Sporting Kansas City (2-1-3, 9 points) secured an impressive 3-1 away victory against Toronto FC (3-2-1, 10 points) on Saturday, with three second-half goals propelling them to victory and moving them up the Western Conference standings.
The match began with both teams creating scoring opportunities in an exciting opening 10 minutes. Sporting KC’s Daniel Salloi had a chance in the eighth minute, but Toronto’s goalkeeper Luka Gavran made a crucial save. Shortly after, Sporting KC’s goalkeeper Tim Melia denied Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi.
Sporting KC continued to threaten throughout the first half, with chances falling to Nemanja Radoja and Willy Agada, who hit the crossbar with a powerful strike. Despite their efforts, the first half ended goalless.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Remi Walter scored with a stunning long-range effort, giving Sporting KC the lead. Jake Davis doubled the lead in the 64th minute with his first MLS goal, a powerful strike from outside the box.
Toronto FC fought back, but Melia made key saves to keep them at bay. In the 82nd minute, Alenis Vargas sealed the victory for Sporting KC with a composed finish after a surging run into the box.
Despite a late consolation goal from Toronto’s Jonathan Osorio, Sporting KC held on for the win. The victory marked Melia’s 37th regular season road win, breaking a tie for 10th most in MLS history.
In the NWSL, the Kansas City Current (3-0-0, 1st place) continued their strong start to the season with a 4-2 win over Angel City (0-2-1, 12th place) at CPKC Stadium. Vanessa DiBernardo and Temwa Chawinga scored for the Current, with Chawinga becoming the first player from Malawi to score in the NWSL.
The Current have now scored 11 goals in their first three matches of the season, the most ever in a three-game span in NWSL history. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski praised the team’s offseason recruitment efforts, which have bolstered their attacking options.
Despite a late surge from Angel City, the Current held on for their third consecutive victory, maintaining their perfect start to the season. They will face defending champions Gotham FC in their next match on the road.
