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MLS Sporting Kansas City

Willy Agada Scores Twice in Sporting's 4-1 Win over Minnesota

September 18, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City (10-15-7, 37 points) extended the club's unbeaten run to six matches with a fifth straight home win on Saturday as Willy Agada scored twice on his 23rd birthday in the club's 4-1 victory over Minnesota United FC (13-13-6, 45 points) at Children's Mercy Park. Erik Thommy added the game-winning goal to go along with an assist as the pair of summer signings have now combined for 10 goals and three assists in the team's past 10 MLS matches since the duo debuted on July 23.

Sporting, who improved to 7-0-0 at home against the Loons in MLS regular season play, started the game on the front foot and could've taken the lead inside the opening six minutes. A free kick squirmed its way out to Roger Espinoza near the byline and his cross found Agada, whose powerful header was clawed out of the goalmouth by Dayne St. Clair with Daniel Salloi unable to force home the rebound.

Roger Espinoza fired a speculative effort over the bar from 20 yards in the 19th minute before Minnesota created their first chance of the night, as Luis Amarilla cut inside on his right foot inside the area but saw his low strike well held by John Pulskamp.

The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute, with the ball finding the back of the net in a fortuitous manner after a lovely attacking move from Sporting KC. Agada found Espinoza in midfield who immediately fed the ball wide to Johnny Russell, who exploded beyond Kemar Lawrence before firing an effort on goal that St. Clair could only beat away right into center back Michael Boxall who redirected the ball into the back of the net for Minnesota's league-leading fourth own goal of the year.

Sporting doubled the lead 10 minutes later as Thommy thrashed home his third goal of the campaign following a frantic sequence. Espinoza again was heavily involved as he prodded the ball wide to Russell on the edge of the area who saw his curling effort cannon off the inside of the post and out, but the Scotsman picked up his own rebound and found Thommy who skillfully evaded a challenge before thundering home beyond St. Clair to make it 2-0.

On the stroke of halftime, Sporting added a third goal as Agada scored his first of the night to cap another fine Sporting move. After Remi Walter had picked up a loose Minnesota clearance, Espinoza played it wide to Ben Sweat whose pin-point delivery found Agada crashing in to send a bullet header into the back of the net off the underside of the bar, making the score 3-0 at the halftime interval.

The second half opened with a promising scoring opportunity for each side, first with Amarilla sending his shot wide in the 51st minute in a one-on-one opportunity as Pulskamp came off his line to cut down the angle. Five minutes later, Salloi's well-taken attempt forced a strong save from St. Clair and Agada was first to the rebound however his attempt carried over the crossbar.

Minnesota pulled a goal back in the 57th minute through Designated Player Mender Garcia. The 24-year-old Colombian latched onto an early cross from Kemar Lawrence - who marked his 30th birthday with an assist - and fired an acrobatic volley inside the near post for his first MLS goal.

The action would be Minnesota's last shot of the game -- although the Loons came close to a second goal in the 77th minute if not for a goalline clearance from Sweat to keep out a deflected cross - as the Sporting Kansas City defense followed up back-to-back clean sheets with another strong showing.

Agada put an exclamation point on the performance in the 81st minute with the club's fourth goal of the night and his seventh in the past eight games. Thommy won the ball off Kervin Arriaga in the attacking third and Salloi picked up the loose ball before playing a perfectly-placed pass into the path of Agada at the top of the six-yard box. Agada now has three multi-goal games in his first 10 MLS matches and his seven goals in the last six weeks are third most in MLS.

Despite the 4-1 victory, Sporting was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday following the LA Galaxy's 4-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Sporting will next host the Seattle Sounders at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 2 on Fan Appreciation Day in the club's home finale at Children's Mercy Park with tickets available online at SeatGeek.com.

QUOTES

Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes

Thoughts on the match...

I thought in the first half we had a relentlessness to go to goal. We wouldn't stop. It was the desire and the hunger to get the goals. Up until when Johnny hit that ball hit off of Michael Boxall and it went in, we had worked really hard to get that goal. Don't get me wrong, we did for the other ones as well, but we deserved more for what we had created up until that. Our relentlessness to go to the goal was just fantastic. We were picking up second balls and third balls and just peppering them. From that point of view, it was great. It was funny because I was thinking in my head, it would be great to get a third goal before halftime and then Willy comes in. Instead of the "Beast Mode" in Seattle, it's the Beast Willy in KC. That was a very brave opportunity. There's only one guy that I knew when I played that would go in for that header and that would have been Mo Johnston who played here. He would have gone for that ball as well, and Willy went in. That was brave but that was a monster of a goal.

On the team outworking their opponent in the first half...

The possession of the ball was excellent. We moved the ball so well and they were chasing us a lot in that first half. It's just the way our game is, it's a mental thing. You always strive to be better and stronger for it but when you come out in the second half and you're up three nil, you take a little bit of a conservative approach. It's just human nature. I can talk about it. I can do everything I can with the guys to get them to understand, but it's a human nature thing and so now you back off just a little bit. The goal and there were two other crosses in and around the box that came because of a lack of concentration in those moments. That's the thing that we have to learn from. We closed the game out. For us to get the fourth goal really took a lot. It just took the steam out of them.

On if he's impressed by Erik Thommy's composure in and around the box...

Yes and no. Because when I saw him on video, he was very much like that. I think I'm more impressed with how he sees the field in the run of play. That's something that I wasn't so sure about, but I am now. He's got great vision on the field, and it helps because he has a really good vision to go forward. That's what you need. You need to put teams under pressure, and he's got that ability with his runs, with his passing and then obviously with shooting as well.

Sporting Kansas City Forward Willy Agada

Thoughts on the match...

Thank you for the birthday wishes and I think it was an incredible game. We stayed disciplined and when you listen and stay disciplined it always comes out positive. Well done to all the boys, I know coach is so happy right now. We just want to say thank you to him because I know how much it is throughout the weekend. Three games in almost seven days, it's not easy. He tried to balance it, so shout out to him and I'm so happy today. I still scored a brace, but I wish I could score a hat trick. But it's all good, big ups to the boys. Daniel [Salloi] got an assist and Johnny [Russell] tried to find me almost like five times there at the end. Thank God I was able to take the last one. It's a good game.

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy

On his goal...

I wanted to shoot, but then I saw one guy in front of me. That's why I took another touch and then the shot with my left foot. It was a great goal. A good ball from Johnny [Russell], and it was important for us. In general, the first half was excellent because they were a good, tough opponent. It was tough to play for us, but we did well and deserved that win.

Almost all game, but of course in the second half, they got in some spaces and created some dangerous moments. Normally, we have to score to get to 4-0 but they got a counterattack and they scored to make it 3-1. But in the end, we scored to get it to 4-1 with Willy Agada. It was a great game for us. Tough opponent, Minnesota did really well. They closed our spaces, so it was difficult to play for us. But in the end, as I said before, we deserve that one.

On his vision on the field...

It's going to keep getting better and better. Sometimes, in talks before the game and they say where to go because every opponent is different. For example, today they closed my space with one more man and that's why it was difficult to play. I had to change my positions as well. In the end, if they have one more guy on my side, then on the other side there is one man less. We will get our chances and if we play like that, we will score many goals and we will be successful.

On the connection he has with Roger Espinoza...

We worked all weekend. There are small things we have to do in the game and Peter [Vermes] tells us every time before the game what we have to do. Roger made a really good run. As I said, if they add one man more, Roger has space and that's why we use it. It was good for us and that's why we scored a goal.

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