Sporting KC returned to MLS play for the first time since July 20, and fireworks soon followed.
And maybe even a breath of life as the home stretch of the MLS regular season begins.
Sporting beat Orlando City SC 3-0 at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night. Jake Davis put Sporting on the scoreboard just before halftime. He picked up a loose ball at the top of the box, dribbled past several Orlando City midfielders and fired a left-footed shot into the top corner.
Daniel Salloi doubled the lead on the other side of half-time thanks to an effective counterattack initiated by his clearance in the defensive box. Salloi intercepted a cross and passed it to Davis, who carried the ball the length of the field.
Salloi burst forward with breathtaking power. Davis played a pass to Erik Thommy, who laid it off for Salloi, who fired past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to record his 100th goal contribution for Sporting KC (60 goals, 40 assists).
Sporting looked set to win comfortably, but Willy Agada’s red card in the 70th minute made things tense. His foul on Facundo Torres was initially judged to be a second yellow card, but after a video review it was upgraded to a straight red card by the main referee Tim Ford for serious fouls.
Sporting KC’s defense held firm even in the 12th minute of injury time. And Sporting even extended their lead.
In the 92nd minute, Alan Pulido chased a ball down the byline and sent a pass back into the wide open space of the midfield. Remi Walter, who came on as a substitute in the second half, had enough time to set up a shot with his preferred left foot, firing into the top corner to make it 3-0.
Sporting KC has a quick turnaround and returns for a thrilling US Open Cup semifinal against Indy Eleven of the USL Championship on Tuesday night. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Children’s Mercy Park.
Daniel Sperry Covers Football for The Star. He can be reached at Sperry[email protected].
