April 2, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City (0-3-3, 3 points) snapped the Philadelphia Union’s 15-game home scoring streak by claiming a well-earned point in a 0-0 draw on Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Veteran goalkeeper Tim Melia, playing his first match of 2023 after overcoming a preseason back injury, excelled between the posts with four saves for a Sporting Kansas City side that also enjoyed strong club debuts from center backs Robert Castellanos and Dany Rosero. In a cross-conference clash that was delayed 61 minutes due to inclement weather, the Union (2-3-1, 7 points) failed to score on home soil for the first time since May 2022 and saw their winless run hit four matches ahead of next Tuesday’s Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal clash against Atlas FC.
Sporting were unable to conjure a goal themselves but received a promising attacking boost in the second half when Mexican striker Alan Pulido made his highly anticipated return to the field after missing all of 2022 rehabbing from knee surgery. Pulido had been sidelined the club’s previous 45 regular season matches and last featured for Sporting in the MLS Cup Playoffs on Nov. 28, 2021.
Manager Peter Vermes’ men will return to the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park next Saturday, April 8, by hosting the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are available at SeatGeek.com and the match will air live on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.
A retooled Sporting Kansas City lineup featured five changes from last weekend’s home loss to Seattle Sounders FC, headlined by the insertion of Castellanos and Rosero, the latter of whom arrived in Kansas City on Sunday after spending the last seven seasons in his native Colombia. Elsewhere, three Sporting players overcame recent injuries for their first starts of the 2023 campaign: Melia, Serbian midfielder Nemanja Radoja and captain Johnny Russell. With Ben Sweat serving a red-card suspension and fellow left backs Tim Leibold and Logan Ndenbe nursing hamstring problems, German center back Robert Voloder deputized on the left side of the backline.
Castellanos and Rosero showcased their solidarity inside the first 10 minutes, blocking back-to-back shots from Jose Martinez and Hungarian international Daniel Gazdag, respectively. At the opposite end, Sporting playmaker Erik Thommy-who entered the night leading MLS in shots and shots on target-forced the first save of the game from…
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