Sporting KC Falls 2-1 to New England

June 12, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Sporting Kansas City News Release

Sporting Kansas City (3-9-4, 13 points) slipped to a 2-1 loss against the New England Revolution (5-5-4, 19 points) on Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park. Captain Johnny Russell treated a fervent crowd to the game’s best moment early in the second half, bagging a brilliant free kick for his 50th career Sporting goal in all competitions, but New England claimed victory behind goals in either half from Gustavo Bou and Emmanuel Boateng.

With Sunday’s encounter in the books, Sporting will now prepare for a challenging road test against a Nashville SC outfit that owns a 24-match home unbeaten streak. Next Sunday will mark the inaugural meeting between the clubs at the new GEODIS Park in Nashville, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. CT and national coverage on FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app.

Taking the field for the first time in two weeks, Sporting deployed a reshuffled lineup as Academy product Felipe Hernandez assumed a false nine role alongside fellow attackers Russell and Cam Duke. Oriol Rosell, Remi Walter and Roger Espinoza manned the midfield, while Sporting’s defense received a boost with the return of veteran right back Graham Zusi to support Kortne Ford, Robert Voloder, Logan Ndenbe and goalkeeper Tim Melia.

Rosell did well to create Sporting’s first chance inside five minutes, applying pressure in New England’s defensive third to win the ball from Wilfrid Kaptoum and find Hernandez in an open pocket of space. The 24-year-old swiveled near the top of the box and unfurled a low blast that sizzled marginally wide of the left post.

Hernandez was involved once more on the half-hour mark when Duke embarked on a dazzling 50-yard solo run down the left side and pulled the ball back to his homegrown counterpart. Hernandez faked the first-time shot and moved the ball onto his left foot, but his ensuing shot from 18 yards was blocked.

New England drew first blood on the possession that immediately followed. Dylan Borrero looped a clever lob over the top for Bou, who settled the ball crisply and finished with conviction into the low left corner for his second goal of the MLS campaign.

Sporting’s matters were further complicated a few minutes later when Walter, who had played every MLS minute of the season entering Sunday, was forced to exit through injury. Center forward Khiry Shelton was summoned as his replacement and Hernandez dropped back to his more customary central…