Sporting KC II Steals All Three Points at MNUFC 2 with Stoppage-Time Winner from Sebastian Cruz

June 2, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City II (6-3-2, 20 points) battled MNUFC 2 (4-5-0, 12 points), at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota for 90 minutes to snag all three points from the home side on a rainy Sunday night. Beto Avila started the scoring in the 10 minutes before being forced out of the match due to an injury in the 31st.

Sebastian Cruz entered the contest and would tally goals in both first and second-half stoppage time. Alex Cunningham earned his second straight start and scored his first professional goal on the night. Defender Demarre Montoute stamped his name on the game with an immaculate goal-line clearance along with several other strong defensive moments.

Assistant coach Ike Opara had control of the ship in this one as head coach Benny Feilahber was out due to yellow card accumulation. Opara trotted out Academy goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro with Cunningham, Montoute, Chris Rindov and Jonathan Robinson on the back four. Captain Ethan Bryant, Jake Swallen and Kamron Habibullah patrolled the middle third while Avila began the match with Maouloune Goumballe and Roberto Hategan up top.

Robinson had the privilege of taking the first shot of the match, ripping one into the outstretched arms of MNUFC 2 keeper Alec Smir in the second minute. Just A minute later a dangerous-looking chance from Hategan was blocked in traffic and cleared. The home side’s first chance came not four minutes later on the first corner of the evening when a headed effort from Finn McRobb sailed high of Molinaro’s goal.

Avila broke the deadlock in the 10th minute after turning over Dom Mawing right at midfield. The forward disposed the Minnesota Academy defender and broke for goal, forcing Smir off his line. The clever striker doinked the ball over the charging keeper and watched it nestle neatly in the net.

Kansas City kept the pressure on after scoring with a pair of chances in the 12th and 17th. First Goumballe, who was unlucky not to strike in the match after getting into several dangerous areas, saw a chance barely tipped out off the shin of Smir in the middle of his goal. Bryant then tracked down a ball from Habibullah right before whizzing a shot wide of the mark.

Montoute made the save of the night in the 23rd after a mixup inside the SKC II 18. A loose ball was gathered by Minnesota with Molinaro outside his goal. With the net wide open, Montoute stuck himself in the middle, dropped…