Sporting Kansas City (5-10-6, 21 points) fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Chicago Fire (5-6-8, 23 points) on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
After a scoreless first half, Fabian Herbers struck less than two minutes into the second half for the game’s only goal and the Creighton University product’s second in a four-day span.
Playing the team’s third match in eight days — and their hottest of the season with the temperature at 91 degrees for kickoff — Sporting was shutout at home for the first time since April despite outshooting the Fire and carving out numerous scoring chances on the night.
In the 15th minute, Daniel Salloi forced the first of four saves from 19-year-old Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady with a dipping effort from distance. Brady made his best save of the match eight minutes later, sprawling to his left to push away Alan Pulido’s bending attempt from 25 yards out.
Erik Thommy would try his luck from a similar position on the field in the 26th minute only to see the shot swerve over the crossbar. Moments later, Pulido slipped in Salloi with a delicate through ball between two defenders however Fire defender Arnaud Souquet did just enough to deal with the danger as the ball carried across the endline before Salloi could wrangle it under his control.
Ten minutes from halftime, Remi Walter had arguably the best look at goal of the first half but the Frenchman’s first-time strike sliced off his left foot and into the Supporters’ Stand. Pulido would register one last shot in the opening stanza from the opposite corner of the six-yard box only to have Federico Navarro slide in at the final moment for the timely intervention.
The decisive moment of the match arrived exactly 100 seconds into the second half when Chicago midfielder Jairo Torres delivered a low cross across the goalmouth and, following a fortuitous deflection, into the path of Herbers just past the penalty mark. The 29-year-old playmaker did well to direct his shot through traffic and into the back of the net for his third goal of the season and 15th of his eight-year MLS career.
Sporting would spend the remainder of the second half in pursuit of a breakthrough that ultimately proved elusive.
In the 51st minute, club captain Johnny Russell – making his return to the starting lineup for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on May 20 – nearly delivered a pinpoint pass to Salloi at the backpost if not for a last-gasp touch by Souquet. Five minutes later, second-half substitute Gadi Kinda unleashed a well-taken shot from 25 yards out that took a deflection and whistled just wide of the post.
Kinda continued to make an impact in the 64th minute with a superb set piece delivered to the backpost where Robert Castellanos – starting for the suspended Dany Rosero – did well to lose his mark but couldn’t direct his header on target. Brady would then make his fourth and final save in the 85th minute as Marinos Tzionis fired from long range with Chicago defending deep in the dying moments.
After rescuing a result with a 91st minute goal on Wednesday, Sporting KC nearly produced another moment of magic in the 91st minute on Saturday. Walter’s curling cross found Salloi at the far post and the Sporting KC Academy product headed the ball back across but couldn’t connect with Kinda before Carlos Teran cleared the chance on the doorstep.
The final whistle brought an end to Sporting’s nine-match home unbeaten streak against Chicago as the Fire earned their first win in Kansas City in nearly a decade dating back to June 29, 2012 and improved to 4-0-0 against the Western Conference this season.
Sporting Kansas City will look to bounce back next Saturday when the club kicks off a six-game slate in the month of July against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Children’s Mercy Park and tickets are available online at SeatGeek.com.
Major League Soccer scoreboard from Saturday, June 24, 2023:
Charlotte 0, Montreal 0
Columbus 2, Nashville 0
D.C. 3, Cincinnati 0
New England 2, Toronto 1
NY Red Bulls 4, Atlanta 0
Philadelphia 4, Miami 1
Austin 3, Houston 0
Colorado 0, LA Galaxy 0
Minnesota 2, Real Salt Lake 2
Vancouver 3, LAFC 2
Portland 1, NYCFC 1
St. Louis City FC 2, San Jose 0
Seattle 0, Orlando 0
