Recap: Sporting KC earns 2-1 victory over Minnesota United

Sporting Kansas City (4-10-2, 14 pts.) earned a 2-1 victory over Minnesota United (6-6-4, 22 pts.) at Sporting Park on Wednesday night in the team’s first home match following the FIFA World Cup break. Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia scored in each half to lead Sporting to their second home win of the season and a precious three points.

Head coach Raphael Wicky made three changes to the lineup from last week’s defeat at St. Louis, all coming along the backline. Emir Karic made his first start for the club at left back, while Jake Davis and Wyatt Meyer were also restored to the lineup with Jayden Reid, Ian James and Jansen Miller dropping to the bench.

Both teams created openings early on, with Minnesota’s Joaquin Pereyra firing high in the second minute before Manu Garcia forced a smart save from Drake Callender two minutes later.

Minnesota almost took the lead in the 15^th minute when star striker Kelvin Yeboah struck the post with a low effort from 15 yards before Morris Duggan’s follow-up from distance was palmed away by Stefan Cleveland in the Sporting goal.

Sporting took the lead in the 28^th minute through the team’s top scorer, Dejan Joveljic. After Lasse Berg Johnsen sent Capita Capemba away down the right wing, the Angolan beat his man with ease before squaring to Joveljic who converted his eighth goal of the season.

Joveljic almost added a second on the stroke of halftime when his free kick from the edge of the area snuck through a crowd of bodies but was parried to safety by Callender.

In the 51^st minute, Joveljic teed up Calvin Harris on the edge of the area and the Englishman saw his deflected attempt carom off the outside of the post as Sporting continued to push for a second goal.

Sporting turned their pressure into a second goal in the 54^th minute when Garcia capped a brilliant team goal by curling home his second goal of the season from the edge of the area. Sporting had sprung forward with numbers and after Harris found Jake Davis overlapping on the right wing, the SKC Academy product cut the ball back for Garcia to stroke home.

Minnesota looked to claw their way back into the game and almost pulled a goal back in the 68^th minute when Cleveland first pushed away Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s low cross before Davis headed Tomas Chancalay’s lofted attempt off the line.

The Loons kept pushing and went close again in the 73^rd minute when Mamadou Dieng sprung free in the area, but Cleveland spread himself well to block the substitute’s low shot.

The visitors finally found the goal back they were searching for in the 75^th minute when Devin Padelford headed home Pereyra’s pin-point free kick delivery, cutting the score to 2-1.

Minnesota poured forward in the closing stages looking for an equalizer and the two sides traded chances as Dieng fired narrowly wide for the visitors before Stephen Afrifa saw a near-post shot well saved by Callender in second-half stoppage time, but Sporting hung on to claim a valuable three points at home.

Sporting has a short turnaround before the team’s next match, coming this Saturday on the road against LAFC at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT on Apple TV, while the game will be air on the radio on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.

2026 MLS Regular Season | Game 16
Sporting Park | Kansas City, KS
Attendance: 15,378
Weather: 77 degrees and cloudy

Sporting Kansas City: Stefan Cleveland; Jake Davis, Or Blorian, Wyatt Meyer, Emir Karic (Jayden Reid 79’); Capita Capemba (Stephen Afrifa 71’), Lasse Berg Johnsen, Zorhan Bassong (Jacob Bartlett 79’), Calvin Harris; Manu Garcia (Kwaku Agyabeng 71’), Dejan Joveljic (C)

Subs Not Used: John Pulskamp, Ethan Bartlow, Ian James, Jansen Miller, Shapi Suleymanov

Minnesota United: Drake Callender; Kyle Duncan (Bongokuhle Hlongwane 64’), Michael Boxall (C), Morris Duggan, Devin Padelford (Jefferson Diaz 75’); Wil Trapp, Owen Gene (Mauricio Gonzalez 75’), Joaquin Pereyra; Tomas Chancalay (Julian Gressel 86’), Kelvin Yeboah (Mamadou Dieng 64’), Anthony Markanich

Subs Not Used: Alec Smir, Kieran Chandler, Peter Stroud, DJ Taylor

Scoring Summary:
SKC – Dejan Joveljic 8 (Capita Capemba 1, Lasse Berg Johnsen 4) 28’
SKC – Manu Garcia 2 (Jake Davis 3, Calvin Harris 5) 54’
MIN – Devin Padelford 1 (Joaquin Pereyra 6) 75’

Misconduct Summary:
MIN – Kyle Duncan (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 21’
SKC – Capita Capemba (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 47+
MIN – Joaquin Pereyra (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 56’
SKC – Dejan Joveljic (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 74’
MIN – Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 84’

Referee: Matthew Corrigan
Assistant Referee: Chris Elliott
Assistant Referee: Ryan Graves
Fourth Official: Ramy Touchan
VAR: Ismir Pekmic
AVAR: Joshua Patlak