Sporting KC Suffers Late 4-3 Loss at Austin FC

August 14, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Sporting Kansas City News Release

Sporting Kansas City suffered a late 4-3 loss on the road at Austin FC on Saturday. Andreu Fontas, Willy Agada and Johnny Russell each struck for Sporting KC in the first half at Q2 Stadium before the hosts rallied with three second half goals in a comeback capped off by a 95th-minute game-winner from MLS Golden Boot leader Sebastian Driussi.

Sporting opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Erik Thommy won a free kick at the top of the penalty area and struck the ensuing set piece with too much pace for Brad Stuver to handle. The rebound fell to the foot of Fontas, who hammered home his second career MLS goal and his first since October 2020.

The goal marked the second straight match in which Sporting scored in the opening 15 minutes after the team had failed to do so in the first 24 games of the regular season campaign. Saturday would also mark the earliest Sporting has struck for two goals in a game this year as Agada doubled the lead in the 23rd minute.

Graham Zusi sparked the scoring sequence with a perfectly-placed pass into the path of Roger Espinoza, who superbly settled the service and fired an attempt on frame. Stuver did well to keep out the attempt but couldn’t recover in time as Agada – after scoring twice in last weekend’s 4-2 win over the LA Galaxy – pounced on the loose ball and snuck a first-time shot inside the near post.

Austin FC, the top-scoring team in Major League Soccer, responded with a goal in the 27th minute to cut the deficit in half. Espinoza’s goalline clearance had momentarily kept Austin at bay however the ball recirculated to Jon Gallagher, whose half volley from 20 yards out found the back of the net off the glove of Pulskamp.

The visitors would restore the two-goal advantage in the 40th minute as Russell converted a penalty that was won by Thommy on a challenge from Ethan Finlay. Russell’s team-leading ninth goal of the season moved the Scotsman into a tie with Davy Arnaud for third in club history with 52 career goals in all competitions and marked the first time in club history in which Sporting has scored three first half goals in back-to-back regular season matches.

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp produced four saves on the night with one of his best coming in first-half stoppage time to keep out a long-range blast from Driussi. Sporting would open the second half on the front foot with two opportunities to find a fourth…