Sporting KC Falls to LA Galaxy
MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Falls to LA Galaxy

Published on September 27, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Dejan Joveljic scored against his former club for his 18th goal of the season as 10-man Sporting Kansas City (7-19-6, 27 points) fell 4-1 to the LA Galaxy (5-17-9, 24 points) on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Joveljic, who won the 2024 MLS Cup with the Galaxy, converted on a clinical finish in the 28th minute, but LA secured three points behind Joseph Paintsil's hat trick and a second-half goal from Diego Fagundez. To worsen matters for Sporting, forward Shapi Suleymanov received a late red card for serious foul play in a game that saw both teams amass 19 shot attempts.

Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin made four changes to Sporting's lineup from a 2-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC last weekend as the team shifted to a 4-4-2 formation. Stephen Afrifa earned his first start of the season, entering for Suleymanov, and Memo Rodriguez landed his first start since July 12 by replacing Jake Davis in the midfield. Daniel Salloi, who missed last week's match due to injury, returned to the XI in the absence of injured captain Erik Thommy, while Mason Toye started up top in place of Santi Munoz.

An open and eventful contest saw the Galaxy threaten twice inside three minutes with 17-year-old Sporting defender Ian James doing well to block a shot from Paintsil and goalkeeper John Pulskamp palming an in-swinging Gabriel Pec corner kick over the bar. However, the hosts were rewarded for their quick start in the fourth minute when Paintsil punctuated an orchestrated set piece play by receiving a pass from Mauricio Cuevas and curling low into the far right corner to give his side a 1-0 advantage.

Sporting lacked no attacking ambition and orchestrated their first chance in the 14th minute, Joveljic forcing a save from Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic after a well-worked move through the central channel. Eight minutes later, Joveljic and Rodriguez interchanged neatly before Toye uncorked a low drive that Micovic smothered.

Pulskamp did brilliantly to deny Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec at a tight angle in the 20th minute, but he was helpless in preventing LA's second goal five minutes thereafter. Harbor Miller exploited a pocket of space on the left side of the box and pinged a driven ball across the face of goal that fell kindly to Paintsil, who dispatched a simple finish into the gaping net for his second goal of the game.

The visitors grabbed a goal back off the boot of Joveljic, who now occupies fourth place in the MLS Golden Boot race. Rodriguez played a clever ball into the penalty area for Toye, who laid the ball back to Joveljic on the edge of the box. The Serbian striker made no mistake from there, beating Micovic at the near post with a precise right-footed effort to make the score 2-1. Joveljic's 18 goals this year are tied with Preki (1996) for the second most in a single regular season in club history, while his 39 MLS goals since the start of 2024 (including playoffs) are third most in the league. Joveljic, a member of the Galaxy in 2024, now has goals in his last six matches at Dignity Health Sports Park, scoring eight total goals in those six games including the game-winning goal in MLS Cup on Dec. 7, 2024.

Sporting went agonizingly close to leveling terms on the half-hour mark. Joveljic weaved his way through traffic and spread the ball right to Afrifa, whose right-footed belter beat Micovic but shook the crossbar.

Paintstil secured his hat trick in the 43rd minute, bundling home at point blank range off a Cuevas cross, then almost added a fourth in first-half stoppage time by smacking a right-footed strike off the right post.

Zavagnin's side began the second half brightly. In the 48th minutes, Logan Ndenbe overlapped down the left side and curled an inch-perfect cross to the far post for Afrifa, whose volleyed attempt was cast aside by Micovic. Seconds later, Salloi's 22-yard curler was destined for the far corner, but Micovic did superbly to produce a fingertip save.

The Galaxy capped their scoring at the hour juncture with Fagundez tapping home off a Pec pullback, putting the visitors in a 4-1 hole. At the opposite end, Toye was unfortunate not to etch his name onto the scoresheet in the 65th minute with a shot that fizzed inches wide.

Pulskamp was busy throughout the night and delivered a trio of impressive saves in the dying embers, twice denying substitute Ruben Ramos Jr. his first career MLS goal in addition to stymying Miki Yamane on the breakaway. Suleymanov, who entered as a 70th-minute substitute, then received his marching orders for an aggressive foul as Sporting were reduced to 10 men.

Deep into second-half stoppage time, Joveljic almost tallied his second goal of the night. The 26-year-old settled a pinpoint cross from Toye and unleashed a shot that was blocked on the edge of the six-yard area.

Sporting will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 4, by visiting regional rival Minnesota United FC in the club's penultimate match of the regular season. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

QUOTES

Sporting KC interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin

Thoughts on the match...

Again, right out of the gate, we started the game fine. We got a few corner kicks. We were in their end very, very quickly to start the game. Unfortunately, we give up an easy ball at midfield which leads to a corner kick and once again the game starts before five minutes off of a corner kick with another set piece that we give up and that already started pointing us in the direction of setting the game up and certainly lacking confidence moving forward in the game. I thought the effort continued to be okay. There were moments and situations that we created that were decent. But again with the third goal three minutes before halftime, we weren't able to see out the half. And certainly when you come in 3-1 at halftime after having so many promising ideas in the attack, but giving up way too much defensively, I think that led to our downfall. The second half was a little bit more of the same, where there seemed to be moments where we looked promising and dangerous. Unfortunately, we were just too soft and weak and vulnerable defensively, which has been most of our issues this year. But again tonight, certainly that was the reason for the result.

On conceding early and late in the first half...

I think when you look at the concentration and the discipline of the group to play every roll of the ball and to start the game on the front foot, which I've seen time and time again this year that from the kickoff it looks like we're coming out with energy and it looks somewhat promising where we end up in their end very, very quickly only to give up a very easy play that results in a goal for them. I think that's happened too many times this year. Certainly, when you get to the 35th or 40th minute of the first half, the lack of awareness within the group to understand that there are only five minutes left in the half and you're down 2-1 away from home. It's not the best position, but certainly one that you can overcome. Once again, we lacked our concentration and focus, and 3-1 is a lot different than 2-1 going into halftime.

On the explanation of the red card to Shapi Suleymanov...

I had asked for it. I was unable to see the replay. I had asked on the sideline if it was a reviewed play and they said yes. I still couldn't get quite the explanation of why he was thrown out, but I really didn't dig that far into it. We had other issues in the game and on the field, but I'll have to review that.

On the goals conceded...

As we've talked on the attacking side of the ball, we like those crosses or those passbacks from the half space into the second six-yard box and a lot of teams are trying to do that. Unfortunately, no matter what formation we're putting in, whether we put a defensive midfielder in there to help protect that space or a double pivot, it doesn't seem to be working. It doesn't work. Time and time again you have balls that are played behind our outside backs and then as we lose a center back trying to cover the space, we don't cover the important spaces. We're going to try to get better at that. We've tried to get better at that all year, but unfortunately it's one of the big issues within our team.

On the play of Stephen Afrifa...

I think he had moments where he was dangerous. Even on the right side -- he's more accustomed to playing on the left -- but we knew that if we were able to pull their outside backs out and stretch them wide, that they have difficulty also connecting with the game. We were hoping to expose that space. On his chance early in the second half, he arrived well. I think he got good wood on it. Unfortunately, it didn't go in but there were some good moments from him tonight and certainly something to build on.

Sporting KC forward Mason Toye

Thoughts on the match...

I think all in all, it just wasn't our night. Everything was just a little bit off. Finishing, timing of pass, all that type of stuff was just a little bit off tonight. We were able to create some chances in the game. Dejan (Joveljic) did a great job of finishing one off and made it 2-1. And then again, it's just this season we've had a really tough time of managing the game and managing moments. When you give up the third goal to go down 3-1 before the half, it's a tough one to take.It just really wasn't our night.

On the goal from Dejan Joveljic...

It's a pleasure playing with him. As I always say, he's one of the best strikers in MLS and he shows it every week. You just see it in the stats, but also in training. I know he's always going to find good spots so I'm always looking for him and I know he's going to finish it off so when I got the ball I just tried to give it a good way to pass and I had no doubt he was going to finish it. I'm ecstatic for him. It was a special night for him to get the ring and for him to get a goal as well which was special. Obviously, it's a really crappy result but again I'm just stoked for him because he deserves to get his flowers.

Sporting Kansas City: John Pulskamp; Khiry Shelton (Jake Davis 46'), Ian James, Alan Montes (Robert Voloder 70'), Logan Ndenbe; Stephen Afrifa (Santi Munoz 61'), Memo Rodriguez (Jacob Bartlett 61'), Zorhan Bassong, Daniel Salloi (C) (Shapi Suleymanov 70'); Mason Toye, Dejan Joveljic

Subs Not Used: Ryan Schewe, Jansen Miller, Nemanja Radoja

LA Galaxy: Novak Micovic; Mauricio Cuevas (Miki Yamane 77'), Chris Rindov (Emiro Garces 65'), Maya Yoshida (C), John Nelson; Elijah Wynder (Ruben Ramos Jr. 74'), Edwin Cerrillo; Harbor Miller (Julian Aude 65'), Diego Fagundez, Joseph Paintsil (Miguel Berry 65'); Gabriel Pec

Subs Not Used: JT Marcinkowski, Zanka, Eriq Zavaleta, Tucker Lepley

Scoring Summary:

LA -- Joseph Paintsil 7 (Mauricio Cuevas 4, Diego Fagundez 3) 4'

LA -- Joseph Paintsil 8 (unassisted) 25'

SKC -- Dejan Joveljic 18 (Mason Toye 2, Memo Rodriguez 1') 28'

LA -- Joseph Paintsil 9 (Mauricio Cuevas 5, Gabriel Pec 7) 43'

LA -- Diego Fagundez 5 (Gabriel Pec 8, Joseph Paintsil 4) 60'

Misconduct Summary:

SKC -- Shapi Suleymanov (red card; serious foul play) 83'

LA -- Miki Yamane (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 87'

LA -- Emiro Garces (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 90+1' STATSKCLA Shots1919 Shots on Goal69 Saves55 Fouls810 Offsides00 Corner Kicks97

Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant Referee: Felisha Mariscal Assistant Referee: Jeffrey Greeson Fourth Official: Bhavik Dutt VAR: Alyssa Pennington AVAR: TJ Zablocki

-- SportingKC.com --

Check out the Sporting Kansas City Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from September 27, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central