Sporting Kansas City shut out 3-0 by Seattle Sounders in return to league competition
The Seattle Sounders waited out Sporting KC’s attacks for the first hour before putting away the match with two goals in five minutes en route to a 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at Lumen Field.
Will Bruin opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a header off a simple cross, yet Sporting was in the game for the majority of the first hour and had some opportunities to score.
“I thought we were in the game,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “I thought we were actually playing pretty well.”
Sporting KC showed some possession and dominance of the ball after Seattle’s opening goal but couldn’t quite create a golden chance.
“We spoke about keeping the ball for periods of time because it was a hot day,” KC captain Johnny Russell said. “Obviously we were trying to keep the ball moving around, keep them tired. But it didn’t really do it to any great effect, or where we looked dangerous in any aspect.”
Vermes noted that the Sounders were able to shut down Russell and winger Daniel Salloi — two players who have gashed Seattle for goals in the past.
Russell said Seattle did a good job of denying Sporting the spaces in which it wanted to have the ball.
“It cut off the space so the only passes we really had were back to where it came from, or inside,” Russell said. “We didn’t really have much opportunity to get a ball and turn and get at them, which is something we’ve been really good at against them in the past.”
Sporting’s best chance came in the second half when Cam Duke made an individual run down the end line. His tight-angle shot curled just wide of the back post.
With Sporting KC playing its third match in six days, the visiting players’ legs started to fade after the hour mark. Passes became less crisp and more turnovers led to more Seattle counter-attacks.
“I think the fact that we played three games in six days no doubt had a cumulative effect,” Vermes said. “But the guys tried. It’s not like they didn’t try, so I have no issues there.”
Sporting was done in by a familiar sequence on Seattle’s second goal. Sporting’s back line didn’t defend properly against a simple cross from out wide, and Jordan Morris’ late run put him in position to flick a header past Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia.
Five minutes later, a Seattle counter-attack was turned home by Cristian Roldan to make it 3-0.
In spite of the final score, Melia — who was jeered every time he touched the ball by Seattle fans still upset about his suplex of Roldan last season — made five saves.
Sporting KC fell to 4-11-4 with the loss, while the Sounders improved to 8-6-2.
Sporting returns to action on July 3 at home against the New York Red Bulls.
This story was originally published June 25, 2022 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Sporting Kansas City shut out 3-0 by Seattle Sounders in return to league competition."