Sporting Ties Philadelphia – OurSports Central

March 3, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Sporting Kansas City News Release

Sporting Kansas City (0-0-2, 2 points) battled the Philadelphia Union (0-0-2, 2 points) to a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s home opener at Children’s Mercy Park. Remi Walter fired the hosts ahead with a sublime strike in the first half, but Alejandro Bedoya salvaged a last-gasp Philadelphia equalizer in the 95th minute to split the points.

The earliest regular season home match in Sporting history saw Manager Peter Vermes deploy an unchanged lineup from last weekend’s 1-1 stalemate in Houston. Veteran goalkeeper Tim Melia logged his 250th MLS appearance for the club, center back Andreu Fontas played his 350th match as a professional, and captain Johnny Russell eclipsed 550 matches in his heralded pro career.

Russell contributed to Sporting’s early dominance and almost lifted his team ahead inside three minutes, dashing onto Jakes Davis’ inch-perfect pass down the right channel and forcing a kick save from Union goalkeeper Oliver Semmle. Not long later, Vermes’ men appeared to have taken the lead when Daniel Salloi’s delectable through ball found Erik Thommy, who then crossed low to Alan Pulido for a crisp finish near the penalty spot. The offside flag was raised on Thommy, however, and Sporting’s celebrations were cut short.

There was no questioning the validity or quality of Walter’s go-ahead goal in the 19th minute. Following a brilliant passing sequence that involved touches from nine of Sporting’s 10 field players, Davis played centrally to Sporting’s 28-year-old Frenchman at the top of the box. Walter made no mistake from there, sending a sensational left-footed curler off the post and into the back of the net. The midfielder also scored in Kansas City’s 2022 home opener-a 1-0 win over Houston-and has now become the first Sporting player to score in multiple home openers at Children’s Mercy Park since the stadium opened in 2011.

Thommy prompted Semmle to make another save near the half-hour mark before Sporting threatened again on the stroke of halftime. Salloi cut centrally and unleashed a drive that Semmle dropped low to repel into the path of an outstretched Russell, who was unable to put his rebound effort on frame.

Fielding a rotated team with Tuesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against Pachuca on the horizon, Philadelphia made three notable substitutions at halftime as Bedoya, Daniel Gazdag and Kai Wagner entered the fray. The visitors found their foothold in the first…