Sporting KC continues its partnership with OKC Energy FC for the 2015 season, loaning midfielder Mikey Lopez to our USL affiliate. Additionally, homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin and rookie defender Saad Abdul-Salaam have been loaned to the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League. Each week, we’ll recap the performances of the Sporting KC players in our Loan Lowdown series.
On the same night that Sporting KC conceded in the final minute to lose 2-1 at LA Galaxy, goalkeeper Jon Kempin and defender Saad Abdul-Salaam suffered a similar fate with the San Antonio Scorpions.
On loan with the defending NASL champions, Kempin and Abdul-Salaam started and played 90 minutes as the Scorpions (0-2-0, 0 points) lost 2-1 to Indy Eleven (1-0-2, 5 points) Saturday at Toyota Field in San Antonio. It was the second straight match in which both players went the distance in a losing effort.
The hosts surged ahead on 52 minutes when eight-year MLS veteran Omar Cummings scored in his second straight match, burying a Cezar Elizondo through ball. Kempin could do little about Indy's equalizer 12 minutes later when defender Erick Norales headed home a free kick sent in by Dylan Mares. Just when a draw seemed the likeliest result, an impressive 45-yard drive from Sergio Peña with a minute left in regulation stunned a crowd of 5,305 and gave Indy all three points.
San Antonio will seek their first NASL win of 2015 next Saturday at Minnesota United (0-1-1, 1 point), led by United States international midfielder Miguel Ibarra and the latest team to be announced as a future MLS expansion club.
Mikey Lopez, meanwhile, was on the winning side of late-game dramatics Saturday night. The midfielder played the entirety of OKC Energy FC's come-from-behind 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders FC 2 before a sellout crowd of 6,797 at Oklahoma City’s newly renovated Taft Stadium. Jimmy Nielsen's men are undefeated (2-0-1, 7 points) through three matches of the USL season, each of which Lopez has started.
After a brief weather delay, Seattle (3-2-0, 9 points) opened the scoring on 32 minutes when Darwin Jones buried the rebound after goalkeeper Evan Newton saved a blistering shot from distance. Energy FC levelled just six minutes later, Chuy Sanchez receiving a pass from Dani Konig and finishing with aplomb. Sanchez then returned the favor in the 85th minute, setting up Konig for the dramatic game-winner.
Energy FC returns to USL action against expansion side St. Louis FC (1-2-1, 4 points) next Saturday at Taft Stadium.
Mikey Lopez (OKC Energy FC)
2015 USL Stats
<strong>Games Played</strong> |
<strong>Minutes Played</strong> |
<strong>Goals</strong> |
<strong>Assists</strong> |
3 |
252 |
0 |
0 |
Jon Kempin (San Antonio Scorpions)
2015 NASL Stats
<strong>Games Played</strong> |
<strong>Minutes Played</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>GAA</strong> |
<strong>Saves</strong> |
<strong>Shutouts</strong> |
2 |
180 |
5 |
2.50 |
5 |
0 |
Saad Abdul-Salaam (San Antonio Scorpions)
2015 NASL Stats
<strong>Games Played</strong> |
<strong>Minutes Played</strong> |
<strong>Goals</strong> |
<strong>Assists</strong> |
2 |
180 |
0 |
0 |
