May 8, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Sporting Kansas City II News Release
Sporting Kansas City II (2-4-1, 7 points) scored two goals late in the first half to erase a two-goal deficit before scoring two more to beat Real Monarchs (0-4-2, 2 points) in a Sunday afternoon showdown at Rock Chalk Park.
Mataeo Bunbury scored a first-half brace, Julian Vazquez and Cole McLagan scored their first SKC II goals and Cade Thomson added two assists in a well-rounded attacking match.
Real Monarchs got out to an early lead when Tyrone Mondi scored on a deflected shot in the SKC II 18-yard-box in the seventh minute.
SKC II nearly found the equalizer moments later with Vazquez springing forward into a one-v-one with Gavin Beavers, the Monarchs keeper. Beavers forced Vazquez into a tight angle and touched the ball away from him before Collin Fernandez latched onto the ball and found Guy Michaeli whose shot was blocked.
Kendall McIntosh was called upon moments later and he answered the call by making his first save of the day by backtracking and patting a chipped attempt down before he fell back into the goal with the ball. In the 22nd-minute head coach, Benny Feilhaber made his first change, bringing on Rauf Salifu for Curtez Kellman.
McIntosh followed up his first save with arguably his best save, coming off his line at the perfect time to deny Pierre Reedy as the Monarchs’ midfielder tried to round him. Mondi would get his second goal of the half in the 25th after being played in on goal perfectly.
Following the Monarchs’ second goal, a flip was switched in the SKC II attack. Thanks to two more saves from McIntosh, SKC II stayed within striking distance. In the 42nd Bunbury scored both his and SKC II’s first goal at Rock Chalk Park. Vazquez played an inch-perfect diagonal ball into Bunbury’s path and the Sporting KC Academy product took a shot that was deflected into the air and over the goal line.
A little over a minute later SKC II nearly equalized when a shot of…
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