Rauf Salifu Strikes Four Times in SKC II’s 4-2 Victory over First-Place North Texas SC

July 2, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City II (6-6-2, 20 points) defeated North Texas SC (9-3-2, 30 points) on Saturday night off a four-goal performance from striker Rauf Salifu in the club’s final match at Rock Chalk Park in 2022. Salfiu’s four-goal performance gives him six goals on the season, a team-high, and is the first four-goal match in SKC II history.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber made a handful of changes to the starting XI, placing Joseph Addo Tetteh and Esai Easley on the backline, starting Collin Fernandez and Cade Thomson in the midfield and putting Bakary Bagayoko on the wing. The lone Sporting Kansas City first-team loanee, John Pulskamp, started in goal and made eight crucial saves to earn his third win in six starts.

SKC II brought it to the Frontier Division front runners right out of the gate, putting their backline under pressure in the third minute with a deflected clearance by Bagayoko. The ball fell to Salifu who turned and fired a shot as the offside flag went up on the far side. A minute later, Pulskamp made his first save of the night, diving to his right to make a simple save.

The action continued as Josh Coan gained access to the North Texas box and chopped a centering pass that was cut off at the last moment by North Texas keeper Felipe Carneiro, who had a busy night himself. Pulskamp made his second save of the night with a dive to his left, and followed that up with a finger-tip save over the bar on a shot down the middle. The first advantage fell to the visitors in the 16th minute as Bernard Kamungo put them on top by scoring a cross from close range.

The hosts showed their resiliency, almost leveling the match immediately off the kickoff. Spencer Glass cut inside and ripped a shot at on target, forcing Carneiro into a tough save, his first of eight. Kamungo tried to give SKC II deja vu with a close-range header sent inches wide and Guy Michaeli came on in place of a banged-up Bagayoko in the 30th.

In the 34th winger, Julian Vazquez dropped a perfect diagonal onto the foot of Salifu in the box, but he was unable to get a shot off. He did not wait long to redeem himself as two minutes later a set piece service from Fernandez sought out Salifu. The striker let the ball bounce once in the six and thundered it home with authority to level the match.

Both teams had threatening chances, but the next attempt on target came from North Texas, as Pulskamp made a fourth…