Pulido scores first goal since 2021, Sporting KC wins first competitive game of 2023
Even without a win thus far in 2023 MLS play, anything less than that result for Sporting KC on Tuesday would have been unacceptable as Sporting faced semi-pro Tulsa Athletic in the third round of the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.
Things got a bit nervy after Sporting yielded a penalty kick in the 20th minute, but from there KC took control. Keeper John Pulskamp saved the Tulsa penalty and goals from Daniel Salloi, Alan Pulido and Marinos Tzionis led to a 3-0 Sporting KC victory at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting brought out a mix of first-choice players, reserves and players from Sporting KC II. Pulido started and captained the team, with Salloi, Felipe Hernandez and Remi Walter playing, too. Gadi Kinda started and played 30 minutes, his first action since Sporting KC’s playoff loss to Real Salt Lake in November 2021.
In the early going, Pulskamp brought down Jordan Watson in the box to give Tulsa Athletic a penalty and a shot at the lead.
“Obviously, at that point, it wasn’t gonna be easy,” manager Peter Vermes said after the match.
But Pulskamp came up clutch, going the right way to push the penalty to the side.
Vermes later alluded to the save as infusing confidence in the KC side, as did the goals. Pulskamp agreed, saying that, as a keeper, you want to help bail your guys out when things aren’t going right on the other end of the field.
“Whenever we’re in a situation that we find ourselves in as a keeper, your only thought and your only want is to come up big to help the team,” Pulskamp said. “The save is big for the team, and it’s big for me. And the guys handled business from there.”
Salloi gave Sporting the lead 15 minutes later when he drilled a shot from distance, which the Tulsa goalkeeper parried off the post and into the net.
Ten minutes into the second half, Salloi turned provider with a hard pass to the back post, which Pulido put away for his first goal for Sporting since August 14, 2021. Pulido said it may not have happened if he didn’t asked Vermes to play him on Tuesday.
After the match, Vermes told a story of Pulido approaching him on the team flight back to Kansas City after the 2-1 loss to New England over the weekend. Vermes wasn’t considering the notion that Pulido would play in the game but decided to take him up on the offer.
“The fact that he wanted to play tells me that he wants to be on the field and he wants to be ... effective for the team,” Vermes said.
Pulido said he felt he needed more reps on the field to gain confidence.
“I felt like it’s a very good opportunity for me to score and for a win,” he said. “I’m happy about this decision, and I respect the coach that he put me tonight in the 11.”
Tzionis added Sporting’s third goal just before the 70th minute. He was played in on goal by Erik Thommy and Tzionis put his shot low and hard past the keeper.
With the win, Sporting KC moves to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup, which is to be played May 9-10. The draw for the fourth round is set for Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, it’s a quick turnaround for Sporting KC, which will play host to CF Montreal on Saturday night.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 9:59 PM.