Recap: Nati Clarke scores first professional goal in SKC II defeat at home to Rapids 2

Sporting Kansas City II (0-8-3, 4 points) suffered a 4-1 defeat to Colorado Rapids 2 (6-4-2, 20 points) on Sunday afternoon at Children's Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Missouri. Nati Clarke scored his first professional goal thanks to Shane Donovan's first assist of the year. Colorado scored in first half stoppage time before adding three more to their lead ahead of Clarke's 85th-minute finish.

Head Coach Istvan Urbanyi slotted Jacob Molinaro back in goal, where he made five saves on the day. Cielo Tschantret and Pierre Lurot played in central defense while Anthony Samways and Leo Christiano reentered the starting 11. Donovan played in the middle with Gael Quintero and Johann Ortiz. Massud Habibullah made his first start for SKC II after five appearances off the bench, and Donovan played out wide, opposite of Maouloune Goumballe.

Colorado jumped out on the front foot, firing the first 11 shots of the contest in the first 30 minutes of the game before SKC II could register a chance. Their first look at goal came off a corner kick that was blocked by Samways before being pulled wide of Molinaro's right-hand post. Quintero, playing defensive mid today, slid in with a crunching tackle in the eighth and then blocked a pair of Rapids 2 shots in the 11th. Molinaro made his first of five saves in the 17th, tracking a ball skipped past Lurot well enough to secure in the middle of his goal.

SKC II tried to jump on the attack in the 18th off a brilliant, searching ball from Christiano, however, Donovan was ruled offside by the far-side assistant referee. The 21st minute saw a timely intervention from Lurot, who denied a cross from the right corner. A minute later, a handball outside the box gave Colorado a set piece that was blocked by the wall and cleared by Ortiz near the penalty spot.

A nervous moment arose in the 26th after Molinaro made a save but had to scramble to snare the loose ball before it rolled over his line. A few ticks later, the keeper got back in on the action, positioning himself perfectly to catch a redirected header at his chest from up close. Goumballe took Sporting's first opportunity of the day and nearly found the back of the net if not for an acrobatic save by Adam Beaudry right before the first half cooling break. Out of the intermission, Donovan dribbled several defenders before being cut off inside the box at the last moment.

Daouda Amadou received the first yellow card of the contest in the 36th when he went in late on Ortiz near midfield. Molinaro made yet another save in the 42nd and picked up a collection on a cross floated into his six. Billo Diop was able to beat the keeper in the first minute of stoppage time, finishing off a breakaway and giving the guests a one-goal lead at the half. Urbanyi went to his bench before the second half got underway, making three changes. Medgy Alexandre, Bryan Arellano and David Zavala came on in place of Habibullah, Derksen and Ortiz.

A little over a minute into the final 45, a controversial penalty was converted by Amadou after Tschantret was whistled for a foul in the box as Molinaro slid in to try and collect a loose ball. Goumballe got hammered down at the top of the arc in the 52nd, leading to a chance for SKC II to get back into the game. Zavala's free kick ricocheted off the wall before Samways sent a shot off target. Sydney Wahuta added a third for the visitors in the 60th, and Rogelio Garcia tapped a rebound in for their fourth in the 83rd. Andrew Johnson made his pro debut in the 83rd alongside Clarke in place of Christiano and Samways.

Clarke buried a superb cross from Donovan in the 85th to cut into the deficit, but it proved too little too late as Colorado picked up all three points.

Sunday's match concluded a three-match home stand for SKC II as they head back on the road at the end of this week to take on Houston Dynamo 2. Kickoff for the Saturday showdown at Shell Energy Stadium is set for 7 p.m. CT with a live stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Sporting KC II will then be off until June 27th when they return to Texas to face Austin FC II on Friday, June 27 at Parmer Field.

Sporting Kansas City II: Jacob Molinaro; Anthony Samways (Nati Clarke 83'), Cielo Tschantret, Pierre Lurot, Leo Christiano (Andrew Johnson 83'); Gael Quintero, Carter Derksen, Johann Ortiz (David Zavala 46'); Maouloune Goumballe, Massud Habibullah (Medgy Alexandre 46'), Shane Donovan

Subs Not Used: Beau Barren, Luis Cruz-Ayala

Colorado Rapids 2: Adam Beaudry; Andre Erickson, Kofie Senanou, Josh Belluz (Vincent Rinaldi 81'), Anderson Rosa (Jaden Chan Tack 81'); Daouda Amadou (Noah Strellnauer 63'), Sydney Wahuta, Malik Pinto; Josh Coepland (Landon Strohmeyer 81'), Billo Diop, Antony Garcia Rodriguez (Rogelio Garcia 73')

Subs Not Used: Zack Campagnolo, Stevie Flores

Scoring Summary:

COL -- Billo Diop 1 (Sydney Wathuta 2) 45+1'
COL -- Daouda Amadou 2 (Unassisted) 48'
COL -- Sydney Wahuta 2 (Antony Garcia Rodriguez 2) 60'
COL -- Rogelio Garcia 1 (Unassisted) 83'
SKC -- Nati Clarke 1 (Shane Donovan 1) 85'

Misconduct Summary:

COL -- Daouda Amadou (Yellow Card; Unsporting Conduct) 36'
SKC -- Leo Christiano (Yellow Card; Unsporting Conduct) 69'
COL -- Noah Strellnauer (Yellow Card; Delaying a Restart) 90+1'
COL -- Malik Pinto (Yellow Card; Unsporting Conduct) 90+4'

Referee: Kyle Armstrong
Assistant Referee: Cameron Siler
Assistant Referee: Audra Fullen
Fourth Official: Tim Wagner