SKC II Suffers 4-1 Defeat to Earthquakes II at Swope Soccer Village 

August 28, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting KC II (8-12-2, 26 points) suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Earthquakes II (10-8-3, 34 points), Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, MO. Bakary Bagayoko trimmed a two-goal deficit in half in the 55th after two Earthquakes II first half goals, but a pair of scores brought the final tally to 4-1 in favor of San Jose.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber and SKC II’s starting XI were accompanied by four Sporting Kansas City first-teamers including defenders Kayden Pierre and Jahon Rad, along with midfielders Cam Duke and Jake Davis. Ethan Bandre earned his fourth consecutive start and tied the SKC II season high with nine saves, set previously by himself on July 31.

Defender Coby Jones, plus forwards Julian Vazquez and Bakary Bagayoko rejoined the starting XI, linking up with defender Jahon Rad midfielder Curtez Kellman and forward Josh Coan. J. Rad donned the captain’s armband for the first time this season.

Right off the opening kick, Bagayoko went ariel in the attacking third before getting ripped down giving SKC II their first free kick of the contest. Coan stepped up and doinked a shot off the top of the Earthquakes II wall. Three minutes later the first attack from the visitors fizzled out after a cross sailed too high for William Richmond on the back post. That sequence wound up a San Jose corner that was punched upfield by Bandre.

In the eighth minute, SKC II’s backline took some air out of the ball, working it around the back nicely. This freed up room for Jones to enter the final third before slipping a through ball to Vazquez. As the winger cut the ball back to Bagayoko, the offside flag went up, ending that run of play.

In that same minute, Earthquakes II scored on Rodolfo Castro’s first of two goals. A run into the right side of the box was chopped back to Castro and he wasted no time placing it into the empty backdoor of the goal. In the twelfth Bandre made a solid save, reaching up to touch a ball onto the crossbar and over the goal. This would not be the last time the woodwork got involved in this one.

Castro went for a second goal in the 16th minute but was denied by the SKC II keeper in the middle of the goal when he dropped down to smack the shot away. Despite the quick reaction save the offside flag had gone up. SKC II put a shot on goal with Vazquez forcing Eric De La Cerda into a tough one-handed save after Coan…