Sporting takes provisional lead atop Western Conference standings

October 3, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release

A pulsating 4-2 victory over rivals Houston Dynamo FC (5-12-12, 27 points) saw Sporting Kansas City (15-6-7, 52 points) take provisional hold of first place in the Western Conference on Sunday afternoon at sun-drenched Children's Mercy Park.

Captain Johnny Russell struck on both sides of halftime, becoming the second player in club history to score in five consecutive regular season matches, while fellow forward Daniel Salloi strengthened his MLS MVP bid with a goal and an assist. Midfielder Gadi Kinda also notched one and set up another as Sporting took a one-point lead over Seattle Sounders FC at the top of the West.

With the 170th regular season win of his heralded managerial career, Sporting Manager Peter Vermes became the fourth-winningest coach in MLS history in a game that entertained from start to finish. Vermes' side leads the league with 11 multi-goal victories in 2021 and has now scored at least three goals on nine occasions this season, tying the club record.

Having secured a thrilling and emotional triumph on home turf, Sporting will recuperate over the next week before hitting the stretch run of the 2021 MLS regular season. Sporting's first of six remaining fixtures will take place on Oct. 17 when the team visits Vancouver Whitecaps FC for a 9 p.m. CT kickoff at BC Place.

Vermes made a single change to his starting XI from an impressive 3-1 road win over FC Dallas on Wednesday as defender Graham Zusi -- who on Sunday became the 12th active MLS player to eclipse 100 combined regular season goals and assists -- reclaimed his role at right back with Cam Duke dropping to the substitutes' bench.

Supporters were treated to a bevy of scoring chances during a 90-minute track meet and burst in applause for the first time after 13 minutes. Russell had raced in behind the Houston defense and was toppled clumsily by Houston's Sam Junqua in the penalty area. The infraction prompted referee Alex Chilowicz to point to the penalty spot, and after Junqua's blushes were spared when a VAR review deemed that his foul wasn't a red card offense, Russell calmly slotted his spot kick into the right corner past Dynamo goalkeeper Michael Nelson. The successful attempt gives Russell goals in five straight games, tying the Kansas City record set by Preki in 1996, and set the stage for more end-to-end action.

Houston had three goals called back for offsides throughout the match, the first of which coming in the 21st minute when Corey Baird chipped a shot over Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia and into the back of the net. With Sporting's one-goal advantage still intact, Salloi beat the Houston backline a minute later and blistered a strike off the right goal post.

Undeterred, Salloi collected his well-deserved goal in the 26th minute. Frenchman Remi Walter did well to emerge with possession and accelerate into the attacking half before spreading it left to Kinda. The Israeli's perfectly weighted through ball found Salloi on the left side of the box, and the 25-year-old Sporting KC Academy product made no mistake by firing low across Nelson and into the far right corner. His 16 goals are the second-most in MLS this year and third-most in a single season in Kansas City history.

Displeased with the first half hour, Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos reshuffled his lineup with two first-half substitutes as Maxi Urruti and Joe Corona entered the fray. Houston improved from that point forward and could have drawn a goal back in the 37th minute, only for Urruti's volley off a clever Darwin Quintero dink pass to scream marginally wide.

The second half erupted with ceaseless energy as both sides committed numbers in attack. Sporting nearly went ahead by three goals in the 48th minute when Khiry Shelton dummied an incisive diagonal pass from Salloi that reached Kinda inside the box, but Nelson produced a crucial save to keep his team alive. Less than a minute later at the opposite end, Melia had an excellent stop of his own, thwarting Quintero's close-range effort off a driven Urruti cross.

Houston pumped drama back into the spectacle by cutting their deficit in half after 50 minutes. In-form winger Fafa Picault latched onto a looping delivery from Griffin Dorsey and slammed a first-time finish into the roof of the net for his team-leading 11th goal of the year and his ninth in the last 13 games. Dorsey and Picault connected again in the 56th minute, the latter snapping a powerful header past Melia, but the offside flag had been raised.

The Dynamo would rue their missed opportunity shortly thereafter. With 57 minutes on the clock, Kinda weaved his way into the attacking third and played a lovely give-and-go with Salloi before stroking a shot beyond the outstretched Nelson for his fifth goal of the season. Salloi registered his seventh assist of the campaign on the play and leads MLS with 23 total goal contributions on the year -- the fifth-most by a Sporting player in a single regular season.

Russell almost put the game to bed in the 74th minute, rifling narrowly wide and into the side netting, before Houston grabbed another goal on 76 minutes to set up a nervy ending. Quintero etched his name onto the scoresheet with a header off Picault's teasing cross, his second goal of the year and his fourth career MLS goal against Sporting. Not long later, Houston's third disallowed goal saw Urruti sprint onto a through ball from an offside position and tuck low into the net.

The final five minutes plus stoppage time unfolded in breathless and wildly entertaining fashion. Second-half substitute Roger Espinoza was on the end of a big chance for Sporting in the 85th minute, only to see Nelson come up with a big save. Houston then had a pair of attempts go begging as Quintero curled a free kick inches over the crossbar and Melia made a reflex stop to deny Urruti.

With Houston stretched in search of an equalizer, Sporting wrapped up all three points on a 90th-minute strike from Russell. Receiving a pass from Zusi near the right touchline, the Scottish winger marauded goalward and beat a pair of defenders before placing a superb side-footed shot into the far left corner for his 10th goal of the year. Russell leads MLS with seven goals since Aug. 28 and has six in his last five appearances.

Salloi had a fleeting opportunity to give Sporting their fifth goal of the day near the full-time whistle, but his lobbed effort carried just over the bar.

QUOTES

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

Thoughts on the match...

We left too many chances on the field. We had so many clear cut chances. We could have at some point probably scored, and I'm being conservative, six to eight goals and it would have been over. And then we can't let them score like they did. It was too easy, especially the second one. The second one was way too easy. What's always hard about these games, for me at least in my experience, in these games right before an international break, you've got players who are leaving and they're thinking - and it's not a criticism to them, it's just there's a lot of unknown - and then you've got two weeks off. That's the other part. You've got guys thinking about having two weeks off and we don't have a game. So there's just a lot of different things. You're trying to keep the guys focused. I thought in the first half we did a very good job. I said that this was going to be a dangerous game and I knew it would be. We did our job in the first half. In the second half, we let them in a little bit but we finally closed it out. A great solo effort by Johnny (Russell) to kind of take everybody off the edge of their seat.

On Johnny Russell matching Preki's record with goals in five straight games...

You see what (Johnny) does on the field, but he's an incredible leader with the group. He has a great personality. He's one of those guys that in the big moments, he doesn't break. He bends, but he always comes back. He's got more than just what you see him do on the field. He's got a big presence in our team. We're lucky to have him on our team and in our club.

On the team's focus over the next two weeks...

The bottom line is there are certain things that we need to, the best way to say it is you've got to tighten the jar down on a couple things. We'll do that. First, we'll get a little bit of a break mentally and physically. Physically, not having to play a game. Mentally, there will be a couple days off here or there for certain guys. Other guys will continue to train and we've got to keep building their fitness up. We also want to get some of the guys that haven't been playing a lot or haven't been playing at all, we can to continue to keep working toward getting them ready for this end-of-the-season push. We've still got a lot of work to do. We've got to keep working. We've got to keep getting better from that point of view. The final piece is to try and do the best we can to try and stay in some type of form so that when we come back and play that game, we're not just starting from ground zero.

On the form of Gadi Kinda...

I said to him that we need production. I wouldn't say that to him if he didn't have the quality for that. He has the quality for that. We need production. He needs to get assists. He needs to get goals. He needs to set things up on the field. He did that today. He had a couple chances. He had a great chance for a goal there at the start of the second half. We need production from him because we count on him for that. I wouldn't make that demand if he wasn't capable of doing it. He is and he takes it the right way. He was really getting into form and then he kind of fell off a little bit so hopefully this is a good step in that direction again, especially as we go into the push at the end of the season.

On Daniel Salloi being underestimated nationally...

I would say that's probably par for the course with our club. The simple way to put it is, pundits criticize us as if we're a super club. We're not a super club. I'm here to admit that. We're a small market. We don't spend the kind of money that people do on players in this league so that's fair. They criticize us like we're a super club but they don't give the credit to the players when they play well. I'm not here crying about it by any means. At the end of the day, I really don't care. If Daniel gets the MVP, great. At the end, what we all want is we want to win a trophy. We'll just keep working toward that. The rest of it is what it is. It's not a complaint. It's just the way it is. It's been like that, by the way, since I played here.

On Alan Pulido's form and fitness...

Last game he played 15 minutes. This game he played 30. We're going to keep trying to push the envelope on that. That's really what it comes down to. We've got to get him to where he's ready to go. Each game, hopefully we can keep adding minutes more and more and more. When he plays and he's out on the field, he does great things. It's just he doesn't have the capacity from a physical perspective to do it for 90 yet. And that's what we've got to build him up towards doing.

On closing out the match..

I think we were really good in the first half. I think we controlled the game. I think we just took our foot off the gas pedal and we made some bad decisions at times. I can tell you right now, you could have watched any game yesterday or the rest of them today and you'll see situations like that. If I'm going to be a part of a team that makes bad decisions up 3-1 and then winning 4-2, I'll take that any day of the week.

Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi

On tying the club record for most non-penalty goals in a season...

It's amazing, honestly. You don't get many years where you get to challenge these records. This is why I want to keep pushing and break the records you can. It's been amazing and I don't want to slow down at this point.

On being in the Golden Boot race without taking penalties...

It's a proud moment but at the same time, it's one of those that no one is going to care how many penalties you scored if you win the Golden Boot. I hope that my goals can take me as far as possible in the Golden Boot race and MVP race. I have a chance for it. I think this is the year when I can challenge for those awards. It's amazing. This is why I'm kind of mad. I could have had a hat trick today, honestly, but (on to the) next one.

On his goal...

I love playing with Gadi (Kinda). I think he's an amazing player. I'm so glad he's playing on my side. He's been unbelievable. The passes he gives me and the combination we played together, we always find each other in great spots. This is why making runs for Gadi is good because you are already planning your next move. You know he's the type of player who can put the ball on your feet. It's funny because I actually make this mistake many times that I get these balls and I don't take a good first touch. Tonight I took a perfect touch and placed it in the corner. Zoran (Savic), our assistant coach, and I were looking at situations like that after the Dallas game because there was one in that. I'm just trying to focus on the next situation. I'm glad I can fix my mistakes from my games before. That's why I get more and more goals.

On his assist to Gadi Kinda...

It was such an open pass. I have to pass it. I'm happy he scored. I've given him many passes in the past games and he's been missing them. I was telling him this needs to stop and he needs to start putting them away. I'm happy he did. I still love watching his celebration. I think it's awesome.

On his drive to be better...

You don't get many games where you can push for more and more goals. I felt like in Dallas I could have had a hat trick and today I could have had a hat trick. Those are the games when you can not rest because, as you saw, until the last second you can get a chance and you can have the chance to score. I just need to put them away. This is why I focus on the next one and the next one. I have to score as many as I can. This time, I'll just say I saved it for the national team a little bit.

Sporting Kansas City forward Johnny Russell

On scoring in five straight games...

I actually had no idea about that until like a minute ago. Everyone knows how much a legend Preki is at this club. To have your name up there with him in any stat is obviously something that you need to be proud of, especially the goals and assists that he got here. It's a nice little bit of history. The main thing is continuing to help the team win games. As long as I'm doing that, I'm happy.

On finding his form...

I was coming back from an injury, but even with that, I wasn't happy with the way I was playing. I wasn't really contributing in that sort of way which is what my job is. If you're not doing that, you obviously feel that you're not doing enough for the team. It was never a case of getting my head down. I've said plenty of times that when the first one came, there would be more. I've shown that throughout my career. They usually come in bunches. I'm in good form right now. It's all about contributing towards the team and what we're trying to achieve. At the end of the day, that's my job and that's what I'm here to do. Hopefully I can continue to do that in the last few games heading towards the playoffs.

On his 90th minute goal...

It's something that has always been part of my game. I try to eliminate players from the game or the play. If I can drive at one or two players and get by them, that means that we're going to have numbers up somewhere. If I can do that and give it to a guy that gets a chance at goal or I can get a chance at goal myself, it's always something that has been a big part of my game. It's something that I try and do. I practice a lot of it in training. Whenever I get the opportunity to take someone on, then I do it. It's down to confidence as well. It's not always going to pay off. There's not always going to be something at the end of it. It's something that I'm going to try and do to create things for my team.

On the play of Daniel Salloi...

It's incredible. I've said to him many times this year, he's by far for me the MVP this year. The fact that he's getting left out of the conversation is, to me, beyond baffling. His combined goals and assists, and even if you look at game-tying goals and game-winning goals, he's been invaluable for us this year. His confidence is on a completely different level. He's been amazing for us this year. He's been such a breath of fresh air. He's been like a new signing this year. He's been incredible. The form he's been on, obviously as his teammate but more as his friend, I'm delighted for the year that he's having and he doesn't show any signs of stopping at the minute.

On the team's dangerous players on the wings...

I think you've seen how difficult it can be when we're all in form and we're all connecting together and the team's moving together. I think we've shown time and time again this season that we're going to be hard to stop. It's up to us to do it in a more consistent basis, not just spells of the game but throughout the whole game. That's something that we're striving towards. When we've got this many dangerous guys, and not even just the front guys but the guys behind us as well, when you've got people there who can chip in with the goals as well then it makes us a very dangerous side. There's a few things that we need to sort out but for the most part, there are a lot of positives today.

2021 MLS Regular Season | Match 28

Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas

Attendance: 17,867

Weather: 72 degrees and mostly sunny

Score 1 2 F

Sporting Kansas City (15-6-7, 52 points) 2 2 4

Houston Dynamo FC (5-12-12, 27 points) 0 2 2

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Ilie Sanchez, Andreu Fontas, Luis Martins; Jose Mauri, Remi Walter (Cam Duke 73'), Gadi Kinda (Roger Espinoza 78'); Johnny Russell (C), Khiry Shelton (Alan Pulido 58'), Daniel Salloi

Subs Not Used: Kendall McIntosh, Amadou Dia, Roberto Puncec, Kaveh Rad, Grayson Barber, Wilson Harris

Houston Dynamo FC: Michael Nelson; Tim Parker (C), Teenage Hadebe, Maynor Figueroa; Griffin Dorsey, Matias Vera (Memo Rodriguez 79'), Darwin Ceren (Joe Corona 32'), Sam Junqua (Maxi Urruti 32'); Darwin Quintero; Corey Baird (Tyler Pasher 61'), Fafa Picault

Subs Not Used: Kyle Morton, Zarek Valentin, Boniek Garcia, Derrick Jones, Ariel Lassiter

Scoring Summary:

SKC -- Johnny Russell 9 (penalty kick) 16'

SKC -- Daniel Salloi 16 (Gadi Kinda 4) 26'

HOU -- Fafa Picault 11 (Griffin Dorsey 2) 50'

SKC -- Gadi Kinda 5 (Daniel Salloi 7) 57'

HOU -- Darwin Quintero 2 (Fafa Picault 5, Maynor Figueroa 2) 76'

SKC -- Johnny Russell 10 (Graham Zusi 5) 90'

Misconduct Summary:

HOU -- Sam Junqua (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 16'

HOU -- Teenage Hadebe (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 27'

HOU -- Matias Vera (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 53'

SKC -- Graham Zusi (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 85'

Stat SKC HOU

Shots 17 9

Shots on Goal 9 4

Saves 2 5

Fouls 5 13

Offsides 1 5

Corner Kicks 8 1

Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Assistant Referee: Eric Weisbrod

Assistant Referee: Jeffrey Greeson

Fourth Official: Jon Freemon

VAR: Ismail Elfath

AVAR: Diego Blas

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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.

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