With the 2020 MLS season on temporary hold, SportingKC.com is taking daily strolls down memory lane with an "On This Day" web series that celebrates memorable moments in team history. As one of Major League Soccer's proud charter members, Sporting has a decorated past full of thrilling victories, amazing goals, momentous off-the-field developments and more. "On This Day" pays tribute to these specific instances, turning back the clocks while treating fans to nostalgia and club history lessons. To catch up on the series as it unfolds, visit SportingKC.com/OnThisDay.
If ever there was a tale of two halves, Sporting Kansas City's home tilt against Seattle Sounders FC on May 17, 2017, was exactly that.
Manager Peter Vermes’ men were left frustrated through the opening 45 minutes, having failed to record a single first-half shot attempt for the first time in the club’s 675-game regular season history.
The second half was an entirely different story.
Three years ago today, Gerso Fernandes—Sporting's newly acquired winger who had assimilated well to life in MLS after several seasons in Portugal—bagged a scintillating hat trick in the space of 13 second-half minutes to seal a resounding 3-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champions.
In doing so, Gerso became the sixth Sporting player to score an MLS hat trick at the time and the first Kansas City player to achieve the feat in nearly seven years. Heading into the game, the club's most recent hat trick hero in an MLS match was Birahim Diop, who struck thrice in the 2010 regular season finale at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Gerso now stands as one of Sporting's eight hat trick heroes in MLS competition—a list that includes current teammate Johnny Russell, who is one of just two players, alongside Eddie Johnson, to notch two MLS hat tricks for the club.
HAT TRICKS IN SPORTING KC HISTORY (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
<strong>#</strong> |
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Date(s)</strong> |
<strong>Result(s)</strong> |
2 |
Johnny Russell |
04/20/2018<br>
05/26/2019 |
W 6-0 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC<br>
W 3-2 vs. Seattle Sounders FC |
2 |
Eddie Johnson |
05/26/2007<br>
06/02/2007 |
W 4-3 at New England Revolution<br>
W 3-2 vs. New York Red Bulls |
1 |
Krisztian Nemeth |
03/30/2019 |
W 7-1 vs. Montreal Impact |
1 |
Gerso Fernandes |
05/17/2017 |
W 3-0 vs. Seattle Sounders FC |
1 |
Birahim Diop |
10/23/2010 |
W 4-1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
1 |
Davy Arnaud |
07/03/2003 |
W 5-1 vs. FC Dallas |
1 |
Preki |
09/05/1998 |
W 5-1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
1 |
Digital Takawira |
05/16/1998 |
W 3-1 at New England Revolution |
