Category: Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City was eliminated from the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, suffering a heartbreaking shootout loss after a 0-0 draw against Sacramento Republic FC in a tense semifinal at Heart Health Park in Sacramento.

Despite Sporting attempting a season-high 31 shot attempts over the course of 120 minutes, a delicately poised encounter in the California capital was decided from the spot as Sacramento, a second-division side from the USL Championship, prevailed 5-4 on penalties to continue their Cinderella run into the Open Cup Final against Orlando City SC on Sept. 7.

Sporting Manager Peter Vermes fielded a formidable lineup on Wednesday as wingers Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi flanked Khiry Shelton in attack, newcomer Erik Thommy joined Roger Espinoza and Remi Walter in midfield, and goalkeeper John Pulskamp was protected by a veteran back four of Graham Zusi, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Andreu Fontas and Ben Sweat.
Both sides went agonizingly close to landing the first punch inside three minutes. The visitors were first to threaten as Shelton dragged a breakaway shot inches wide off Russell’s clever through ball before Sacramento’s Jack Gurr hammered a left-footed strike marginally over the crossbar from near the penalty spot.

A few minutes later, Shelton and Russell pressed to create a turnover and afford the Sporting captain a clear look on goal, but Russell was unable to get a clean shot off as multiple Sacramento defenders converged on him. The Scottish forward was on the end of another fleeting chance at the quarter-hour juncture, glancing his header narrowly wide after latching onto Thommy’s corner kick. Shelton then asked further questions of the Sacramento defense by forcing goalkeeper Danny Vitiello into a save and setting up Thommy for a shot at the top of the box that sailed high.

Russell was next to give Sacramento a close shave, buccaneering down the right and trying to chip the keeper only for Vitiello to punch the ball away.

Having weathered an early storm, Sacramento settled into the game and conjured a scare in the 26th minute when Spanish forward Keko Gontan sent a curling effort just beyond the far left post. Shortly thereafter, Republic striker Douglas Martinez poked a close-range shot inches off target.

The end-to-end contest continued to entertain and in the 34th minute, Sporting put Sacramento on the back foot once more. Sweat and Salloi combined neatly along the left flank before the latter found a pocket of space inside the box, only to see his low drive blocked through traffic. Closer to halftime, Salloi slalomed past a pair of Sacramento defenders and cannoned a shot that Vitiello dropped left to cast aside.

The final flashbulb moment of the first half saw Thommy surge into the attacking third from a central position and unleash a 22-yard blast that prompted Vitiello to make another save.
Sporting orchestrated an attacking move nine minutes into the second stanza as Zusi overlapped Russell and pulled a cutback pass across the face of goal to Thommy, who swiveled and had a left-footed shot blocked from 10 yards.

At the opposite end, Pulskamp spared Sporting’s blushes on the hour mark by making a world-class save to deny Gontan from close range, dropping low to his right and sticking out a fist to ping the ball over the bar in the 62nd minute.

As both sides traded jabs into the late stages, Sporting substitute Felipe Hernandez made a quick impact from off the bench in the 87th minute by darting into the final third and uncorking a venomous 24-yard blast that Vitiello parried over the bar. The intervention ensured the sides would end regulation level at 0-0.

Three minutes into the first extra session, an intricate Sporting buildup culminated with Salloi cutting past a defender on the edge of the box and curling a right-footed shot a yard wide of Vitiello’s left-hand post. Salloi was at it again in the 95th minute, unloading a 25-yard sledgehammer that lacked the direction to beat Sacramento’s keeper, then rattled the woodwork with a screaming effort that beat Vitiello but caromed off the underside of the bar before Republic FC managed to clear the danger.

Sporting’s extra-time dominance carried into the 103rd minute when Sweat measured an inch-perfect diagonal ball over the top to Russell, but his subsequent shot fizzed straight into Vitiello’s thankful mitts. The Sacramento gloveman came up big again in the 116th minute, spreading himself to block Russell’s shot from a tight angle to keep the game goalless and seal the fate of a penalty shootout.

Both teams buried their first four spot kicks before Vitiello conjured the decisive save, diving left to cast away Zusi’s well-struck attempt. Captain Rodrigo Lopez then clinched the win for Sacramento by finding the back of the net and condemning Sporting to Open Cup heartache.

The 2022 MLS regular season campaign will resume Saturday when Sporting plays host to Supporters’ Shield contenders Austin FC at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. with tickets available at SeatGeek.com and live coverage on 38 The Spot, the Sporting KC app and SportingKC.com.

• Story from Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City will play for a berth in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final when the team takes on Sacramento Republic FC at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Heart Health Park in the California capital.

The semifinal match will air live on ESPN+ with local radio coverage available on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).

Open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, the 2022 U.S. Open Cup featured the largest field in the competition’s modern era (1995-present) with 103 clubs from all levels of the sport. Four teams remain in a semifinal round which will feature a doubleheader on Wednesday, beginning with Orlando City SC and the New York Red Bulls at 6:30 p.m. followed by Sporting Kansas City and Sacramento Republic FC at 9:30 p.m.

Contested since 1914 and named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, this year’s U.S. Open Cup will crown a champion on Sept. 7 with the tournament winner to receive $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League and the honor of having its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy.

Sporting has prevailed in 24 U.S. Open Cup matches since 2012 — more than any other team in American soccer — and owns four U.S. Open Cup titles in club history as champions in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017.

Manager Peter Vermes’ squad has advanced to the semifinals for a sixth time in club history with a thrilling 4-2 win in extra time against FC Dallas in the Round of 32, a 2-1 come-from-behind rally against the Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16 and a 6-0 victory over USL League One champions Union Omaha in the quarterfinals.

Now, Sporting Kansas City hits the road to face USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC – marking the first time KC plays away at a USL club in the U.S. Open Cup since visiting the Minnesota Thunder in 2009 and the first time KC has traveled to California for a U.S. Open Cup match since the Wizards played the San Francisco Bay Seals in 1997.

Wednesday’s match will be the first meeting between Sporting KC and Sacramento, although Sporting KC II played the Republic seven times from 2016 to 2018 including a pair of postseason victories. Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi and midfielder Felipe Hernandez – who each scored twice in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals — both have experience playing at Heart Health Park with Sporting KC II.

Located on the grounds of the Cal Expo, the 11,569-seat stadium was constructed for Sacramento’s debut season in 2014 and Wednesday’s showdown — which will be played amid the backdrop of the California State Fair — is sold out in anticipation of the venue’s biggest match since the Republic won the USL Pro Championship in September 2014.

Preki, a Sporting Legend who played nine seasons in Kansas City, coached Sacramento to the title in 2014 with a team led by Championship MVP Rodrigo Lopez. The club’s first ever signing is now in his third stint with the club and his four goals in this year’s U.S. Open Cup are most of any player. The 35-year-old playmaker has scored the second most goals in club history, however missed the team’s match on Saturday in health and safety protocols.

Sacramento Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant – a U.S. Open Cup champion and five-time MLS Cup winner as a player – and head coach Mark Briggs revamped the Republic roster for 2022 with only six players remaining from last season, including 25-year-old Maalique Foster and 26-year-old Luis Felipe. Foster leads the team with four league goals in only 305 minutes of action while Felipe has scored game-winning goals in Sacramento’s last three U.S. Open Cup matches.

The Republic roster features eight players with MLS appearances in their careers — including the addition of 31-year-old stiker Deshorn Brown last week — as well as 30-year-old winger Keko Gontan, who has made 135 appearances in Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A.

Defensively, Sacramento is anchored by USL Championship Golden Glove winner Danny Vitiello in goal and a back three of Lee Desmond, Conor Donovan and Dan Casey. In the trio’s 11 starts together this year, Sacramento has allowed only five goals and is yet to concede multiple goals in a game.

The first lower-division team to reach the tournament’s semifinals since 2017, the Republic are now aiming to be the first club outside MLS to reach the final since 2008 and the first lower-division team to defeat an MLS club in the semifinals since 1999.

The club’s run began with a 6-0 win over Portland Timbers U-23’s, followed by a 2-1 win over Central Valley Fuego and a 2-0 win over Phoenix Rising FC. Sacramento then produced back-to-back upsets of MLS clubs, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes by a 2-0 scoreline in the Round of 16 before beating the LA Galaxy with a 2-1 result on the road in the quarterfinals.

After going 5-0-0 in June, Sacramento is amid a four-game winless run in the month of July during which the club suffered its first home loss of the year (9-1-3). The Republic has historically enjoyed a significant home field advantage in the U.S. Open Cup, prevailing in 16 of the 17 home matches in the competition including wins in all three matches against MLS opponents.

• Story from Sporting KC

by Brian Turrel

Sporting Kansas City saw promising debuts from recent signees Erik Thommy and Willy Agada, but the team continued its midseason slide in the standings with a 2-0 home loss to Los Angeles FC Saturday evening.

Thommy, a veteran of the German Bundesliga, started the match as an attacking midfielder and showed his speed and tenacity all over the pitch. He made an immediate impact on the game, setting up a Daniel Salloi shot in the third minute, and finding his own chance in the sixth.

Thommy combined well with winger Salloi and left back Logan Ndenbe throughout the match, and took all the set piece kicks until he was subbed off in the 61st minute.

Head coach Peter Vermes talked about Thommy’s performance in his post-match press conference.

“Thommy has certain qualities that even Gadi Kinda brings where he’s going forward,” Vermes said. “He’s elusive. He gets into the attacking third and he’s looking for things. I mean, even for him to get on the shot that he got onto that he missed in the first half. It’s a great spot for him to be in because that’s where I’d like to see the two attacking midfielders in those spots.”

Nigerian forward Willy Agada came on in the 84th minute as a substitute for Khiry Shelton. He won a free kick on a nice run up the left wing, and headed a Kayden Pierre cross on goal in stoppage time, though the shot was snared by Los Angeles goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

Sporting held Los Angeles scoreless until after halftime. Following an injury at the hour mark to Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia, backup John Pulskamp was in the game only three minutes when he was victimized by an LAFC counter that ended with striker Cristian Arango banging the ball into the upper right corner of the net.

Welsh international superstar Gareth Bale, newly signed to Los Angeles, came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and scored his first MLS goal in the 83rd, assisted by Arango on another breakaway. Despite scoring for the visiting side, the wildly popular Bale got a big ovation from the Children’s Mercy Park crowd.

The loss is Kansas City’s fifth in its last six league contests, and Sporting finds itself in an unusual and unenviable position at the bottom of the MLS Western Conference standings, earning only 20 points in 23 matches played so far.

The bright spot in Kansas City’s season has been its performance in the U.S. Open Cup, and the team will have a chance to continue its run toward the Cup with the semifinal match against Sacramento Republic FC in California on Wednesday, July 27.

Sporting Kansas City will be back at home next Saturday, July 30, against Austin FC. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m.