Daniel Salloi’s two goals and assist push Sporting Kansas City past Colorado Rapids

Daniel Salloi doesn’t want to have the past two years on his mind.

He really, really, really doesn’t want to have the past two years on his mind.

That’s because the Hungarian winger notched two first-half goals, then assisted for midfielder Felipe Hernandez’s first career MLS goal in Sporting Kansas City’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday at Children’s Mercy Park, putting up another stellar performance in a resurgent season. But when asked about his past form — one goal and one assist in a combined 35 matches from 2019 to 2020 — he firmly but fairly wanted to put discussion about his past to rest.

“I would like to — with all due respect — ask everybody to stop talking about last year,” Salloi said. “It was bad and yes, I did not have enough confidence, but now I do. ... It’s 2021, and I’d like to focus on this. It’s a fresh paper, let’s talk about this year.”

Fair enough. Let’s talk about this year.

Salloi is undergoing a career revival. He has six goals for the season and is in third place on the MLS scoring chart behind the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Javier Hernandez and Seattle Sounders’ Raul Ruidiaz, who are tied for the lead with seven each. After 11 goals and seven assists in 2018, Salloi has six goals and three assists through 11 matches in 2021 as one of the league’s top-performing wingers.

Now, let’s talk about Wednesday’s performance, because it was superb.

Salloi notched his first goal in the 14th minute when winger Johnny Russell played a low ball down the center of the 18-yard box. Center forward Jaylin Lindsey — in place for striker Alan Pulido, who began the match on the bench — laid the ball off for a pursuant Salloi, who didn’t miss from close range.

Goal No. 2 came in the 38th minute. Center back Andreu Fontas, playing about 20 yards from the halfway line, played Felipe Hernandez through toward the left edge of the box. The Colombian-born midfielder tapped a short pass to an overlapping Salloi, who left Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough at a standstill with a powerful driven shot at his near post.

Salloi looked at ease and comfortable with the ball at his feet, with the 24-year-old often leading the charge and pulling the strings in the attack. Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes spoke about working Salloi back up to the level — and maybe beyond — that he was in during 2018, and Vermes always let Salloi know that he had his back through struggles.

“I would say that the first thing is belief,” Vermes said. “I’ve never lost belief in him. ... I’ve told him that year after year, and even though he wasn’t playing at times, It wasn’t like I lost belief. It was that you also sometimes have to make your own luck. And to make your own luck, you do it by working in this game on both sides of the ball and all those things and keeping your mentality for the team. And I think he’s done that.”

Sporting could’ve easily scored more than twice before halftime through multiple chances, most of which were primarily created by exploiting space on the outside through the three center-back formation Colorado attempted to play.

A Khiry Shelton chance in the seventh minute, when he was in a 1-on-1 with Yarbrough, was squandered after a heavy touch left Shelton without a shot attempt. Back-to-back chances for Russell in the 32nd and 33rd minute went wayward off his head and right foot. Salloi also almost completed a hat trick in the 41st minute after being played through by Fontas, but a good stop by Yarbrough prevented a historic night for Salloi.

“(That formation) can be very aggressive to your outside players because they have three in the middle all the time,” Vermes said. “That’s one big thing. The other is that you have to be good on the ball, and what I mean by that is if you’re not good on the ball, you’re going to lose the ball in those pockets and they can turn over quickly and get out on the counter. ... I thought we did a good job of hunting the ball when we lost it.”

Hernandez joined in on the fun in the 64th minute. He played a one-two with Salloi on the left edge of the penalty area, then slotted with a collected bottom-right finish. The 23-year-old, who was the first player in club history to go from an academy affiliate to the academy, then from Sporting Kansas City II to the first team, had a stellar game in midfield as an influential part of the offense.

In a notable tidbit following Kaveh Rad’s substitution for Ilie Sanchez in the 82nd minute, Sporting had six homegrown players on a first-team pitch for the first time in Rad, Salloi, Hernandez, Lindsey, Busio and Cam Duke. They were on the pitch when Colorado got its consolation goal two minutes after the sub: center back Lalas Abubakar had his header from a corner rattle off the crossbar, which rebounded in off the thigh of back-line partner Keegan Rosenberry.

“It was unbelievable,” Hernandez said about his goal. “I just want to thank the fans, the best fans in the league, and they just made it more special whenever I looked up and the ball was in the goal. (I) kind of just blinked, but I heard everything, my teammates are celebrating with me and it’s a big moment for me.”

Vermes was pleased with how the influx of youth did, as well. After all, it’s talent that he’s spent some of the longest time with as Sporting coach for over a decade.

“It’s important that when these young guys (and) they get their opportunities that they contribute,” Vermes said. “It’s one thing to contribute in a meaningful way when you talk about helping the team and playing well. But it’s another thing that you’re making sure that you help the team get three points.”

Sporting will look to continue its winning streak with a matchup against Los Angeles FC at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.

This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Daniel Salloi’s two goals and assist push Sporting Kansas City past Colorado Rapids."