SKC II Slips to 1-0 Defeat at Tacoma Defiance

August 21, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting KC II (8-11-2, 23 points) slipped to a 1-0 loss on the road to the Tacoma Defiance (13-4-4, 46 points) at Starfire Stadium on Saturday night. Despite a solid defensive effort that held the most potent offense in MLS NEXT Pro to just one goal, the road warriors of SKC II were unable to grab a point. Ethan Bandre made a fourth start making four saves on the night.

Head Coach Benny Feilhaber changed tactics, playing Jake Davis as a right-wingback with Nati Clarke on the opposite side. Esai Easley, Kaveh Rad and Jahon Rad held down the middle of the backline. Collin Fernandez and Curtez Kellman rejoined the starting XI and slid into the midfield alongside Josh Coan. Rauf Salifu started again as well with Guy Michaeli his counterpart at forward.

Tacoma took the ball downfield immediately off the whistle and settled into the match with a corner. The service was headed upfield, allowing Coan to give chase before having the ball blasted back into the SKC II defensive third.

Two minutes later, Fernandez teed up a free kick and played it into the area where Tacoma cleared. SKC II retained possession and cycled the ball around the field but were unable to break the Defiance lines. The hosts counted but SKC II retreated well repelling the advance.

Bandre intervened for the first time, diving into the middle of the area to snag a ball. K. Rad then got involved in the 18-yard-box, tracking back to cut off a centering pass with his head. Randy Mendoza got on the end of the clearance and ripped a shot wide of goal on one bounce.

A minute later another Tacoma attempt produced a similar result off the foot of Georgi Minoungou’s foot, flying wide. The match’s first yellow card was produced in the 16th. Bandre picked off a free kick and played Salifu forward. He got hammered down by Ethan Dobbelaere and the Tacoma midfielder was brandished a yellow. Five minutes later Minoungou was booked after delaying a restart.

Wallis Lapsley made one of his few involvements, getting his hands on a through ball and backed that up with his one and only save of the night in the 25th. Davis played a delicious ball into the box that Salifu got on the end of. The forward redirected the cross on target but Lapsley was positioned well to make the save in the middle of the goal.

A pair of Defiance shots sailed over the target, the first off a curling chance from Minoungou and the second a headed corner….