Sporting KC makes most of restored lineup with Saturday home win against Real Salt Lake

Sporting Kansas City’s top two goal-scorers of 2021 returned to the lineup Saturday evening, and with them came the club’s second victory of the 2022 season.

Sporting KC captain Johnny Russell’s 81st-minute strike was all the offense the hosts needed in a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Sporting’s return to health has begun, as Russell and Daniel Salloi both started the match and teammate Khiry Shelton came off the bench for the final 30 minutes. All three had missed last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Chicago due to various ailments.

“I’m always interested when a team gets into a situation where we were — we had a lot of injuries — and how the reaction of the guys, some panic and then others keep their head,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “Just because you’re losing doesn’t mean you’re lost. We weren’t lost.”

Salloi made his presence known within the first 30 seconds of Saturday’s match, ripping a shot just past the post. Real Salt Lake, in the midst of its own injury crisis, had chances, too, but Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia stood tall, stopping anything sent his way en route to a clean sheet in his 200th career appearance for Sporting KC (2-3-0).

By the time Shelton subbed onto the field in the second half, the game was still scoreless but Sporting had started to look like its old self again. The home team pinned Salt Lake back and threatened repeatedly.

Russell even had a few chances himself, including one that he caught completely wrong after putting a few RSL defenders out of play with some nifty dribbling.

“I don’t let it get to me,” Russell said. “I know that I’m going to get more chances. The team is either going to find me or I’ll find them and there’ll be more chances in the game. It’s just about keeping your head when it comes again.”

The chemistry between Sporting’s front three was apparent on Russell’s winning goal. The Scotsman picked up the ball wide on the right and started one of his patented runs, slaloming through the RSL defense.

A nice screening run from Khiry Shelton cleared enough space for Russell to enter the 18-yard box. Left one-v-one with Salt Lake keeper Zac MacMath, the KC captain went left as MacMath dove right, missing Russell’s volley into the net.

The result was Sporting KC’s second 1-0 decision at home this season. The win also avenged a season-ending loss to Real Salt Lake here in last season’s playoffs.

Russell said on Friday that the team needed to get back to putting fear into opponents at Children’s Mercy Park, and on Saturday Sporting KC inched closer to regaining that type of form.

“I feel we’re definitely taking strides towards that,” Russell said. “They (RSL) have started well, up at the top of the table. We’ve just shown tonight that we are more than capable of taking it to a team.”

Sporting KC returns to action next Saturday in Vancouver, with kickoff against the Whitecaps set for 7 p.m. Central Time at BC Place.

This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Sporting KC makes most of restored lineup with Saturday home win against Real Salt Lake."