Sporting KC loses to FC Dallas after two controversial calls. Were they correct?

Tied 1-all at half, Sporting KC sought to do what it has done a few times this year: earn points with a powerful second-half performance.

But a couple of controversial decisions went against Sporting KC, which ended up down to 10 men for most of the second half in a 4-2 loss.

While Sporting KC (4-10-4) is just over the halfway point of the MLS season, Saturday’s match carried some extra weight given how close Sporting is to Dallas in the standings. It was also the final matchup this year between the teams.

A win would’ve put Sporting just three points out of the final playoff spot. Instead, the result left FC Dallas one point away from ninth-place Colorado, which lost 1-0 to Orlando on Saturday night.

“We, as a group, will move on,” interim coach Kerry Zavagnin said. “This has been a fantastic couple of months with the group. Success isn’t a linear progression. You’re going to have a little dip.

“I’m a little disappointed for the stadium, the fans and the players who put so much into it that the result didn’t reflect the preparation and the commitment that the guys have given to the game.”

Sporting KC kicked things off just eight minutes into the game with a stunning strike off the left foot of Shapi Suleymanov. After picking up the ball at the top of the box, the winger found the top corner for his second goal of the season.

FC Dallas wasted little time in getting one back as Petar Musa tapped home a cross from Shaq Moore.

Then things got weird in the second half.

FC Dallas was awarded a penalty kick in the 56th minute for what initially looked like a foul by Sporting’s Jansen Miller on Luciano Acosta of FC Dallas. But replays appeared to show Acosta falling down on his own before minimal — if any — contact was made.

VAR did not send the referee to the monitor on the play and Acosta converted his penalty kick.

The referees were asked — through the pool-report process postgame — why the VAR did not believe a “clear and obvious error” had been committed on the call, thus sending the referee to the monitor.

Referee Sergii Demianchuk responded: “The VAR confirmed that a tripping foul was committed against Dallas player #10 Luciano Acosta resulting in a penalty kick.” The referees did not confirm which Sporting KC player they judged to have tripped Acosta.

Moments after, Khiry Shelton made a slide tackle where he didn’t appear to meaningfully connect with the ball or the FC Dallas player, but he was called for the foul and given a second yellow card. Shelton said postgame he “barely nicked the outside of his boot.”

Sporting’s players (and crowd) protested, particularly after the replay was shown on the video board at Children’s Mercy Park. The replay also showed FC Dallas midfielder Pedrinho taking additional steps before falling to the ground.

Demianchuk, through the pool report process, cited the speed of the challenge as a factor. Because the play resulted in a second yellow card, and not a straight red card, there was no VAR review.

“There was contact to the foot of the opponent, and given the speed of the challenge, this tackle was deemed to be reckless in nature,” Demianchuk said, “and he was shown a yellow card.”

While Shelton said there might have been slight contact, he noted the two steps Pedrinho took before actually going down. “So he knew he didn’t (get fouled),” Shelton continued.

Shelton did take accountability for what he said wasn’t his best performance. He received his first yellow card in first-half stoppage time.

“I didn’t have the greatest game today,” Shelton said.

Bernard Kamungo then added FC Dallas’ third goal, and Acosta added another to make it 4-1.

Santiago Muñoz scored for Sporting KC in the 90th minute but that’s as far as the comeback went.

Up next: Sporting KC plays Charlotte FC on June 25 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 14, 2025 at 10:32 PM.