Sporting KC gets 2 goals from Dejan Joveljic (plus 1 more) in victory at Houston

Sporting Kansas City had been the victim of some stunning goals by the opponent in recent weeks.

After being burned in previous matches by two bicycle kicks and a stunning curler, this time the visitors responded with a special goal of their own — the second of two by striker Dejan Joveljic — en route to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo.

Joveljic was nowhere to be found after Sporting KC’s match last week: He was racing to the hospital for the birth of his first child, a baby girl. He scored a goal in that game, as well, leading him to refer to the past seven days as “the best week ever.”

“This game, on the road, a very tough place to play,” Joveljic said. “I hate (playing in) this place, to be honest.

“A huge three points. Now we go to L.A. and (then) we play three games at home. It’s going to be hard, but we need to get points and be in the race for a playoff spot.”

Sure enough, Saturday evening’s result helped Sporting KC (4-8-4) climb into 12th place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, just four points shy of a coveted postseason berth.

While falling behind early in games is probably not a trend that interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin wishes to see continue, Saturday marked the third time in four games that Sporting KC came from behind to earn a draw or win.

Zavagnin said the team’s commitment to energy and emotion has been a difference-maker of late.

“It gives you confidence to come into situations like this, another moment of adversity, and to see the group bounce back,” he said. “I think I’ve said this before, the only thing that a coach wants is that perseverance, that grit, that determination, because you can’t control the ultimate result sometimes … but you’re always in it when you have those characteristics.

“We have great people in the locker room. We have great competitors. And they showed it once again tonight.”

The Dynamo’s only goal, and first of the night by either side, followed a good bit of possession and build-up. Sporting KC’s Manu Garcia lost Sebastian Kowalczyk; the Houston winger received the ball at the corner of the penalty area, then turned and whipped a curling strike into the top corner.

But as has become more common in recent weeks, Sporting KC found a way back into the game with possession and a push into Houston’s defensive third. Kansas City didn’t fire a ton of shots Saturday but got the one it needed most just before halftime.

Khiry Shelton’s deflected cross fell to Joveljic, who took one touch to his left before placing a kick through the legs of a Dynamo defender.

That was goal No. 1 for Joveljic. He nearly scored again right after halftime, but his volley from the middle of the penalty area was saved by former L.A. Galaxy teammate Jonathan Bond.

Joveljic chuckled and gave Bond a high-five after that sequence ... then had the last laugh by scoring goal No. 2 in the 52nd minute. He executed a deft scissor kick after a corner kick was headed off the crossbar.

For the second game in a row, Sporting KC had come back and taken a lead. And this time, Kansas City was able to manage that advantage throughout the rest of the match.

The Sporting defense made some crucial blocks and clearances while KC goalkeeper John Pulskamp made the saves he needed to — eight total for the night.

“He’s developing not just into a big-save goalkeeper, but a goalkeeper that produces consistently week in and week out,” Zavagnin said of Pulskamp. “The rest of the group gains confidence when John comes up with big saves.”

The game’s final goal materialized as the clock ticked toward the 90th minute. Houston failed to chase down a long clearance and winger Daniel Salloi got to it first.

He drove into the box and cut it back to Santiago Muñoz, the team’s most recent acquisition and a late sub for Joveljic. Muñoz hit it first-time with his instep, sending the ball toward the far corner, where Bond was unable to save it.

“Since the moment that I’ve arrived to Kansas City,” Muñoz said, “the team, the staff and everyone has been more than welcome with me. I think that this (goal) is for the team, for all the people in Kansas City, in the club, and of course, for my family.”

Muñoz said Zavagnin had told him to get into the defensive side of things and then — when Sporting wins back possession — to position himself and do something with the ball.

“That’s what I did,” Muñoz said. “I helped defensively, and then the counter-attack came that I was able to score for the team.”

Up next: Sporting KC will travel to Los Angeles next weekend for a game that was initially scheduled for last Wednesday but was rescheduled so LAFC can compete in a playoff game to enter the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

The Sunday, June 8, Sporting KC-LAFC match will kick off at 6 p.m.

This story was originally published May 31, 2025 at 9:38 PM.