In an intense match held at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Sporting Kansas City edged past Colorado Rapids with a 2-1 victory. The opening goal came quickly, with Dejan Joveljic finding the net just 3 minutes into the game following a brilliant team play. Shortly after halftime, Erik Thommy doubled the lead for Sporting Kansas City in the 52nd minute, showcasing another excellent attacking move.
Colorado Rapids responded with determination, managing to score just before the halftime break. Rafael Navarro converted a penalty kick in the 43rd minute, that had been won after a foul in the box.
Despite taking more shots than their opponents – 24 in total, with 9 on target – the Rapids struggled to find the back of the net on more occasions. Notably, Djordje Mihailovic missed a crucial opportunity to equalize when he failed to convert a penalty awarded in the 30th minute of the first half.
John Pulskamp of Sporting Kansas City was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, making an impressive 8 saves throughout the game to keep his team in the lead. Erik Thommy also played an essential role with his goal contributing significantly to the team’s success.
The coaching strategies showed a contrast in formations: Colorado Rapids, led by Chris Armas, utilized a 4-5-1 formation with key players such as Nico Hansen in goal and Rafael Navarro as the lone striker. On the other hand, Kerry Zavagnin’s Sporting Kansas City took the field in a 4-3-3 setup, featuring John Pulskamp in goal and a formidable attacking front of Magomed Suleymanov, Dejan Joveljic, and Erik Thommy.
The referee for this thrilling encounter was Filip Dujic. Looking ahead, Colorado Rapids are set to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC in their next game, while Sporting Kansas City will take on Seattle Sounders at home.
Substitutions for Colorado Rapids
59’ 2T – Theodore Ku-Dipietro off for Cole Bassett
72’ 2T – Joshua Atencio off for Darren Yapi; Dejan Joveljic off for Mason Toye
80’ 2T – Calvin Harris off for Kimani Stewart-Baynes
Substitutions for Sporting Kansas City
45’ 2T – Joaquín Fernández off for Ian James
57’ 2T – Tim Leibold off for Memo Rodríguez; Magomed Suleymanov off for Daniel Salloi
86’ 2T – Erik Thommy off for Santiago Muñoz
Cautions for Sporting Kansas City:
16’ 1T – Joaquín Fernández (holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
47’ 2T – Manu García (unsporting conduct)
51’ 2T – Tim Leibold (repeated fouls)
63’ 2T – Jacob Bartlett (holding an opponent to prevent advancement)