Sporting KC II Falls 2-0 to St. Louis CITY2 at CITYPARK

June 23, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City II (6-5-3, 22 points) suffered a 2-0 defeat at St. Louis CITY2 (10-2-2, 33 points) on a Sunday evening match at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri. Sporting KC II has suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time this season and was held off the scoreboard for the second time since May 26, 2023.

Following a goalless first half, MyKhi Joyner scored his sixth goal of the season in the 63rd before John Kelin picked up a rebound following a Ryan Schewe penalty save. SKC II was only able to muster one shot on target despite 10 total chances i the contest.

Schewe started the match as the lone Sporting KC loanee and made his 10th start between the pipes. A back five consisting of Nati Clarke, Demarre Montoute, Haris Alisah, Mason Visconti and Jonathan Robinson manned the defensive third. Cielo Tschantret and Sebastian Cruz played in the middle while Roberto Hategan, Maouloune Goumballe and Kamron Habibullah started up top.

The first half was full of half chances with a handful of lethal opportunities for both sides sprinkled in. The first attack came five minutes into the match when Robinson won a corner after attempting an early ball into the box. Visconti got on the end of an outswinger before clipping it back into the 18. Goalkeeper Ben Lundt was wise to the floater, snagging the ball off the hop.

Goumballe then earned a corner kick after a clever flick to himself in the attacking third. Clarke won the ball out of the air, pinging it towards goal where a CITY2 defender blocked the attempt with his back. Under a sixth of the way through the 90 the first shot was taken by Hategan who pushed a turf burner past the near post. A minute later St. Louis’ first attempt harmlessly bounced into Schewe’s stomach. Their high press granted them another look at goal which Schewe easily smothered in the middle of his net.

A pair of attempts came for Kansas City in the 24th and 25 when Habibullah hit a half-volley from a tough angle over the bar and Goumballe got onto the ball after being played in over the top. The forward opted for the early ball but had his unselfish slip pass cleared away by a backtracking defender.

Just about 10 minutes passed before Cruz saw a long-range effort slip through traffic and scamper a smidge wide. On the other end of the pitch, Clarke leaped with Joyner -who picked up the game’s first yellow in the 20th- and stuck the attacker in the…