It was good for him. It was good for him to get his feet wet again. It's always different when you enter a game and I thought that was good for him. As I said, we were going to do it last game but I think this was a better decision based on what he has kind of prepared and gone through the last few weeks. I don't think that he missed a beat. I thought he was good. So it's a great step in the right direction for him and for the team. Really good.
On the game-winning goal...
I think he was chasing the guy back but I think two things. I think, one, we don't get pressure to the ball which we should. There's too much time on the ball for the player that played it. And then the other is that as a back four or whatever, we have to read that better -- just like in the first half when they got that late chance with the guy ran in behind. It's a very similar action. You just have to read the intention of the opponent and you have to drop with the game. And if you do that well, you don't give those kind of situations away. We talked about that at halftime so I'm a little bit disappointed in that aspect of it that we don't drop with the game there. I still submit we have got to get good pressure to the ball and we don't.
On Willy Agada converting more of his chances...
Either killer or ruthless, whatever word you want to use to describe it. When he gets that way, he'll be banging goals home like crazy. And he has that ability because he gets in really good spots and guys find him with his movement. So now it's about him just being ruthless, killer, merciless, whatever you want to say.
Sporting Kansas City defender Jake Davis
On Sporting's 2-1 loss...
This is a game we can easily win. I guess I shouldn't say easily, but our opponent likes the game to be open, and I think we could have taken advantage of keeping the ball. The weather is humid; it's hot. We're a team that's good enough to do that. I just think that in part of the game, we got sucked into transition, and I think that made us tired. We had some good chances. We could have scored those, but I think the result is undeserving. I think that we were a good enough team to get a result and get three points.
On returning to Kansas City after competing with the U.S. Men's Olympic Team in France...
I got back Saturday, trained on Sunday, and I just wanted to be in the gameday squad. I felt good. I didn't play a game there, so I just wanted to get back into it and help the team. Today I felt bad for Nemanja (Radoja). I didn't want that (injury) to happen. Hopefully he'll be back. But when I saw when they wanted me to go in, I was just like, "All right, here we go." I wanted to help the team and I wanted to work because in Paris, I didn't play. It was a great experience, don't get me wrong. I was honored to be a part of that team, to get to know the (teammates) and the staff and represent the United States. But it also means a great amount to me to come back and fight for our season. So it was really good for me to get back and I felt good tonight. With the sleep and getting used to being back, I wanted to bring some energy into the game. I felt great.
On his experience with the U.S. Men's Olympic Team...
I don't think I was frustrated with not playing. I think that I was there knowing my role and I wanted to work as hard as I could and be at 100% with them to make sure that I was being the best teammate for those guys and helping them get prepared for each game. A little part of me during the first week missed Sporting. I think I'm maybe the first guy who's ever been in Europe and Paris to miss Kansas City. But I think I went there with my head high and I just wanted to work for those guys. A lot of the guys there have a great mentality, and I think it's good to see different perspectives. So I think that was a great learning experience. Obviously I didn't get to play, but I think just being at that level with guys who were there definitely made me a better player and helped me learn a lot about the game. I'm happy that I can bring that back here and give even more to the team.
On his favorite memory with the Olympic Team in France...
When we ran onto the field to warm up against France in the first game, the whole stadium was booing. It was the largest stadium in France and literally everyone is booing us. That to me was perfect-like dancing in the rain, dancing in the chaos. Even in the last game against Morocco, we warmed up and the whole Paris stadium was filled with Morocco fans. It was like we were the villains. I think I take pride in that, so I think that was the coolest memory.
On his participation in Monday's match...
I talked to Peter on Sunday and I just wanted to be a part of the full team. The substitution wasn't planned because (Radoja) got hurt. I don't know if there was anything planned for me in the game.
On how he stayed ready to compete during his time in France...
I don't like to rest. I don't necessarily like doing that. Whenever there were gamedays and I knew I wasn't playing, the day of the game and the day after, I was very proactive to (talk to) the staff there. I asked the staff there, "Look, I'm not playing in these games. So what can I be doing to make sure that I'm keeping the level of fitness that that I need so that when I come back (to Kansas City), I'm not going to drop?" I'm talking to them and saying, "Okay, I need to stay fit. So if anything happens, how can I be ready?" So I think I was very proactive to make sure that I was ready to come back here to play.
Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa
On his goal...
Honestly, I wasn't really thinking much about it. It's a favorite goal of mine to cut inside and shoot. I had the opportunity and I took it. I'm glad it went in.
On realizing it went in...
It kind of explains my celebration. There wasn't really much of it. The way the goalie looked, I thought, 'Oh, it's going over easily.' So when it hit the crossbar and it bounced and went back in, I was surprised. It caught me a little bit off, but I was glad it went in.
If it's his best goal so far...
I would say so, yes. Let's forget about the first one.
On his second season...
Great. I have the confidence and just want to keep building on it. We didn't get the result we wanted today, so I just want to be impactful in that way and just do what I can to help us win.
On the result...
We had the chances. It's not like we got blown out of the game, but at the same time it's also positive that we're getting those chances. We know on another night, the opportunities could go in and it could be a different story. So overall, I can't really say I'm mad at it but we have got to do better with the chances.
Leagues Cup 2024 | West Region Group 4
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 14,797
Weather: 91 degrees and sunny
Score 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (1-1-0, 3 points) 1 0 1
Deportivo Toluca FC (2-0-0, 6 points) 1 1 2
Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Khiry Shelton, Robert Castellanos (Dany Rosero 73'), Robert Voloder (Logan Ndenbe 73'), Tim Leibold; Remi Walter, Nemanja Radoja (Jake Davis 45'); Johnny Russell (C), Alan Pulido (Erik Thommy 61'), Stephen Afrifa (Daniel Salloi 60'); Willy Agada
Subs Not Used: John Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe, Zorhan Bassong, Andreu Fontas, Kayden Pierre, Memo Rodriguez, Alenis Vargas
Deportivo Toluca FC: Tiago Volpi; Brian Garcia, Bruno Mendez, Federico Pereira (Luan 50'), Jesus Gallardo; Victor Arteaga (Frankie Amaya 58'), Marcel Ruiz; Juan Dominguez (Maximiliano Araujo 46'), Alexis Vega (C), Jesus Angulo (Jean Meneses 73'); Robert Morales (Edgar Lopez 57')
Subs Not Used: Ronaldo Beltran, Luis Garcia, Claudio Baeza, Carlos Orrantia, Abraham Villegas, Isaias Violante, Emiliano Freyfeld
Scoring Summary:
TOL -- Jesus Angulo 2 (unassisted) 40'
SKC -- Stephen Afrifa 1 (Johnny Russell 1) 45+1'
SKC -- Maximiliano Araujo 1 (Brian Garcia 1) 66'
Misconduct Summary:
SKC -- Tim Leibold (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 45+3'
SKC -- Dany Rosero (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 79'
TOL -- Jean Meneses (yellow card; delaying a restart) 90+3'
Stat SKC TOL
Shots 15 12
Shots on Goal 6 6
Saves 4 5
Fouls 12 14
Offsides 0 3
Corner Kicks 3 4
Referee: Fernando Guerrero
Assistant Referee: Michel Espinoza AÃÂvalos
Assistant Referee: Leonardo Castillo RodriÃÂguez
Fourth Official: Astrid Gramajo
VAR: Erick Miranda
AVAR: Luis Enrique Santander
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