June 1, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City (2-9-5, 11 pts.) fell to a 3-1 defeat against Minnesota United (8-3-4, 28 pts.) at Allianz Field on Saturday night. Captain Johnny Russell scored a late consolation with his second goal of the season that moved him into second all-time with 58 regular-season goals for the club.
Manager Peter Vermes made three changes to the team that fell to Vancouver in midweek, as veteran goalkeeper Tim Melia returned between the sticks, midfielder Memo Rodriguez returned from a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation, and Marinos Tzinios earned the start after scoring his third goal of the season on Wednesday.
Saturday’s match marked Sporting’s fifth outing in the last 15 days, with right back Jake Davis and holding midfielder Nemanja Radoja the only two players to start all five games.
Sporting started the game brightly with Alenis Vargas almost picking out Willy Agada in the area during the early going and minutes later Agada saw a shot blocked and Nemanja Radoja lashed the follow-up wide with the first two attempts of the match.
The hosts created their first opening in the 22nd minute, when in-form Korean forward Sang Bin Jeong met a cross from the left wing but his header resulted in a routine save for Melia.
The Loons took the lead with the first real clear-cut chance of the match in the 33rd minute. After turning over Sporting in their own half, Minnesota stormed forward at pace with DJ Taylor slipping Bongokuhle Hlongwane down the right wing and he sent a tantalizing cross to the far post to find Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi who crashed home his seventh goal of the season.
With captain Russell entering the match at halftime, Sporting began growing back into the game in the early stages of the second half and enjoyed some half chances through Vargas and Agada.
However, it was the Loons that almost doubled their lead in the 61st minute when Joseph Rosales slipped Oluwaseyi through on goal and his strike beat Melia but was unable to find a way beyond Davis who deflected the ball wide on the goal line.
The hosts would find the second goal they were searching for in the 67th minute, as Oluwaseyi latched onto Devin Padelford’s long throw, spun in behind and cut the ball back to star midfielder Robin Lod who fired beyond Melia via a deflection to make the score 2-0.
The third goal arrived in the 83rd minute when a cross into the box wasn’t dealt with by the Sporting…
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