Sporting KC fades down the stretch again, loses at Cincinnati on PKs in Leagues Cup

Sporting Kansas City held the lead at multiple points during Sunday night’s Leagues Cup road match at FC Cincinnati but just couldn’t slam the door.

The wild and weather-delayed match was knotted 3-3 after regulation, and Cincinnati won a penalty-kick shootout for the extra point in the first Leagues Cup match of 2023.

“Our team played very well even though we went down a man,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “In the second half we were very organized, and we created great chances even being a man down.

“To suffer the tie off of that decision is very, very disappointing for a bunch of guys that worked their butt off in the game.”

There’s a lot to unpack there, so let’s get to it.

Sporting KC went up 2-0 and seemed to be in control for the first 30 minutes against FC Cincinnati ... until a rush of blood to the head earned Alan Pulido a straight red card.

After Pulido fouled Cincinnati defender Yerson Mosquera, the two were tangled up on the ground. Mosquera gave Pulido a shove, and as Pulido tried to stand up he headbutted Mosquera in the face.

“We should not put ourselves in that position to have to be down a man,” Vermes said. “But people make mistakes, and in this situation, the right decision was made, and the player was dealt with accordingly.”

With the score knotted 2-2, Tim Leibold’s shot for Sporting went off the hand of Cincinnati’s Alvas Powell. KC was awarded a penalty kick, which Gadi Kinda calmly converted down the middle.

Sporting KC led 3-2 after regulation, but a late handball call gave Cincinnati a penalty in the final minute of stoppage time. Luciano Acosta converted the opportunity to set the stage for a penalty shootout for the extra point.

Sporting KC’s Erik Thommy and Khiry Shelton made their side’s first two penalty kicks, but Remi Walter and Andreu Fontas followed with misses. Cincinnati did not miss once, winning the shootout 4-2.

For Vermes, the most frustrating aspect of Sunday evening’s loss was not the penalty shootout. It was the penalty kick awarded to Cincinnati in the final minute of regulation. While Sporting’s Dany Rosero did have his hands tucked behind his back on the sequence in question, upon replay it appeared that he extended his elbow, making himself bigger and blocking Luciano Acosta’s shot with that part of his body.

“I’m saying it’s disappointing,” Vermes said. “I could say other words, but I’m sure most people wouldn’t like it. So I won’t.”

The penalty and red card shouldn’t overshadow Sporting KC’s overall effort Sunday night. They played with confidence even down a man. And they very nearly beat a good FC Cincinnati team that has yet to lose a game at home in all competitions this year.

Looking forward, Pulido’s red card means he’ll sit out Sporting KC’s next Leagues Cup match, and potentially more than that if the league feels harsher suspension is merited.

As it happens, Sporting KC will next play host to Chivas de Guadalajara on Monday, July 31. That match is scheduled for a 9 p.m. kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park.

And it’s too bad that Pulido will miss it, as he came to KC from Chivas and Sporting desperately needs a win to advance to the knockout stage of the Leagues Cup.

But Sporting KC’s Gadi Kinda sounded confident in his team’s chances with or without Pulido.

“Alan scores a lot of goals for us,” Kinda said. “But we have enough good players. We will try to win the game for him.”