Still cold in front of goal, Sporting Kansas City settles for 0-0 draw against Columbus

Sporting Kansas City couldn’t find the net but was able to keep the Columbus Crew off the scoreboard, too, earning a 0-0 tie in a weather-pummeled game at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday night.

The 7:30 p.m. match was delayed for nearly an hour because of severe weather around the stadium. Play was stopped in the 76th minute amid waves of wind and rain, resuming at about 10:05 p.m. Central Time.

As the scoreline would suggest, there wasn’t a ton to write home about even when the game was playable. Sporting’s Andreu Fontas was swapped out of the starting lineup for Kortne Ford, who was easily the man of the match for the home team.

“I’ve been waiting for that opportunity for a long time,” Ford said. “I’m happy with the way I played. At the end of the day, (we’re) just disappointed we didn’t get the result that we wanted, but we’ll take the point.”

The Olathe native made numerous crucial clearances and tackles during his first start in front of his hometown fans.

“Kortne was really good in the air,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “(He) makes a great saving clearance that’s basically right on the line. That guy is tapping it in if he’s not there. He’s got the mentality to defend the goal.”

While he initially made the start alongside Nicholas Isimat-Mirin, the Frenchman was taken off in the fifth minute after being headbutted by Crew winger james Igbekeme. Isimat-Mirin was later taken to the hospital to be evaluated further for a concussion and a potential broken bone in his face. The club will provide further updates to his status.

Robert Voloder was subbed on instead of Andreu Fontas, and he stepped in seamlessly alongside Ford in the backline.

“We play together in training all the time when we weren’t getting starts,” Ford said. “So I thought our chemistry was good.”

Voloder credited the fans’ energy for motivating him and spurring him on in his first appearance at Children’s Mercy Park.

“To play at home my first game for, let’s say most of the 90 (minutes), was very cool,” Voloder said. “The home crowd was amazing. I felt them push me and motivate me. I think I did a good job and played a good game, so I’m looking forward to the next time.”

One of the bigger moments in the match came when Remi Walter was played through on goal in the 42nd minute thanks to a weighted pass over the top from Voloder.

As Walter went to play the ball, he collided with a Crew defender. The contact appeared to have been initiated by the Columbus player, but head referee Fotis Bizakos did not award Sporting a penalty kick and VAR did not recommend the play for review.

“That’s a penalty kick,” Vermes said. “If that’s not a penalty kick, I don’t know what a penalty kick is.”

Vermes went on to lament the fact that the VAR did not give Bizakos the opportunity to go to the monitor and make his own final judgment on the play.

“The fact they didn’t bring the referee over to have a look at it for him to make his final decision,” Vermes said, “I think there’s a flaw in that. If I’m the referee, I want to know. I want to see that. Because there is no doubt in my mind.”

Sporting KC (2-6-1) plays host to FC Dallas next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 10:42 PM with the headline "Still cold in front of goal, Sporting Kansas City settles for 0-0 draw against Columbus."