by Brian Turrel
Sporting Kansas City put on a show of offensive dominance against Minnesota United FC, but it was all nearly for naught until Johnny Russell raced onto a long direct pass from Graham Zusi and buried it in the net in the 80th minute of Sunday night’s contest.
The win over their Midwestern rivals puts Sporting back on top of the MLS Western Conference standings after a four-game winless streak had dropped them to second behind the Seattle Sounders.
The rapid pace of Gadi Kinda and Gerso Fernandes up front helped Sporting create opportunities in the attacking half, and the defensive persistence of midfielder Felipe Hernandez kept Minnesota from advancing the ball cleanly.
Sporting held a 15-to-1 advantage on shots going into halftime, but hadn’t found the net. Manager Peter Vermes felt the team could break through if they stayed patient. After the game he recounted his halftime message to the team.
Vermes said, “The biggest thing that can’t happen is that we lose our discipline to our shape and we can’t get impatient with the fact that we’ve created a bunch of chances and we just haven’t put one in the goal yet.”
As the game neared the final minutes, Sporting found its winning opportunity in response to a rare burst of Minnesota offense.
Defender Matt Besler intercepted a Minnesota pass, heading it to Graham Zusi in the center of the field. Zusi spotted Russell sprinting ahead through Minnesota’s spread out defense and laid the ball into his path. Russell struck the ball low to the right corner of the goal, beating Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
After the game, Zusi recounted, “I just curled it right down the middle of the field and let Johnny’s momentum take him into the path of the ball. He did the rest.”
The game was played before a limited audience of fans, but the offensive show on the field kept them at high volume throughout the game. Covid-19 protocols were in evidence throughout the stadium. One Sporting player tested positive earlier in the week, but the team has not identified the player.
MLS has announced their schedule through the end of September. Sporting will play at home on Sept. 19 against FC Dallas, quickly followed by another home match against Orlando on Sept. 23.
