KANSAS CITY – Sporting Kansas City played LA Galaxy in Carson, California on Saturday. After a 2-1 win at home against the Seattle Sounders, Sporting looks to improve coming into the midway part of the season.
A few notable lineup changes for sporting Kansas City, Jake Davis is on the bench, and Khiry Shelton in his place. Tim Libold is also on the bench in place of Zohran Bassong.
LA Galaxy strikes first from Dejan Joveljic after two beautiful saves by Tim Melia but Melia couldn’t keep the ball from going in between the posts. Shelton and other Kansas City players watch as Tim makes all the defensive efforts to attempt to save the opening goal. Four minutes pass and another save from Tim Melia. Joveljic got in Tim’s way of sending the ball out and had a dramatized fall that resulted in a yellow card for Dejan Joveljic. It was a lackluster first half from SKC but a few nice saves for veteran goalkeeper, Tim Meila.
Gabriel Pec scores LA’s second goal of the night in the 54’. Sporting Kansas City gets on the board with a substitute Stephen Afrifa goal in the 66th minute making this goal his first MLS goal and Second in all competitions. Alenis Vargas gets subbed out for SKC with defender Jake Davis coming in as a midfielder. Erik Tommy gets moved to the forward position at half with the substitution of Davis. Another goal for LA Joseph Paintsil in the 75’ to add to the LA box score. Robert Castellanos grabs his first goal of the season in the 81st minute, striking from within the 6-yard box after a Johnny Russell set piece. A much more action-packed second half on both sides of the ball. The game-winning goal came in the 90+2’ for the Galaxy. It was a very much lacking performance from Sporting tonight after their first win in 12 MLS matches. “Jake was a big part of that,” Peter Vermes said about the momentum shift in the second half.
Sporting Kansas City will have a short break before a midweek match at home against the number 1 team in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake.
