Sporting KC II Defeats Austin FC II in Kicks from the Spot to Claim Two Points at Home

June 30, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City II (6-5-4, 24 points) sank Austin FC II (2-4-7, 15 points) in kicks from the spot on Sunday night at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas after the two sides played to a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes. Beto Avila tallied his third brace of the season off a pair of Sebastian Cruz assists.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber trotted out a starting XI with a pair of SKC II loanees and four Sporting Kansas City Academy products. Ryan Schewe made his 11th start of the season and picked up his eighth result. Nati Clarke played on the right side of the back four with Haris Alisah, Chris Rindov and Mason Visconti joining him.

Cruz played in the midfield with MLS NEXT Pro Midseason Best Player Kamron Habibullah and Cielo Tschantret. Two-time goal scorer Avila played in the center with Maouloune Goumballe and Ethan Bryant split out wide.

The contest kicked off right away with Goumballe winning the first corner kick of the night in the first minute. Bryant played a good ball into the near post that was redirected out of the air by Habibullah, past the target and out for a goal kick. Habibullah took another crack at goal in the 10th minute, curling an effort over the wall but just wide of the net.

Austin had their first look in the 13th minute, harmlessly blasting a shot over the goal and onto the berm behind the field. Goumballe forced the first save in the 14th, squeaking a shot through a defender’s legs and into the arms of Marcus Alstrup. Avila’s first of three shot attempts was the lone one to not find the back of the net. He whipped one toward goal with the inside of his foot, sending it just over the top of the crossbar.

Habibullah had another attempt blocked off a corner in the 17th. Visconti got on the end of the loose ball and blasted it back on target, forcing a tough save from Alstrup. The keeper was able to push the shot aside, leading to another SKC II corner. The service from Bryant nearly found the head of Rindov but was cleared out of the box and up the field by Austin.

Schewe’s first time using his hands came in the 23rd when he secured a cross from the endline against his chest on the near post. Two minutes later, Avila broke the deadlock.

Goumballe sparked the attack with an outside-the-foot ball to Avila in the middle of the attacking third. The eventual goal scorer dropped the ball off to Cruz who played it right back into his path inside the 18. Two…