Sporting KC beats San Jose to collect first win of season
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A late VAR review helped Sporting Kansas City secure a 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes for their first win of the 2024 season.
The match began with two goals in the first 20 minutes.
San Jose got on the board first with a corner-kick goal from Vítor Costa in the 11th minute.
Sporting responded seven minutes later with their own corner kick goal from center-back Dany Rosero. It was Rosero’s fourth Sporting goal since he joined the club last season and it was the first assist for Memo Rodriguez in a Sporting kit.
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In the 29th minute, a build-up that began with goalkeeper Tim Melia including 17 passes where defender Nemanja Radoja was the only player not to touch the ball.
Dániel Sallói, Jake Davis, Johnny Russell, and Alan Pulido combined on the attacking half for Pulido’s go-ahead goal. Russell notched the assist with a slick cross from the right side of the box to the center where Pulido smashed a left-footed goal to the top left corner.
Sporting took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
In the 51st minute, Russell went down grabbing at his right leg after receiving a cross from Sallói in the box that a San Jose defender snubbed out. Russell was subbed out for Stephen Afrifa in the 53rd minute after going down on the field.
Russell and Sallói started on the right and left wings respectively. In the second half, they switched. Once Afrifa subbed in, Sallói went back to his left-wing position and Afirfa to the right wing.
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In the 82nd minute, a Sallói yellow card led to a San Jose free kick. Rodrigues scored on the free kick to tie the match but was ruled off after VAR showed a handball foul on Costa.
Sporting outpossessed SJ with 51.4% of possession but were outshot 13-5 (6-3 on target).
Goalkeeper Tim Melia had another top-notch performance with six saves on the night and completed 82% of his passes.
Sporting hosts the LA Galaxy next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
