Recap: Sporting KC loses 2-1 to Houston Dynamo FC

Sporting Kansas City (2-5-5, 11 points) lost 2-1 to Houston Dynamo FC (5-4-2, 17 points) on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.

Daniel Salloi scored his first goal of the season to draw Sporting level on the hour mark after Houston took the lead in the first half through Hector Herrera, but Dynamo took the lead for good in the 78th minute behind a decisive strike from Ibrahim Aliyu.

Manager Peter Vermes deployed a starting XI highlighted by a formidable quartet that had never started together before: Salloi, captain Johnny Russell, striker Alan Pulido and striker Willy Agada. Nemanja Radoja and Memo Rodriguez sat deeper in midfield, while goalkeeper Tim Melia was protected by a back line consisting of Jake Davis, Andreu Fontas, Robert Voloder and Tim Leibold. Regular starters Dany Rosero (quad) and Remi Walter (knee) remained injured, while midfielder Erik Thommy saw his streak of 57 consecutive regular season matches end due to a personal absence.

The hosts started brightly when Pulido conjured up the first decent look after 15 minutes, winning a tackle 35 yards from goal and carrying the ball forward only to see his venomous burst blocked in traffic. Seconds later, Rodriguez brilliantly intercepted a pass in Houston’s defensive third before launching a low shot inches past the far left post.

Houston threatened on the opposite side in the 22nd minute. Coco Carrasquilla found a pocket of ground on the edge of the box to hook a diagonal ball to the opposite post, but Ibrahim Aliyu miscalculated his attempted side volley and Sporting were freed from the hook. His fleeting chance preceded another promising Sporting attack, with Russell launching a seductive delivery from the right which sailed across goal without a final touch.

Herrera put the visitors ahead with a softly struck curler in the 31st minute. An orchestrated move saw Houston play a short corner and send the ball to the center of the long-serving Mexican international, who had too much space on the edge of the box to bend a 20-yard strike into the far corner right for his first goal of the 2024 campaign.

Sporting wasted no time looking to respond and almost did so in spectacular fashion in the 37th minute when Salloi’s 35-yard heat-seeker was denied by Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark. Rodriguez’s display of action against his former club continued until the end of the first half, with the former Dynamo player aggressively gaining possession and unleashing a long-range missile that Clark was forced to leave it aside.

Houston right back Griffin Dorsey nearly doubled his team’s lead three minutes into the second period, but failed to put his left-footed curler on target. Sporting had a golden chance to beggar at the other end soon after when Agada chased down a smart long ball from Rodriguez over the top and dragged his breakaway shot through Clark and wide by the smallest of margins.

Salloi opened his goal counter in 2024 with 61 minutes on the clock. Rodriguez started the attack by dribbling towards the goal and attempting to pass into the penalty area. Although his initial serve was pushed away, he headed the rebound into the path of Salloi, who touched and swiveled at the top of the area before picking out the bottom left corner for his 59th career goal for Sporting in all competitions, the fourth highest number in club history. Rodriguez, a former Dynamo player, picked up his third assist of the season on the play, inflicting damage on his former employers.

Melia made two phenomenal saves midway through the second half, first a reflex save to thwart Aliyu at the near post, then a wide smothering of Erik Sviatchenko’s powerful header from a corner.

Houston would find their winning goal with 12 minutes remaining. Dorsey launched into a blistering run from the right defensive channel into the central attacking third before slipping a through ball to Aliyu, who fired a side-shot past Melia for his team-best fourth goal. year.

Sporting had a great opportunity to restore parity in the 88th minute. Substitute Alenis Vargas played a smart diagonal ball down the left side of the box for Leibold to head back across goal, giving Agada a header on the doorstep that Clark somehow kept away apart.

Vermes’ team will look to bounce back next Saturday, May 18, when they visit Austin FC (4-4-4, 16 points) at Q2 Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Jake Davis, Andreu Fontas, Robert Voloder, Tim Leibold (Zorhan Bassong 90′); Nemanja Radoja, Memo Rodriguez; Johnny Russell (C) (Alenis Vargas 82′), Alan Pulido (Marinos Tzionis 74′), Daniel Salloi; Willy Agada (Stephen Afrifa 90′)

Unused submarines: John Pulskamp, ​​Robert Castellanos, Felipe Hernandez, Khiry Shelton

Houston Dynamo: Steve Clark; Griffin Dorsey, Erik Sviatchenko, Micael, Daniel Steres (Tate Schmitt 46′); Artur, Hector Herrera (C) (Latif Bénédiction 70′); Coco Carrasquilla, Amine Bassi (Brad Smith 86′), Ibrahim Aliyu (Ethan Bartlow 90+2′); Sébastien Kowalczyk

Unused submarines: Andrew Tarbell, Jan Gregus, Brooklyn Raines, McKinze Gaines, Gabe Segal

Summary of scores:
HOU — Hector Herrerra 1 (Amine Bassi 3) 31′
SKC – Daniel Salloi 1 (Memo Rodriguez 3) 61’
HOU – Ibrahim Aliyu 4 (Griffin Dorsey 1) 78′

Summary of misconduct:
SKC — Memo Rodriguez (yellow card; unsportsmanlike behavior) 45′
SKC – Andreu Fontas (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 85′
HOU — Sebastian Kowalczyk (yellow card; unsportsmanlike behavior) 90+4′