Sporting KC lets an early lead slip in MLS defeat at LAFC. Here’s how it went down

Sporting Kansas City had scored first in just five of 16 matches this season.

Dejan Joveljic made it six in 17 on Sunday night in Southern California, but Sporting KC couldn’t hang on as LAFC rallied for a 3-1 victory at BMO Stadium.

Interim Sporting KC coach Kerry Zavagnin called LAFC an elite team and said the club he’s overseeing is “not at the elite level of the league yet.

“We are pursuing that,” Zavagnin continued. “Tonight, we saw an elite team that has been very good in our league over the last number of years, and we got some pretty good feedback.”

Zavagnin elaborated about that feedback.

“We need to be more consistent on both the attacking and defending side of the ball,” he said. “Even better on set pieces, although we’ve improved greatly. But that’s our pursuit … we have to be better, and we will be better.”

Joveljic has made a habit of scoring against LAFC in his career. Sunday’s goal, in the 39th minute, was his seventh against his former arch-rival club and his 10th of the season.

The give-and-go, one-touch-combo was scintillating, with Joveljic carving up LAFC’s midfield. The final pass was a quick one from Manu Garcia into the path of Joveljic.

Joveljic took one touch to squeeze through the LAFC defenders and then shot the ball into the net. It was a memorable sequence that offered a glimpse of the abilities Sporting possesses.

Until late in the game, however, that was KC’s only shot on target. And that fact underscores Zavagnin’s point about the need for greater consistency.

LAFC equalized just before halftime off a corner kick. Eddie Segura was unmarked, won a header and powered the ball past Sporting KC goalkeeper John Pulskamp.

It was 1-1 at halftime. But LAFC forced Sporting KC into mistakes in the second half, including when Memo Rodriguez stuck out his leg and tripped L.A.’s Denis Bouanga in the box.

The trip gave LAFC a penalty kick in the 59th minute: Bouanga went to the left, Pulskamp dove the other way and suddenly it was 2-1.

The hosts’ go-ahead goal set up the type of game LAFC craves: The home club was able to get out and run on the counter-attack.

Sporting KC tried to get back into the match, but the visitors’ last, best opportunity was a long-range attempt from Jansen Miller that missed its mark deep in the second half.

In stoppage time, Olivier Giroud and Denis Bouanga teamed up on a counter-attack. And Giroud scored to seal LAFC’s victory.

Sunday’s match against LAFC was rescheduled from May 28 due to LAFC’s one-game playoff against Club America — required for LAFC to enter the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

LAFC won that match 2-1 in extra time to qualify for the competition. The Los Angeles club is one of three Major League Soccer teams competing alongside Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders.

Sunday’s game put an end to a tough road stretch for Sporting. KC had played seven of its last nine games away from Kansas City. Five of the team’s next six matches will be contested in the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park.

Up next: Sporting KC plays host to FC Dallas on Saturday at CMP in Kansas City, Kansas. That match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.

This story was originally published June 8, 2025 at 10:14 PM.