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MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Rolls to 6-0 Win over Omaha

June 23, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City surged into the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals with a 6-0 quarterfinal thrashing of Union Omaha on Wednesday night at festive Children's Mercy Park, matching the largest margin of victory in club history.

Winger Daniel Salloi bagged a sensational brace to become Sporting's all-time Open Cup scoring leader, center back Kortne Ford nodded home before halftime, Khiry Shelton added a goal and two assists and Felipe Hernandez rounded out the barrage with two sublime strikes in the second half.

By swiftly eliminating their third-division opponents, Sporting has sealed a semifinal date with USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC in American soccer's oldest and most prestigious domestic cup competition. Hosting rights for the fixture, set to be played on July 26 or 27, will be determined via Thursday's draw during Futbol Americas on ESPN Plus at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Wednesday's result pushed Sporting's home unbeaten run in the U.S. Open Cup to 12 matches since 2015 as Union Omaha-a third-division club and the reigning USL League One champions-had their Cinderella run come to an end after famous upsets over Chicago Fire FC and Minnesota United FC earlier in the tournament.

Sporting has notably reached the Open Cup semifinals for the sixth time in team history, with each of the club's last four appearances-in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017-serving as the penultimate step to a tournament title. In addition, Peter Vermes has now prevailed in 26 of 33 Open Cup matches as Sporting's manager, posting a 23-7-3 record with the three draws accounting for shootout victories.

Just 72 hours after defeating Nashville SC for the club's first road win of the season, Sporting rolled out a lineup that featured four defensive changes. Ford, goalkeeper John Pulskamp and full backs Kayden Pierre Ben Sweat earned starts as Tim Melia, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Logan Ndenbe and Graham Zusi were rested ahead of Saturday's visit to MLS heavyweights Seattle Sounders FC.

Hernandez, who scored a 38-yard free kick in Sunday's triumph at Nashville, went agonizingly close to drawing first blood inside two minutes. A quickfire Sporting attack down the left flank saw Cam Duke play forward to Salloi, who pulled back a cross for Hernandez near the top of the box. The 24-year-old midfielder met the pass with a sweet first-time strike off the outside of his right boot at the top of the box, but Omaha goalkeeper Nuhu Rashid produced a reflex stop to keep his team level.

Omaha threatened at the opposite end three minutes later. Joe Brito's hopeful delivery into the box skipped past a pair of Sporting defenders and fell to the feet of forward Kemal Malcolm, whose low drive was smothered by Pulskamp.

The visitors brought a healthy contingent of 800 traveling fans for the 155-mile trip from Omaha, but they were drowned out by the roar of raucous Sporting supporters in the 10th minute when Vermes' men landed the first punch. A brilliant attacking move sparked by captain Johnny Russell's buccaneering run through the middle was finished off with aplomb as Shelton squared low to Salloi for a simple finish into the gaping net.

Buzzing with momentum and buoyed by a fervent crowd, Sporting sought further damage in the 13th minute when Russell unleashed a 22-yard curler that Nuhu dove to palm. Not long later, Salloi nutmegged his marker along the left wing and forced another Nuhu stop at the near post before Russell's audacious bicycle kick carried over the crossbar.

Sporting's assault on the Omaha goal continued in the 23rd minute. Remi Walter's venomous long-range blast was parried away by Nuhu and Hernandez picked up the scraps, cannoning a shot high of the mark.

Nuhu's heroics prevented Sporting from doubling their lead in the 28th minute. Russell outjumped his marker to meet a Hernandez corner kick and plant a strong header goalward, but the Omaha gloveman reacted wonderfully by stretching out his right hand and pawing the ball away.

The upstart hosts would not be denied a second tally before halftime, however, as another Hernandez corner kick caused Omaha trouble. His out-swinging service in the 37th minute was cushioned home by the leaping Ford, who not only opened his Sporting Kansas City scoring account but bagged his first goal for an MLS club since scoring as a member of the Colorado Rapids against Sporting on May 27, 2017.

The lone Sporting setback of the first half came on the cusp of halftime. Ford suffered an injury in a collision following an Omaha set piece and was replaced by Isimat-Mirin, who had performed admirably three days earlier in the win versus Nashville.

The floodgates opened during a comprehensive second-half display as Sporting took the game into overdrive. Isolated on the left wing in the 53rd minute, Salloi emasculated a pair of defenders before slotting low past Nuhu for a jaw-dropping solo strike that brought nearly 18,000 Sporting fans to their feet. Salloi now has seven career goals in the U.S. Open Cup, passing Dom Dwyer for the most in club history.

Shelton's fantastic evening was punctuated three minutes later. The center forward did wonderfully to settle Isimat-Mirin's inch-perfect long ball over the top, muscle off a challenge from his defender and poke a low shot that beat Nuhu and caromed into the net off the right post. Isimat-Mirin notched his first Sporting assist on the play and Shelton recorded his second goal of the 2022 Open Cup campaign after scoring in extra time of a win over FC Dallas in the Round of 32.

Hernandez was another standout candidate for man of the match and built on his first-half assist by providing the final two goals of the contest. He smashed a first-time effort into the right corner off Marinos Tzionis' cross in the 66th minute, then scored an equally wicked strike 15 minutes later on a feed from Logan Ndenbe.

With a ticket punched to the Open Cup semifinals, Sporting will direct its gaze on the resumption of the MLS regular season and a marquee matchup against the Sounders on Saturday. Kickoff at Lumen Field is slated for 2 p.m. CT with national coverage on ABC, the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes as well as local radio calls on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.

QUOTES Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

Thoughts on the match...

I think that these are always really, really dangerous games. If you come with the effort and you have respect for your opponent and you understand that they want to win as well and you go out and you play your game, then you give yourself a chance. I think the guys, today, they were hungry, they were organized and I also believe they gave the effort that they needed to, but they were also disciplined in the game. Sometimes in games you have the ball a lot or you get some chances and, next thing you know, you start to get antsy to score and you get out of position and you become unorganized, which then the other team hurts you. So I thought that we were very, very disciplined and that was huge for us tonight.

On the early save from John Pulskamp...

Sometimes for a goalkeeper, where John is coming in and playing with the first group in a game, it's almost good for him to get into the game by a save like that because it gets him ready to go. That's his job. That's what he's supposed to do. He did what he's supposed to do.

On the team's ball movement...

It was part of our game plan, but it's also part of our identity. I think the fact that we've had some consistency in the group out on the field and we're getting guys back - maybe they're not all 100% fit, but getting those guys back that understand our identity and having them out on the field - and that consistency, it lends itself to playing who we are. We kept the ball really well. It's not easy. If you look at the opening kick off, they came to press us right away. We kept our composure. We were good on the ball, which was very important for tonight's game, for the game itself, and also for us moving forward.

On the play of Daniel Salloi...

I thought he was a handful on the lefthand side for them. He has excellent movement off the ball, but I also think part of the reason why he was so effective is that when Cam Duke was playing in between the lines and he was pretty disciplined too. It is what we wanted him to do. He was so good at turning and running at the back line and feeding Daniel in the run, as opposed to giving it to him and then he has to start from a stopped starting position. So I think that was a big help to it as well. His timing to get in the box is fantastic and it's good to see him getting into that rhythm. But I really think that Cam, in the way that he played in that pocket, it's very similar to what Gadi (Kinda) can do as well. He can play in between the line. He turns and he attacks the opposing team, their backline, and he engages players to come to him and slips the ball so that the guy who receives it has a little more time and he's on the run. I thought Cam did a really good job of that today.

On the team attacking the outside backs...

It was part of the game plan. I thought that because of our movement of the ball, it was going to be good and we could move from side to side and then find 2v1 or 3v2 situations. That was going to be big. But the other is that Khiry (Shelton) was very good of coming off the backline and pulling guys out with him. And if they didn't come, then we had four against two in the midfield, which I think we overpowered them just with number, and that was a big part of the game, too.

On the play of Khiry Shelton...

It was one of his better games. The fact that he was able to play on the weekend and play again here. He needs rhythm. He's been out quite a few times during the season. It has had an effect on his fitness. It's had an effect on his rhythm of play, all of that. But this was one of his better games for us just in his movement and keeping the ball and finding other players and then getting back into the box. It's a great goal he scored, just for him because the movement off the ball, the first touch and then obviously the execution of the goal.

On the match-up with Union Omaha...

I think you've got to give them a lot of credit. They came to play. They didn't just sit back and defend. They tried. I think when you're in these competitions, you have to take your shot. Obviously, you can't throw tactics and game plans to the wind, but you also have to come and try and play. I think that they should walk away feeling really good about the fact that they did. They tried to come and play. There obviously is a difference between the leagues, but they represented themselves very well.

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez

On his performance...

It was fun, for sure. (Kayden Pierre) played a great ball across and luckily I was on the front foot and I was able to get a good touch and put it away. And then on the second one, Logan (Ndenbe) picks his head up and plays me a good firm ball and it rolled off my foot pretty well and into the back of the net. It was nice to go out there and get the job done.

On the feeling of scoring six goals...

I think that was the game plan. We came out, we were hungry and we just didn't back down. We were up 2-0, 3-0 and we wanted more. And that's why we're able to put away six.

On the atmosphere at the stadium with the visiting supporters...

It was good. The first five minutes, I could hear that corner. They were loud and rowdy. I could hear them all game, so it was good to see that from them. But our fans are awesome as well, like they always are. They came out and killed it as well.

On his recent run of form...

I feel good right now. I've been feeling good for a little bit. My fitness is good and my rhythm. I feel like I'm training well and it's correlating into the game. The team is getting results right now, so that's what matters.

Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi

On his second goal...

I just tried to do the most with the space and tried to create something with the fake shot, and then trying to shoot the ball. I think it all worked out well. I just watched it back, and it looked really good so I'm happy about it. I'm happy that we advanced, and this is the competition we have to go for this year. The team's ready for it. It's going to be a tough game against Sacramento, but I think we have it in ourselves to make it to the final and then hopefully win it.

On Union Omaha...

It was an amazing run they had in the Open Cup and congratulations to them. These are the games and the teams that open up the question, what would happen if you had promotion and relegation in America? These teams are doing amazing and it's the same with Sacramento. It would be interesting. We treated them as an MLS team, and we went for it. Every minute of the game, we were pushing it and that's the result. I'm very proud of the team because that's how we have to treat every game. That's how we have to fly into every game. This is big time, how we showed that this is our place. We have to do the same thing with Sacramento. Even if it's away or at home, we have to go for it.

On Sporting's execution, attacking from the outside...

I tried to make them work and it was working out well. We created many chances and it's good when you have a game plan, and you execute it well. That's what we'll have to do in the upcoming games as well.

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