Sporting Rallies for 3-3 Draw
May 25, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
For the third time this season, Sporting Kansas City (3-8-4, 13 points) spun a multi-goal deficit into a result as Daniel Salloi, Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia combined to score three goals in eight scintillating second-half minutes in a 3-3 thriller against the New England Revolution (5-4-4, 19 points) at Children's Mercy Park.
After New England took a 2-0 lead into halftime behind Tomas Chancalay's opener and an own goal, Sporting rallied vengefully with Salloi, Joveljic and Garcia leading a wild turnaround to give the hosts a 3-2 advantage by the 61st minute. However, the Revolution would extend their MLS unbeaten streak to seven matches by restoring parity in the 84th minute on an equalizer from veteran forward Maxi Urruti.
Sporting has overcome two-goal deficits on three occasions this season after losing 47 straight regular season matches when trailing my two or more goals from April 2019 through the end of 2024. With draws in three consecutive matches, Kansas City will now look ahead to a road tilt against familiar foe Houston Dynamo FC next Saturday, May 31. Kickoff at Shell Energy Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin made three changes to Sporting's starting XI from a scoreless draw at San Diego FC last weekend. Andrew Brody entered at right back in place of Khiry Shelton, Salloi replaced Erik Thommy at left wing and Joveljic reprised his center forward role with Santiago Munoz dropping to the bench.
Saturday's contest flowed with emotion as Sporting players, coaches and fans honored former Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda, who passed away Tuesday in Israel at the age of 31. Pregame tributes and in-game chants from the Members Stand celebrated the memory of Kinda, who donned the No. 10 jersey that now belongs to Salloi. Fittingly enough, it was Salloi who kickstarted Sporting's second-half fightback and almost opened the scoring twice inside six minutes, only to smash high on a side volley and wide on a breakaway with only New England keeper Aljaz Ivacic to beat.
The Revolution seized control shortly thereafter, drawing first blood in the 14th minute on a close-range finish from Chancalay, who was making his first MLS start in almost exactly a year after missing most of 2024 with an ACL injury. Nine minutes later, a driven ball into the six-yard area from Peyton Miller forced an unlucky own goal off the foot of 19-year-old midfielder Jacob Bartlett, burying the hosts in a 2-0 hole.
Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin summoned the services of three substitutes at halftime as Shelton, Thommy and Logan Ndenbe all took the field. Sporting looked like a decidedly new team after the restart and cut their deficit in half on 53 minutes. After Ivacic spilled Thommy's 24-yard piledriver, Salloi was on hand to slot home the rebound for his fifth strike of the campaign. The homegrown forward's 52 regular season goals and 65 goals across all competitions are both fourth most in club history.
Purring with momentum, Sporting won a penalty kick four minutes later when Joveljic was topped from behind by Revolution center back Mamadou Fofana, preventing the Serbian international from taking a shot at point-blank range. Joveljic promptly buried the subsequent spot kick for the Designated Player's team-leading seventh goal of the season and the 41st of his regular season career.
With Children's Mercy Park buzzing and the Revolution on the back foot, Sporting capped an astonishing eight-minute stretch on a sublime team goal after 61 minutes. Zorhan Bassong played Thommy into space on the right wing and the German lofted a pinpoint delivery into the area for Garcia, who took a settling touch before blistering a shot into the left corner, vaulting Kansas City ahead 3-2 with his second goal of the year. Thommy now has three assists in 2025, all coming in substitute appearances, while Bassong tabbed his first assist of the campaign.
Sporting's three-goal salvo from the 53rd to the 61st minutes marked the second time that Kansas City has bagged three goals in eight or fewer minutes this year, having done so in a 5-3 victory at the San Jose Earthquakes on April 19.
Saturday's barnburner delivered yet another dramatic twist in the 77th minute when the Revolution thought they had leveled terms. Ignatius Ganago's sliding finish off a Brandon Bye cross and an ensuing shot by Wyatt Omsberg found the back of the net, but the goal was rightly disallowed because Ganago was in an offside position. Referee Sergii Boiko was even prompted to take a second look at the play from VAR Katja Koroleva, and the head official upheld his original call.
Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp produced a clutch save to thwart Urruti in the 83rd minute before Bye nodded inches wide off a New England corner kick a moment later. Yet the Revolution would find their third goal with six minutes remaining, Urruti finishing on the doorstep off a feed from Luis Diaz.
Both sides traded blows in the late stages as 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time unfolded, but neither team could conjure a winner.
QUOTES
Sporting KC interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin
Thoughts on the match...
We were slow out of the gate. I think we were slow getting pressure on the ball and that led to a lot of opportunities for them. Obviously the two goals that they got had us chasing again from early in the game. We started stepping up the field, but not with any real sort of organization. We wanted to, we were just late to a lot of things. We made a little shift tactically to start the second half. We brought on three new players, which gave great energy to the game and kind of started turning the game in our favor. But after the instructions were given at halftime, I told the guys, 'As much as we're going to make these tactical changes, the real way to get back in this game is to start to compete. We need energy and we need an emotional commitment to the second half.' We, as a group, have been through a lot this year already. To come back from 2-0 with 45 minutes to play at our home is not that big of a deal compared to what this group has been through. I said that to them as well and all credit to them. They've made us proud once again. Although the result didn't go in the most positive direction, you can see the competitiveness, the spirit, the will, the want in the group and it's very difficult to be disappointed when you have a group like that.
On the team's first match since Gadi Kinda passed away...
There was a part of that emotion that led to the outburst. They didn't want to let the night and that way. You would probably have to ask them individually, because this was very much an individual feeling based on the loss of Gadi. We all feel it, some at a different level, but throughout the week all of the club has supported each other. Once again tonight, in a difficult moment of adversity on the field, there was that support again. I certainly believe that there was someone watching tonight.
On the play of Zorhan Bassong...
No doubt, he was the instigator through the midfield. The ball that he won through the midfield that resulted in the goal was just one of the many plays he made in the second half. He's been building confidence. He's been playing a lot. He's been understanding his role more and more. And he's got a gigantic heart. We saw that tonight. Everyone was able to see that tonight. We see it every day, but tonight we saw it on full display.
On the offensive changes in the second half...
I think it always starts with mentality and the will and the want with a true intention of accomplishing something as a group. After that, you have your organization. You want your players in certain areas on the field. We went higher in the game in the second half to press the ball and we turned them over in dangerous areas. Manu (Garcia's) goal was the result of something we saw in them in the way that they defended at the top of the box. Maybe that was an intentional action based on scouting and training, but the rest is all on the players. We saw the will and the determination and that was the difference in the first and second half.
On the tactical change to help Manu Garcia...
Part of it was our defensive starting positions. We wanted our wingbacks to be a little bit higher up the field in the first half. Their outside backs were getting a lot of the ball and we were late to arrive there. Being more aggressive there in more of a man-orientated way allowed Manu to be up the field because his direct opponent was close. When that ball turned over, he was very quick and he was close so he was able to make actions in the final third. I think that contributed to it, but I say it to you like I did the players: you can make all the tactical adjustments you want. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. But without the will and the determination, it's useless. That is really the story for me tonight. Once again, the courage, the bravery, the determination of a group. That's fantastic to be around.
On the injury to Robert Voloder...
I don't know what the extent of the injury is. As he went down, he was holding his shoulder. It looks like a collarbone but it's too early to tell. I haven't heard anything, but that was a loss that at that moment of the game. You didn't want to change out a central defender, certainly one that was having a good game. That hurt us at the end of the day but we move on.
On Dany Rosero and Joaquin Fernandez entering the match...
(Jacob) Bartlett has been sick all week and he gave a monster effort tonight after having missed a few days with flu-like symptoms. I would say he was close to 100%, but by no means at his top level. We were planning on that sub to begin with and Joaquin, having played as a defensive midfielder in his previous teams, was the natural solution considering we don't have another real number six. In recent weeks, we've shown the ability to drop our defensive midfielder into the back and make a five-man backline. With them putting so many players in forward positions trying to get the tying goal, that was the sub to put Joaquin in the back and go into more of a 5-4-1 to try to hold it down. We were up 3-2 so that was the intention of it. We wanted our wing backs, Logan (Ndenbe) and Khiry (Shelton), to get out and stop crosses and limit those opportunities. We did the best we could on the day and certainly stepping in after having been out for so long is not an easy situation to be in. They got those reps and we keep moving on.
Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi
On the comeback from 2-0 down...
We made some changes with player changes and tactical changes. We stepped up higher and the guys who came in did amazing and brought the energy. The whole team reacted well. I'm just proud of the team and the way we came back. It's shocking how we can play when we change our mindset and we are more forward. I'm very proud of the team but, at the same time, it's bittersweet not getting the win after that. It's tough. That stretch was amazing. Everything else, we have got to analyze it.
On the emotions after the death of Gadi Kinda...
I want to thank our ownership group, our president, our coaching staff and everyone for helping us honor him. This club helped us give him the tribute he deserved. It's just an extra thing that we could get some goals for him. I dedicate my goal for him. It's special and we're all going to miss him. I hope he was watching. He wanted us to win it, but I know he's smiling up there to see us fight for him.
On the significance of his goal tonight...
I'm just glad I could get one today. It was definitely a special night and after lots of emotions this week, it's nice to get on the scoreboard and dedicate this for him.
On the play of Zorhan Bassong...
We do see that. He's a great player and the way he pushed the team in the second half was amazing. I'm pretty sure he started all three attacks. It was just great and I'm proud of him. We need more of that and we need that for the whole game. We have all got to work on making that 15-minute stretch into 90-minute stretches.
Referee Sergii Boiko (via MLS pool reporter)
On the off-field treatment rule not being enforced during a first half stoppage...
New England #17, Ignatius Ganago, was not penalized under the Off-Field Treatment Rule due to the New England medical staff not entering field of play to administer treatment.
On the video review to confirm New England's disallowed goal...
During the video review, the referee determined that New England #17, Ignatius Ganago, was in an offside position at the time of the touch by New England #16, Wyatt Omsberg, and subsequently interfered with play by touching the ball.
2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 15
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 17,181
Weather: 69 degrees and cloudy
Score 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (3-8-4, 13 points) 0 3 3
New England Revolution (5-4-4, 19 points) 2 1 3
Sporting Kansas City: John Pulskamp; Andrew Brody (Khiry Shelton 46'), Jansen Miller, Robert Voloder (Dany Rosero 74'), Tim Leibold (Logan Ndenbe 46'); Jacob Bartlett (Joaquin Fernandez 86'), Manu Garcia, Zorhan Bassong; Shapi Suleymanov (Erik Thommy 46'), Dejan Joveljic, Daniel Salloi (C)
Subs Not Used: Ryan Schewe, Memo Rodriguez, Stephen Afrifa, Santiago Munoz
New England Revolution: Aljaz Ivacic; Ilay Feingold (Brandon Bye 64'), Brayan Ceballos, Mamadou Fofana (Wyatt Omsberg 70'), Tanner Beason (Maxi Urruti 79'), Peyton Miller; Matt Polster, Carles Gil (C), Alhassan Yusuf; Ignatius Ganago, Tomas Chancalay (Luis Diaz 70')
Subs Not Used: Alex Bono, Andrew Farrell, Keegan Hughes, Eric Klein, Jackson Yueill
Scoring Summary:
NE -- Tomas Chancalay 1 (Ignatius Ganago 3, Carles Gil 3) 14'
NE -- Own Goal (Jacob Bartlett) 23'
SKC -- Daniel Salloi 5 (unassisted) 53'
SKC -- Dejan Joveljic 7 (penalty kick) 59'
SKC -- Manu Garcia 2 (Erik Thommy 3, Zorhan Bassong 1) 61'
NE -- Maxi Urruti 1 (Luis Diaz 1, Alhassan Yusuf 2) 84'
Misconduct Summary:
NE -- Mamadou Fofana (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 57'
SKC -- Manu Garcia (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 68'
SKC -- Jacob Bartlett (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 76'
STAT SKC NE
Shots 16 11
Shots on Goal 5 6
Saves 4 2
Fouls 10 11
Offsides 2 2
Corner Kicks 5 1
Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referee: Walt Heatherly
Assistant Referee: Kevin Lock
Fourth Official: Brando Stevis
VAR: Katja Koroleva
AVAR: Brian Dunn
Major League Soccer Stories from May 25, 2025
- Sporting Rallies for 3-3 Draw - Sporting Kansas City
- San Jose Rallies From Two Goals Down to Earn Draw, Extend Unbeaten Streak in All Competitions to Seven Games - San Jose Earthquakes
- Yapi's Goal, Hansen's Shutout Power Win Over St. Louis CITY SC - Colorado Rapids
- Chancalay and Urruti Open 2025 MLS Accounts in Thrilling Draw - New England Revolution
- Unbeaten in 14! 'Caps Come Back in Salt Lake! - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Houston Dynamo FC Earn 3-3 Road Draw Versus San Jose Earthquakes - Houston Dynamo FC
- Utah Native Zavier Gozo Nets First-Ever RSL Goal in Home Defeat to Vancouver - Real Salt Lake
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