Sporting KC II Earns Third Straight Result in Shootout Defeat at Ventura County FC

April 20, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City II (3-2-1, 10 points) earned their third straight result in an 11-round shootout defeat at Ventura County FC (4-1-1, 14 points) Sunday afternoon at Dignity Health Sports Park. After taking the lead in the 63rd, a stoppage-time goal from Ventura County forced Sporting KC II into kicks from the spot. After all 11 players had an attempt, the hosts emerged with the extra point.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber and the SKC II starting XI got a pre-match shakeup when Roberto Hategan began the contest in place of Stephen Afrifa who picked up a knock before kickoff. Hategan played on the left side of the front three with Beto Avila up top and Maoloune Goumballe on the right.

The midfield was made up of captain Ethan Bryant, first-teamer Danny Flores and Kamron Habibullah. The back four saw Jacob Bartlett and Nati Clarke on the outside and Demarre Montoute in the middle with Haris Alisah. Goalkeeper Ryan Schewe started his sixth straight match in goal and made a massive save in the second half to keep the match scoreless.

Two of the league’s most high-octane offenses got off to a slower start with just one shot on target in the first 45 minutes. In total, nine shots were taken in the first half as both teams saw their best chances miss wide of the goal.

After Avila had the first shot of the day blocked in the fifth minute following a Marcus Ferkanus yellow, Gino Vivi broke into the SKC II box and took a crack at goal. The forward’s offering bounced harmlessly to the right of Schewe’s goal and the match remained goalless.

The next best chance came off captain Bryant’s foot in the 11th from a setpiece in the attacking third. The midfielder’s attempt at goal off the restart soared toward the upper right corner of the target, however, it drifted a tad too far, glancing wide. The match slowed until the 30th when former SKC Academy player Sean Karani harmlessly bounced an attempt into the arms of Schewe.

Avila found some space in the Ventura 18 but was unable to get a shot on target, lifting it over the crossbar from in close. Flores picked up a yellow card in the 37th. Hategan had a shot blocked in the 45th and after a minute of added time, the halftime whistle brought an uneventful first half to a close.

Entering the second, Feilhaber changed things up with a pair of substitutions. Academy product Sebastian Cruz and first-team loanee Chris Rindov entered the match in place of…