Sporting Kansas City struggled to find their footing at Children’s Mercy Park, ending up with a 2-0 defeat against San Diego FC in the MLS Week 23 match. The game’s first goal came at the 22nd minute of the first half, brilliantly executed by forward Hirving Lozano. Anders Dreyer sealed the victory with a second goal at the 69th minute of the second half.
The pivotal play opened the scoring when Lozano capitalized on an assist from Anders Dreyer, slotting the ball into the top left corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper John Pulskamp with no chance.
Despite Sporting Kansas City having a significant advantage in shots (21 to 6), they could not convert any of those efforts. Out of their total attempts, 14 were on target while 7 went off-course.
Anders Dreyer stood out as the player of the match, showcasing his skills with a goal and 4 shots on target.
San Diego FC’s goalkeeper, Carlos dos Santos, also made an impression with five crucial saves throughout the match.
Coach Kerry Zavagnin set Sporting KC up in a 4-5-1 formation, with John Pulskamp in goal; Khiry Shelton, Robert Voloder, Jansen Miller, and Logan Ndenbe forming the defense; Magomed Suleymanov, Zorhan Bassong, Jake Davis, Daniel Salloi, and Santiago Muñoz in midfield; and Dejan Joveljic leading the attack.
In contrast, Michael Anthony Varas deployed a 4-3-3 setup for San Diego FC, featuring Carlos dos Santos as the keeper; Aiden Harangi, Manu Duah, Christopher McVey, and Luca Bombino in defense; and a forward line consisting of Anders Dreyer, Onni Valakari, and Hirving Lozano.
The match was officiated by referee Pierre Lauziere.
Looking ahead, Sporting Kansas City will visit Orlando City SC for their next match, while San Diego FC will take on the San José Earthquakes away from home.
Substitutions for Sporting Kansas City: 48’ 2H – Logan Ndenbe out for Jacob Bartlett, 63’ 2H – Magomed Suleymanov out for Manu García, Santiago Muñoz out for Mason Toye, Aníbal Godoy out for Emmanuel Boateng, 84’ 2H – Khiry Shelton out for Alán Montes, 85’ 2H – Zorhan Bassong out for Stephen Afrifa.
Yellow Card for Sporting Kansas City: 64’ 2H Manu García (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for San Diego FC: 45’ 2H – David Vazquez out for Luca de la Torre, 62’ 2H – Hirving Lozano out for Alex Mighten, Christopher McVey out for Ian Pilcher, 91’ 2H – Anders Dreyer out for Tomás Ángel.